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Apache!


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Cheers @basaez.bruno kind of intriguded myself.  Hope these decals are good - they are supposed to be.  Painting the body humbrol 64, and hoping to get away with humbrol 163 over a darker primer for the green nose.  Not true olive but worked ok on a couple of vehicles.

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Hmm, going to have to get some decal soft or similar to get these decals wrapped around the apache.  On the plus side the 'panniers' are attached & all electrics are still working.  Need to get some filler around the joins & tidy it up before putting on a primer coat.

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Tried a dry fit of the tail horizontal stabiliser and wing stubs today.  The rotors are dropped on and the canopy is just pushed in to test. but the body has had filler & green stuff around the joints.

 

CMukrre.jpg

 

The first decals are on the engines, but i need decal softener to get these to sit down well, so there won't be any more for a bit

 

She is a big bird though

 

zZvZZIx.jpg 

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17 hours ago, James B said:

You're putting the decals on before painting? How does this work, do you paint over them and use them as a guide? I am very intrigued.

No decals are after paint.  The body back from the cockpit will be grey, with green just on the very front.  No paint on the backed yet, but the engines have been painted humbrol 64 grey and are held on with blutac, so make a good place to test out the decals, and find that I need some decal soft to make them sit well.

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Finally got some micro sol and tried it on the decals I previously put on the Apache.  And they seem to have settled down nicely.  Quite excited to get some more on there now.  Not going to be an easy task though!

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On 9/24/2017 at 10:33 AM, bar side said:

Finally got some micro sol and tried it on the decals I previously put on the Apache.  And they seem to have settled down nicely.  Quite excited to get some more on there now.  Not going to be an easy task though!

You're such a tease ;)

 

I'd love to see some pics of where it's up to, and the decals you've applied.

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Errrr, you have seen them all so far @James B!  Been a bit distracted by starting an A-10 while waiting to get to the shop to get the micro sol.  A-10 and most recent Apache shot is over on my HAS build thread under dioramas.  Might get some more decals on this week & also have the paint to turn the nose green

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Decal count - 6

 

Both engines now have the three main pattern decals on.  The nose has had a quick dust over with olive green, masked up to the pattern as described in the instructions.

 

YNG1idH.jpg

 

My plan was to leave off the engines to allow a flat side for easier decal application, but it might be easier to do with them on to match where the pattern will join up - decisions, decisions

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Well engines are glued on and providing the starting points for the decals to spread out from.  About 7 of them on tonight.  Not sitting down too well on the last two, but I will let them dry & hit them with some more micro sol in the morning

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Worst bits of decal adhesion seem to have improved today with more fix & micro sol, still a little bit bubbly but getting there.  Gave the strobe lights & rotors a run today and did a video clip.  Currently updating & converting on to Vimeo, will post when it’s ready.

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More decals before & after this photo today.  Got it outside & on blu-taced on legs so that the decals can be seen better. 

 

gNHliiq.jpg

 

More decals on since this & most of the main colour decals are now on!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since the A-10 project has stopped pending some new grey paint, i am back having a go at moving the Apache on.  The tail has orange & decals on, and the wheels are painted & on, along with the first fits of the nose cameras/sensors and gun.  Loads more detail to go on - hand rails, ECM etc, the opening side of the canopy, glass lens covers, filter for the engine intakes, sencil decals, etc, etc, etc.....

But anyway, this is how she looks

 

GXTIoWL.jpg

 

Ad52ka8.jpg

 

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The 'finishing touches' of this build are endless.  few more bits on, some more done, but so much more to do.  ECM packs, hand rails, antenna, stencil decals, etc, etc.  But the wheels are glued on, the bits in front of the engines are on, the lens over the strobe lights are on, the nose sensors are on, tail is glued on, and the lights & motors still work!

 

fRLBxID.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Apache is still going - few more bits on today and all of the winglet pylons together.  Pylons just need painting & decals.  Still no idea when it will be called done, but going to try to not start another build until it’s done.  The A-10 has been taking up time but is just about there

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Added a few more bits - more still to go on and smaller decals to do

 

luBoBMp_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

 

1rZCUaB_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

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yA8U7Mj_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

Not sure what to do with the doors - tend to build with an empty cockpit and canopy / doors open.  But that would look plain daft if the lights are on and the rotors turning.  So need to put in some bodies and decide if the doors stay open or not

 

 

 

 

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Well this build is reaching it end.  There are more bits that could be done - I haven’t put on all of the stencil decals and I have spotted at least one small antenna on the lower tail underside, but the doors (and door handles!) are on.  But there are two likely lads in the cockpit and lots of small bits fitted on the outside.  State of play is this:

 

BdypUQN_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

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346HYrT_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

RNsEN1Z_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&f

 

Now need to hook it up to some power and pose it with some ancillary details before doing an RFI.  Definitely got tha Apache chunky look going on

 

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Bloody nice work. Are you going to display it on the ground starting up, or just after take off and a little bit in the air, or in full flight? I think I recall you saying you the intention was to add it to your HAS diorama right? If not, how about somehow coming up with a low level flight diorama, with the ground somehow all blurred, giving the spinning props a suitable backdrop. Just an idea, and to be honest I have no idea how one would go about achieving it, so perhaps best left in my imagination!

 

Really, really great work so far. I'd be proud to have something half as good.

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