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100 Years #4 - Westland Lynx HAS.3 (Are we there yet?)


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Hi All

 

And now for something (hopefully) completely different.

 

The fourth and penultimate kit from this collection is a rotary winged aircraft, with moulds under fifty years old, and more parts than the previous three subjects put together!

 

Not tied to a specific pilot or event, this looks to be the 1978 vintage 03024-5 Westland Lynx HAS.3, with an updated scheme and decals for a machine from 815 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Exeter April 1987.

 

I intend to build this straight out of the bag, with no hesitation, repetition or deviation, even if it looks nothing like it's original.

 

DSCF6063.jpg

 

Plenty of parts, yes, but plenty of quality...?

DSCF6064.jpg

A couple of ejector pin marks per seat, swiftly dealt with as they won't be seen once inside.

 

The pilots seats are similar however, so I might be tempted to fit the crew in this one.

 

Not to worry, it can't be as bad as the F4U, or the Swordfish...?

 

 

Place your bets!

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
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Hi All, and welcome Harry :)

 

A quick blast of Green, Grey and Black as per the instructions, with just a hint of Silver because it was there

DSCF6097.jpg

 

And the internals just about fall together of their own volition!

 

Dry fit, no cement...

DSCF6098.jpg

 

DSCF6099.jpg

 

DSCF6100.jpg

 

Those pilot seats will be host to, er, the pilots, and there are little handle bar bits for the foot controls and the main control sticks to go on, but I'm keeping them on the sprue until the last moment before fitting because I'm bound to lose them forever if I so much as look at them once they're free.

 

I plan to fit just the basic internal structure while constructing and painting the externals, then fit the seats etc in through the doors / window.

 

Any thoughts as to if this is possible / foolhardy / outrageously optimistic?

DSCF6101.jpg

 

DSCF6103.jpg

 

I've done it while in this state, but you know how things change when there's no going back.

 

And while I'm being inquizitive, what's the uniform for these guys?

DSCF6104.jpg

 

Olive Drab / Khaki / Dark Blue overalls? White helmets?

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
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21 minutes ago, ProfSparks said:

 

Any thoughts as to if this is possible / foolhardy / outrageously optimistic?

The couple of hueys I've built over the years i installed the interior before assembly/paint. I have used tamiya tape to hold the side doors in position during painting. I take a strip from the 10mm or 18mm and place it lengthwise on the top and bottom of the door, attached to the inner floor and roof. It allows you to both paint camouflage on the exterior, and seals up the inside from overspray. However i imagine poster tack might work just as well if you roll a thin snake of it and use it 360* around the edge of the door, almost like a weatherseal on a cardoor.

 

Dennis

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Hi All

 

I bit half the bullet and fitted the rear seats and front seat runners to the floor before sealing them inside.

DSCF6105.jpg

 

It's been put aside to set for an indefinite time while I do a little bit of sub assembly

DSCF6106.jpg

The locating pins were generally out by half a mm on all of these, just enough to not seat them flush.

 

I removed them and they mate ok, still need sanding and filling.

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
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Hi All

 

Had some time and some filler, so thought I'd combine the two.

 

It does need a fair amount (though nowhere near as much as I hear the Meteor takes, also in my stash)

DSCF6109.jpg

 

DSCF6110.jpg

 

A bit of sanding later, and some ad hoc masking for good measure

DSCF6117.jpg

 

DSCF6121.jpg

 

DSCF6120.jpg

 

With the tail and little whatnots on, it's left to solidify before the primer coat

DSCF6125.jpg

 

I must say, this is going together alarmingly well, fingers crossed. I almost feel the urge to open up the external vents and add mesh, or correct the interior through the rotor housing.

 

But no, this is an OOB, let's keep it in the box (as it were).

 

And yes, that ejector pin mark on the tail will be filled, probably snapping off the whole rear boom assembly and plunging the whole build into a tailspin.

 

The pessimist is never disappointed!

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
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Hi All

 

On 2/25/2018 at 11:32 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Its looking good so far 👍 ... What scheme does the build call for ? 

 

Any colour you like, as long as it's dark Sea Grey 164!

DSCF6128.jpg

 

However, that's the last of it.

 

Airfix include a pot of 172 Antique Bronze for (wrongly) the exhaust collector ring on the Swordfish, and a couple that I haven't used yet (and doubt they'll be used on the Harrier either), but only the single tub of Dark Sea Grey that is for three of the kits :huh:.

 

I may have to branch out and cheat a bit.

 

 

Anyhoo, the only other noteworthy point is that the main rotor head was miscast with some links missing

DSCF6126.jpg

 

I've had a go at replacing them with some stretched sprue, but I'll wait until they're all painted up before I decide if they're picture ready.

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
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Having had to completely replace the entire rotor head for my folded bladed Wasp I'd enjoy seeing how you replaced this bits

Not least because I have a similar task to perform on an Airfix Bolkow I was given to restore

Blades but broken head gear in it

 

Your Lynx looks nice, I am a devoted rotary fan and I've one to get started on soon

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Hi All

 

On 2/27/2018 at 1:06 PM, perdu said:

Having had to completely replace the entire rotor head for my folded bladed Wasp I'd enjoy seeing how you replaced this bits

:fraidnot: Please don't look too closely, in comparison to your exquisite craftsmanship I may as well have tied on bits of twig using hairy string!

 

DSCF6130.jpg

 

I can see it better in this photo than I can in real life :doh:, but it'll do for me now at this level, lessons learned and archived for the next time.

 

Anyhoo, she's on her legs and ready for me to start the grand putting together.

 

Pretty straight forward build so far, just like a proper kit! (though let's see how many of the sticky-out bits I can knock off and lose before the RFI...)

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
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Me too, looks good

The only change I'd make is to the junction of the rods top left, I'd touch that place with a teensie drop of PVA to bulk it out a little

The whole thing would even out if you did

 

However it is already a success, let's have some more

 

👍

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I agree about the replacement drag dampers [which is what they are].  Those (ahem) lovely rivets on top of where the blades will attach could usefully be sanded off; they are completely made-up.

 

Some good news and some bad.  This is billed as a Mk3.  If that’s to be right, it needs Orange Crop ESM aerials on top of the nose and on both stub-wings.  I don’t know whether this kit has them, but I am guessing not given the lack of locating holes.

 

The good news, on the other hand, is that it looks fine as a Mk.2.  This also gives you the chance to paint it a nice Oxford Blue rather than 50 shades of FAA grey.

 

As for those two aircrew.  Where to start?  Maybe with the oxygen tubes disappearing under their left armpits, which tell us all about the many seconds of thought that must have gone into their design...

 

Colours?  Black boots, but everything else various shades of dark green.  Definitely NOT white helmets, I’m afraid - though the helmets did have a fetching white(-ish: actually reflective tape) X on top.  Dark helmet visors.  Straps dark blue (though don’t get me started on the straps they have moulded...!)

 

I hesitate to ask this.... but how does the kit handle the FOD guards on the engine intakes?  See a pinned thread at the top of this very forum for guidance...

 

Sorry if I am late to the party; I’d somehow missed this!

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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Hi All

 

On 3/4/2018 at 8:13 AM, perdu said:

The only change I'd make is to the junction of the rods top left, I'd touch that place with a teensie drop of PVA to bulk it out a little

 

On 3/4/2018 at 9:20 AM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Those (ahem) lovely rivets on top of where the blades will attach could usefully be sanded off; they are completely made-up.

Done and done  :thumbsup:

 

On 3/4/2018 at 9:20 AM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I hesitate to ask this.... but how does the kit handle the FOD guards on the engine intakes?  See a pinned thread at the top of this very forum for guidance...

I suspect Airfix had this in mind for those tricky FOD guards?

DSCF6145.jpg

 

No-one would ever guess they weren't there with Bert and Ernie keeping guard! (I hope they've come out not too annoying :whistle:)

 

I've followed the top pinned thread on the mesh construction, and it looks quite tricky even in 1/32 and 1/48. I might have the start of an inkling of a cunning plan, I'll see if anything comes of it.

 

 

I'm quite committed to the bland Grey, so I might as well have a go at making it closer to a 3. Have you links for the Orange Crop aerials? I've looked but can't quite figure out what I'm looking for :unsure:

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
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18 hours ago, ProfSparks said:

Have you links for the Orange Crop aerials? I've looked but can't quite figure out what I'm looking for :unsure:

 

The Orange Crop aerials are 6 black rectangular panels, each with 2 small round bumps on them (which are the actual aerials).  

 

The nose ones are easy to show you (close-up of nose of ZD260, an HAS3S, with Broadsword flight in 1990) - the odd primer surround of the Observer's windscreen was because we had just replaced the panel and hadn't yet painted it.

38844296350_e53f5b9aa9_b.jpg

 

See also this shot (different aircraft, obviously):

38844296590_23a80d453a_b.jpg

 

The rear aerials are less obvious - back to ZD260 again, and sorry that it's so small:

38844296780_3a1e74178a_m.jpg

 

On the left of the shot you can fairly clearly see the sideways-looking aerial, just behind the roundel - the "bumps" were not white - it's an optical illusion from reflection!

 

The rearward looking aerial is on the back of the stub-wing, immediately on the left of the green flotation gear.  All 6 aerials were identical; they simply faced in different directions to provide 360 degree coverage.

 

Hope that helps, @ProfSparks

 

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Hi All

 

Spot-on information there thanks, exactly what I needed to point me in the right direction  :worthy:.

 

Having gone in that direction and had a good look round these past couple of hours, I feel it would be counteractive for me to start chopping bits onto it at this stage. The flank ones could be fairly straight forward (as it were), the nose ones might be a touch more tricky to blend in, but the ones on the rear of the stub-wings look like they're boxed in (from the walk around section on here). I'm not adept enough to tackle that surgery without destroying the whole shebang somewhere along the way.

 

So, I'm afraid it will have to stay a 2 in 3's clothing :(

 

 

However, a small win that I'm going to claim is

On 3/4/2018 at 9:20 AM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Definitely NOT white helmets, I’m afraid - though the helmets did have a fetching white(-ish: actually reflective tape) X on top.

A quick rummage round the Bag Of Remaining Decals unearthed these

DSCF6147.jpg

 

They're the closest I have to that reflective white X. A bit of careful cutting

DSCF6148.jpg

 

Something like that? I couldn't find an exact picture of them.

 

Anyhoo, a swift application of Micro Sol and they settled down nicely

DSCF6149.jpg

 

Here they are drying in the cool evening, alongside the components to make up those FOD guards, consisting of a fragment of vac form that has a curve (from a set of sails I think) and a scrap of fine mesh from a bouquet of flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, after a period of abject frustration trying to get anything to conform to the surface round the intakes, the idea was shelved.

 

There are no more photos of that attempt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now I'm about to start on the decalling process and get things moving forward again.

 

Ah, yes, you remember the acetate backed decals from previous builds?

 

:poop::rage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments, suggestions, and pins to stick in my eyes for a bit of light relief welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

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Hi All

 

Well, that wasn't too bad, here we are mid way through a course of Micro Sol applications

DSCF6150.jpg

 

The tail rotor markings were just short (or so I thought), however on closer photographic inspection, the markings stop short of the leading edge.

DSCF6151.jpg

 

Undaunted, I painted in the gaps anyway.

 

Everything ready to assemble

DSCF6154.jpg

 

Bert and Ernie

DSCF6155.jpg

 

And before you can say "it's starting to look like a helicopter"

DSCF6159.jpg

 

It's a helicopter!

DSCF6161.jpg

 

I'll get some RFI photos in the daylight, but for now that's it.

 

A pretty basic build, though still slightly disappointing when it came down to detail and accuracy (like actually being a HAS.3 in the first place).

 

 

Anyhoo, I'm calling this a WIN!

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

ps. RFI here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/87-ready-for-inspection-aircraft/&do=add

 

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
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