daryl_five_zero

"and we are open minded to the nature of the prize(s) that should be offered. " Maybe a ride in a helicopter of our choosing? But seriously. A Yeovil-AW groupbuild would be a fantastic idea. I would imagine they would prefer it advertized and open to the general public, but unless they were willing to do so themselves, BM would be a more than suitable host for such an event.

Wow, unbelievable skill, right there! I would never believe that was all done with a hairy stick! I miss seeing the Warthogs in the old camo schemes. Yours is a real beaut! Daryl.

Absolutely cracking build there, Chris! I love the soft-edge camo, and you've got it spot on! I sincerely hope the first drink you have from the glass that came with it is a nice chilled bottle of Spitfire! Daryl.

Glad it got to you ok, Shaun. You're right about it being off-centre. Here's a pic showing how far over the centreline to starboard it's placed. Looking forward to seeing your finished cab! Daryl.

This is why I love this forum. I'm about to start my first Lynx kit since I was about 8, and the sheer amount of Lynx expertise on these boards just staggers me. As a helo-loving civvie, I love hearing snippets of info like this. That's hilarious about the Germans though. But, don't they also operate the Lynx? I wonder how they got around that - sounds like double standards to me... With regards to what you were saying about the engine shutdown; is there not a system in place with the Lynx to alternate engine start-up/shutdown between 1&2 to evenly place wear and tear on them? I remember reading about starting up the Apache, and starting up/shutting down engine 1 or 2 first depending on odd or even days, and figured this would be a standard thing on all twin-engine aircraft.

The importer for Hasegawa is Amerang. You could try getting in touch with them; I've heard they're pretty good with replacements, although when I shot them a message regarding exactly the same thing as you (acquiring the 'T' sprue only) I didn't even get a reply. You can get the M-TADS housing alone from the IsraCast Apache AH.1 conversion, although it doesn't include the 3rd MPD to replace the ORT in the CPG's pit. I got sprue 'T' from the Hasegawa JGSDF AH-64D boxing (PT42) although I did have to order it from Japan. Saying that, there is one going for cheap on a certain online bidding site (just search 'Hasegawa PT42') Just be careful which kit you go for - there's 2 boxings of theJapaneseAH-64D, the up-to-date one (PT42) and an older boxing that doesn't contain Sprue 'T.' Are you just looking for the sprue 'T' parts to make cast of? As long as I get them back at some point, I haven't started work on mine yet and could send you the parts. Daryl.

Ghaa, those AGM-114 decals look so good... too bad they don't make them in 1/48.

Yeah, that all makes sense... I think! I did consider that it might be transmission fluid to a degree, but the amount of it made me think otherwise. You learn a new thing every day, eh? Thanks again for all the help, guys! Daryl.

Cracking build, there! I got to see a load of the Norwegian fleet lined up at Torp lufthavn on my way back to Blighty last night. I'm not big into civvie planes but I'm tempted to give a Norwegian bird a try (no pun intended.) Are you going to start on the Widerøe fleet once you've finished with Norwegian? Daryl.

Hey folks. Just a quick question about something that's been bugging me for a while now. I've noticed on tons of piccies of Apaches that there seems to be quite a bit of what I can only assume is moisture, especially around the engine cowling and rear/underside of the fuselage. You can see on this pic, most of the rear of the fuselage is darker than the rest of the helo, and there's some on the right engine access panel too Can anyone enlighten me and tell me what causes this exactly? Thanks in advance for any help! Daryl.

That really sucks. Any specifics on what's wrong with them, exactly? I'm no Merlin expert, but they look like a massive improvement over the Model Alliance offering. Also, does anybody know if anyone plans to make a replacement nose to convert to a HC.3A/Mk.512? Daryl.

Thanks again for the info. I'm planning a 1/48 Danish Lynx at some point, so I think I'll see how I feel after that before I plan another Danish Merlin. I've seen that Xtradecal are soon to release 1/48 decals for 'Rescue 08,' any word on if those are gonna be any good? I've not seen any pics of the replacement Merlins... and the mismatched panel ones are new to me too. Any pics? Daryl.

Takk for det, Jens! Yeah, to say I was disappointed at them would be an understatement. I do believe that it was several of your piccies that made up the foundation of my research on this project, so thanks for that! Out of curiosity, would I be right in thinking that any Merlins flying around the København/Roskilde area would be based out of Karup? Now to decide whether I'm brave enough to try and convert my 1/48 Merlin into a Mk. 512! Daryl.

I love this colour scheme! The workmanship is immaculate too... I can only imagine how difficult it was to get such crisp lines on the underside. Cracking build! Daryl.

I've not long posted it here, It's far from the calibre of your build, but I guess that's the difference between taking a few weeks to finish a build, and taking a few years! Here's the link: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234953316-172-danish-aw-merlin-mk512/

Cracking start! I've got a couple of Tonkas in the stash that I'm considering starting, so I may or may not use yours as a bit of a reference point if that's cool. Looking forward to see how you get on! Daryl.

Absolutely stunning build! There are so many subtleties that I overlooked that really make the model come to life. The weathering looks fantastic too. The exhaust stains on the underside are amazing! Daryl.

I spent some time in Roskilde, Denmark last summer, and as well as discovering that all Danish women are supermodels, I was lucky enough to have the RDAF flying their Merlins overhead 2-3 times a day, all week. Obviously, I fell in love (with the helicopters... I swear!) and vowed that I would try to model one when I return. Well, it took some time, but here it is! My humble attempt at a Danish SAR Merlin Mk.512. It started life as the Skyfall boxing of Italeri's 1/72 Merlin (HC.3?) The kit itself isn't too bad. As much detail in a kit as you would expect from a 1/72 helo. There were a few fit issues that i found. The sides of the fuselage that come separate weren't great, as was the main canopy/windscreen. The tail was a nightmare. I don't know if it was a moulding error, but there were no tabs to insert to add stability to the join. I knocked it off about 3 times before I ended up fabricating supports internally for it myself. Other than that, the kit seems pretty well designed. I used the Eduard PE set for cockpit detail & seatbelts, and was very happy with the outcome. To turn it into a Mk. 512, I used Heritage's Danish Merlin conversion set. Being both my first experience with resin and with converting a model, I can't really compare it to anything... I was pleased with the conversion set... the moulding seemed decent and it had everything I needed (I think...) For decals, the only option I really had was the Model Alliance World Air Power set 1. The decals themselves were great. They went on perfectly, and were really crisp in detail. The problem with the set, however, was the actual decal set. I had heard before that they weren't great, but didn't really think they would be as disappointing as they were. As well as being very incomprehensive, there were also some pretty epic mess-ups. The danger stencil for the rear rotor, for example, read 'Fare - Avle Lys.' Now, my Danish isn't great (Kamelålså?) but I'm sure any Dane will tell you that that is a load of rubbish. I managed to find the correct 'Fare - Pas På' stencil from the HobbyBoss Danish Lynx, but unless you are desperate, I wouldn't recommend the Model Alliance set to anyone thinking of using it. Other than that, any extra detail was scratchbuilt. Well, attempted, anyway. My scratchbuilding skill leaves a lot to be desired. I used Revell & Tamiya Acrylics, and was my first attempt using my new Testors Aztek airbrush. Although I'm very far from mastering it, it makes a huge difference over my dodgy £15 Humbrol Airbrush. The end result is far from perfect - Maskol buggered up my clear parts in a few places, and I think I was a bit hasty to get it finished, but I'm pretty happy with the outcome. It's difficult to do such a pretty piece of kit justice, but hopefully I've not done too bad! I'm operating a don't ask, don't tell policy on all the mistakes and inaccuracies, but I'm sure some of you can pick them out. Maybe it's one I don't know about, so comments and criticism is more than welcomed. Sorry about the pic quality too. Maybe now I have a new airbrush, I can save for a new camera! Anyway, that's my essay done. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking! Daryl.

And here I was starting to feel good about the helo I've just finished, then I click on this... I don't think I could say anymore than what's already been said about your build, Oliver. Beyond inspirational work here... it's almost gonna be sad to see it end, but it'll definitely be worth it. Absolutely stunning work. Daryl.

Ooh, very nicely done! I've only just finished my Italeri Merlin - you've done a much nicer job than I have though! The weathering is spot on, and it looks like you've done a better job on the fit than me too. I had a problem with one of the side windows falling out in mine too... I managed to get a pair of tiny tweezers through the crew door to get mine back in, but I feel your pain. There's been a few of the Merlins posted recently... think I best get the camera out and contribute! Hats off to a corking build! Daryl.

Don't quote me on this, but I think it depends what cab you are doing. if it's one of the Danish delivered Merlins, they were sent from the factory in IRR Helo Drab, so I guess any of the RAF's Danish acquired Merlin HC.3A's would be the same. I'd also guess that the RAF's HC.3's are about the same colour, although at times they tend to seem slightly greener, rather than Olive. I'm working on a 1/72 RDAF Merlin Mk. 512 (SAR) at the moment, and I've found that Revell's Matt 42 (Yellowish Olive) isn't a bad match. I picked up the Bronze Green, but it seemed a little too Green for me. But - I really think it boils down to what reference pics you're using. If you look at the Merlin on a nice bright day, it looks almost brown, especially at dusk/dawn. On an overcast day, the green comes out more. It's like the Apache - that can go from OD, through Brown, to almost Black depending on the lighting conditions. I've got the Airfix 1/48 Merlin in the stash, and I think that when I get around to starting that, I'll be going for more of an Olive/Brown Olive finish on that, something like Revell Matt 42. If you're set on sticking to what you have in the stash, I'd be tempted to go with the Tamiya XF-58. All the best, Daryl.

Interesting scheme you've finished her in. Don't recall seeing any mk.1 Spits flying in that (any Spit experts wish to chip in here?) Out of curiosity, what paints did you use to achieve it? Daryl.

Wow! What bearmatt said... that gloss finish is something to aspire to!

That's absolutely bonkers... and I love it! Would take more than a little getting used to, but I definitely dig it. The long, thin fuselage and the A-10's tail almost make it look like an old WWII Luftwaffe pencil bomber. Cracking build there, chappie. Well done!

Absolutely stunning. I've really enjoyed following this build, and it's so good to see it finally come together so successfully. I'll be chuffed to bits if mine turns out half as well as this! The minimal loadout on the stub wings really does the trick. Congrats on a great build. Daryl.