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Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne (Aurora 1/72)


Mario

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Hello modellers!
I´m glad to be able to present another finished model after a long time. Is a Lockheed AH-56 A Cheyenne in 1/72 made from the 1967 Aurora kit. Have always been interested in this helicopter since I had a quartet card game as a child with the Cheyenne being the ultimate joker, outperforming all the other copters by lenght. Wondered why it was never went into mass production until later learned about the mix of technical problems, interservice rivalary with the Air Force and a shift of requirements  that not oly ended the AH-56 project but Lockheed´s rotary aircraft ambitions.
I managed to get the kit in June- not a real bargain, but the first affordable kit since I started my search and it was mint in box. References were easy to find and even so only ten prototypes were build, many airframes survived and there are a lot of pics available in the internet. Nevertheless I bought the Warbird Tech book Volume 27 by Tony Landis and Dennis Jenkins for further information. Right from the start it was clear that I wanted a later prototype use in the weapons test program and I opted for the No 7 prototype. Unlike the Legato resin version, the Aurora kit depicts a very early prototype with  narrow wings and except for the nose turret, no weapons or pylons. I started with detailing the fuselage halves and vacuformed a thinner canopy. A rotor axle with brass bearings from an old PicooZ  remote controlled helicopter was glued to the inside, allowing the main rotor assembly added later and spin freely. The wings were extended with styrene sheet, the nose extended and the cockpit, except for the seats and pilot´s instrument panel, completely scratchbuild. The 30mm belly turret was made from a F-14 reccee pod, whereas the nose turret is from a slice of an F-16 drop tank. Both turrets are movable. From the main rotor only the blades were used, extended with plastic sheet and sanded thinner. The blades were pinned with small nails to a piece of sprue, serving as rotor axle. The gyro needed several attempts until I was happy with the mix of needles, wire insulation material and shrink tubing. The pusher prop and antitorque rotor are completely scratchbuild from plastic sheet, nails, needles  and sprue. It took nine small holes to drill into the center of the antitorque rotor to fix the blades, detail it and allow it to spin! The underwing pylons were crafted from leftover F-4 Phantom pylons, rocket pods from the Hasegawa weapons set. For the TOW launchers three pieces of Q-tips were glued on styrene sheet and brought in shape with epoxy glue and putty. Other material used were nail-art rhinestones for the beacons, hairs from a broom for the rigging on the gyro and hypodermic needles as gun barrels. As a gimmick, the gunner seat and gunsight were glued on top of the sensor pod allowing to turn the seat from the outside to depict this unique detail from the real thing.
Painting wasn´t too complicated with olive drab over all with only a little weathering. Started with a preshading first but found out that this effect seemed too exaggerated for a prototype aircraft. Decals came from kit, sparesbox, and my printer. Except for a little yellowing, the kit decals performed extraordinary well considering it´s age of 50 years!
I´m really happy to have this bird in my collection and will relax now with building an old Hasegawa T-33.
Mario
 
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Edited by Mario
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:wow: I’ve always liked the Cheyenne. This is very ood looking. For a 50 year old kit the detail doesn't look to bad.

Just for future reference or anyone considering this kit. To make the pylons and weapons im thinking I would have looked for a huey cobra kit. I would use the TOW tubes from that and possibly adapted the pylons. Maybe even modify the nose turret. Then again thats me. Again this looks really good 👍

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Uncle Mario!!!

Congratulations for this materpiece!!!

Looking for missing things I have pending from  last year, remembered you were working in this "Million Dollar Kit" and have forgotten to check how the Ancient Dinosaur have been ended.... It's not a surprise you have achieved a nice buit model with that so marvelous tricks and plenty of good "Old School Modeling Techniques" used together to get a Show Stopper in any contest table or exhibition. 

 

I liked how you started to plan this build and really your story reinforces the ideas i always have had about what is getting inspiration to build something wonderful and the tenacity to look for practical ideas to be translated in miniature processes to get a high quality work. I liked the way you made all that you scratch and how inventive your mind is, you worked this bird like an miniature engineer, think have got into a miniature one to look how to improve the raw material provided by the box to get an outstanding model, how you transformed the old and ancient kit in one that rivals with anything modern technology can present. The most I liked is the rotors and armament system, but all the job done in this one is first class. The painting and weathering techniques and final results impacted my eyes.

 

Thank you very much for sharing and wish you a GREAT new year 2018 with plenty of good surprises in your bench to make us smile  and rejoice.

 

Cheers,

 

Luis Alfonso

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On ‎02‎.‎01‎.‎2018 at 12:45 AM, Luis Alfonso said:

Hi Uncle Mario!!!

Congratulations for this materpiece!!!

Looking for missing things I have pending from  last year, remembered you were working in this "Million Dollar Kit" and have forgotten to check how the Ancient Dinosaur have been ended.... It's not a surprise you have achieved a nice buit model with that so marvelous tricks and plenty of good "Old School Modeling Techniques" used together to get a Show Stopper in any contest table or exhibition. 

 

I liked how you started to plan this build and really your story reinforces the ideas i always have had about what is getting inspiration to build something wonderful and the tenacity to look for practical ideas to be translated in miniature processes to get a high quality work. I liked the way you made all that you scratch and how inventive your mind is, you worked this bird like an miniature engineer, think have got into a miniature one to look how to improve the raw material provided by the box to get an outstanding model, how you transformed the old and ancient kit in one that rivals with anything modern technology can present. The most I liked is the rotors and armament system, but all the job done in this one is first class. The painting and weathering techniques and final results impacted my eyes.

 

Thank you very much for sharing and wish you a GREAT new year 2018 with plenty of good surprises in your bench to make us smile  and rejoice.

 

Cheers,

 

Luis Alfonso

Hi Nephew Luis Alfonso!

A Happy New Year and thank you very much for your kind words! Indeed this has been an extraordinary build, especially as the kit never went into the stash. Instead it was built immediately as in the good old times. Hope there will be good modelling progress and many finished projects on both sides of the pond in 2018!

Cheers,

              Uncle Mario

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/1/2018 at 11:33 AM, Mario said:

Hi Nephew Luis Alfonso!

A Happy New Year and thank you very much for your kind words! Indeed this has been an extraordinary build, especially as the kit never went into the stash. Instead it was built immediately as in the good old times. Hope there will be good modelling progress and many finished projects on both sides of the pond in 2018!

Cheers,

              Uncle Mario

Hi Uncle Mario!!!!

Trying to go ahead even against the cold and all trouble, wish and believe firmly in your prophetical words!!!

Cheers!!!

 

Luis Alfonso 

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14 hours ago, Luis Alfonso said:

Hi Uncle Mario!!!!

Trying to go ahead even against the cold and all trouble, wish and believe firmly in your prophetical words!!!

Cheers!!!

 

Luis Alfonso 

Hi Nephew Luis Alfonso!  My faith is strong and I have never given up hope in over three years:D

13 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

Magnificent build, love the fact that you motorized it too!  Just goes to show that with some great patience and skill you can turn a 1967 release into a beauty!

Thank you very much for the comment. The "motorization" comes in fact from the air stream of my airbrush. Have only taken care to make the props spin as easily as possible to be able to move all three with one source of air. Think the usage of small motors in scale models is a little difficult as there aren´t accessible in case of trouble.

Mario

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3 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

Check this out Mario, I put four small Doyusha motors meant for their 1/144 kits into this TU-95.  Hope you like it.

 

 

What a great idea - I like it indeed. Thanks for sharing. Have discovered that you already posted it on BM and left a comment. Like to present my models in little dioramas but unfortunately they have to move onto the shelf after a photo session.

Cheers,

               Mario

Edited by Mario
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