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1/35 Italian Forest Bird, Part 2.


Wafu

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AgustaBell 412EP, Italian Forestale Corpo.

 

Dragon UH-1N, 1/35, gets an update to its big brother.

 

For a while now I’ve wanted to build a AB412, after working on the RAF Griffon’s at RAF Shawbury then meeting up with various AB412’s whilst working in Italy, I’ve held a soft spot for this old timer that’s shown how to adapt without losing its basic appeal.

 

We all know the Dragon UH-1N, don’t we?? Well for those that don’t it’s a heavy weight in rivets and panel lines, mind you so is the real thing. After digging out my notes I set about looking at what was needed to make the leap from Bell 212 to Bell 412. I did make my first school boy error here. I used the Italeri 412 as my base and went from there, mistake.

 

After the first knock back I moved on and decided that 3D printing would help me, and so it did. So here is my 412 after the basic 412 conversion and a few extras via different Shapeways vendors,

 

one for the conversion https://www.shapeways.com/product/YRXEFGG24/bell-412-conversion-kit-1-35?optionId=59328741

 

one for the upturned exhausts https://www.shapeways.com/product/K899H3669/bell-212-412-1-35-bended-exhausts?optionId=64464624&li=marketplace

 

The decals and High skids came from Heli-scale and without these the whole Forestale project wouldn’t have got off the ground, so many thanks to Bernd for those.

 

One more aircraft of the Forestale is on the workbench, the MD500.

 

Anyway, here are my usual poor photographs

 

 

AB412 5

 

AB412 3

 

AB412 2

 

AB412 4

 

AB412 1

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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22 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

Very smart and a scheme that i never never seen before.

Thanks AD. The Forestale are a government department that, as the name relates to, are responsible for all Italys beautiful countryside, they mainly fight forest fires in the summer months though, and in style I might add. They currently operate MD500's, AW109's, AB412 and CH-64 Skycranes with water tanks. 

 

PLEASE CAN WE HAVE A AW109E/S IN 1/48 ITALERI ?????

 

As I said in my text with the photos, I love the Italian helicopters schemes, there are so many civil government departments operating helicopters with Italy, Police, Fire, Forestry, EMS and even the taxman has his own helicopters, you've got to hand it to the Italians, they do it in style.

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First of all, thank to all that have commented and liked my AB412.

 

Anthony, most of the guys offering 3d stuff via Shapeways can tweek to the scale you need/want. Two things to consider though.

1. Always check the measurements you require before getting them to commit the design to Shapeways. My experience has shown that what they think is the correct scale you need isn’t always the case. Measure against your model to ensure they and you are in the same place.

 

2. The devil is in the detail. My experience has taught me that fine detail isn’t alway the best against strength. Cine Scale do a perfect Main Rotor Head, however when it’s in 1/35 Scale the weight of the rotorblades can’t be held by the rotorhead. I also ordered a few sets of 1/35 scale David Clarke headsets, these arrived to me smashed into very small parts. I possibly wouldn’t order these again.

 

As I said in my text for the build, before ordering the 412 conversion, check he has made the alterations to the upper cowling, swashplate and rotorhead.

 

Thanks again, 

the Woo.

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Sorry Anthony, I didn't do a build thread, couple of reason. Firstly Istarted this project not really knowing if I'd get it finished as a 412. Truth be told it's been in my shed on the shelf of doom for a while, sitting next to a Bell 206 I'm also working on.

Secondly, I tend to like building and not writing/typing about it. 

 

Thanks, the Woo.

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