Jump to content

1/72 Blue Thunder from Airfix Gazelle


Dermo245

Recommended Posts

Cockpit looks great, how did you do the insulation?

Looking forward to seeing the rest of it.

I recon theres a pent up desire for a conversion set, or some plans from someone who's completed one ….…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cockpit looks great, how did you do the insulation?

Thanks Neal - it's foil from cream cheese (i think), rolled around the nib of my smallest hobby knife (you know the grippy bit near the top?)

Good looking cockpit, looking forward to seeing some more progress on the sexiest thing out of Yeovil since Sarah Parish ;)

Thanks Troffa - I had to Google Sarah Parish.

I wasn't disappointed! B)

Edited by Dermo245
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hey everyone and here's the latest installment on this madcap build.

I painted up the cockpit and added some instrument decal scraps to make it a tiny bit more interesting (it's a tiny 'pit). Still have to add flght controls for Murph and screens for Jafo.

IMG_1902.jpg

IMG_1903.jpg

Outside, i've added the cover on the tail rotor shaft, a new coaming on the engine cover and the prominent side intakes (two halves of a drop tank).

AirfixBTGazelle4.jpg

From the side profile, the intakes aren't angled (raked) enough and look waay too much like beer barrels tacked on so need to sand them some more.

AirfixBTGazelle1.jpg

The aim with this is to have some fun and try to build something as close as I can manage to the real thing - it will definitely be one for the best-viewed-from-6-feet-away. So please bear with me as I attempt to muddle my way through it!

Thanks for reading.

Dermot

I had twenty years in this outfit, when your idea of a good time was sittin' in front of the TV tube, watchin' Bugs Bunny and gnawing on your fudgcicle

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dermot, that is looking really sharp - keep it up, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result...

(and stealing - err, copying your ideas/methods when I come to do mine.)

I was planning to do the canopy solid, but I'll see how you do yours.

... I just wish my pressing of the kit wasn't in that 'orrible RED (not just red, or Red, but RED!!!) colour - gunna be a nuisance when I come to the painting...

Oh, well.

Ref the 'armour', what about making up a press moulding tool, like the armour boys use for Zimmeritt? Then a very thin layer of epoxy, press and there you go.

Or, maybe slices of a large plastic hex-rod glued on (... there must be some use for the Airfix sprues...) though I'm not sure how large the Evergreen hex rod goes to.

What were you going to use for the cannon? I had thought of the Vulcan from the old ESCI M-163, but I would be interested in your thoughts.

Cheers

Rick

Don't Hop!!!!

Edited by Rick the mad Kiwi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dermot, that is looking really sharp - keep it up, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result...

(and stealing - err, copying your ideas/methods when I come to do mine.)

I was planning to do the canopy solid, but I'll see how you do yours.

... I just wish my pressing of the kit wasn't in that 'orrible RED (not just red, or Red, but RED!!!) colour - gunna be a nuisance when I come to the painting...

Oh, well.

Ref the 'armour', what about making up a press moulding tool, like the armour boys use for Zimmeritt? Then a very thin layer of epoxy, press and there you go.

Or, maybe slices of a large plastic hex-rod glued on (... there must be some use for the Airfix sprues...) though I'm not sure how large the Evergreen hex rod goes to.

What were you going to use for the cannon? I had thought of the Vulcan from the old ESCI M-163, but I would be interested in your thoughts.

Thanks Rick - not sure my ideas are that good so steal away! The plan is to make the canopy in sections, all from clear plastic sheet which I'll then paint to represent the solid sections. The nose will be plastic card (fingers crossed). I know what you mean about the "armour" on the airframe but am just not sure it's worth it in this scale. I think any Vulcan-style rotary cannon should probably work for your build.

Work so far has been on reshaping the nacelles so they're more streamlined, buliding the "sensors" for the wing stubs and making the data box-thingy for under the fuselage.

Airfix1-72GazelleBlueThunder2.jpg

Airfix1-72GazelleBlueThunder.jpg

I couldn't have got this far without the great photos and references provided by people here on BM so many thanks - will try not to disappoint!

Thanks for reading and enjoy your modelling.

Dermot

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can only echo what everyone else has said you are becoming a miniature scratchbuilding master. Have you started to tackle the canopy yet I am really looking forward to seeing how you go about it. Keep up the good work

Graham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hey everyone and thanks for all your encouragement on this one! Just a quick update this evening...

I decided to build the canopy in sections, all from clear plastic which i'll then paint and mask to represent the solid bits. Well, that's the plan anway.

Of those I asked, the consensus seemed to be to use clear acetate like you get on food packaging, Easter eggs, shirt boxes, etc.

With Easter was long gone (and I have enough shirts) I used acetate sheets like you find on a report cover Using a combination of plans sent to me by fellow BM-ers here (thanks!), and what I could find online, I copied plans as close to 1/72 as I could get, which I then used to cut out the sections. Here's WIP pic from last night..

Airfix172GazelleBlueThundercanopy.jpg

The outside sections are cut with repeated passes of a hobby knife, while the angles made by scoring the sheet with just one pass of the blade. All seemed well and I thought - "why not dip them in Future to improve the clarity?!" BIG mistake. The Future wouldn't cure and I was left with sticky panels.

Grrr.

So off again to trace, cut, throw out, trace, cut,.....you get the idea. I finally got two sides which seem to have the same proportions (not as easy as I thought!) and have kept them aside. Tonight, I'll tackle the front and top canopy sections., hopefully in one piece.

Then after that, it's just the nose section to do. No stress..... :banghead:

Enjoy your modelling and thansk for reading.

Dermot

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking good mate, I have been wondering how you were going to tackle this part of the chopper and it looks like you are making a good, albeit frustrating, job of it. Looking forward to seeing it on the helicopter.

Keep going

Graham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hey dermo, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the Gb finishes today, I missed a typo when the thread was set up and hence we have a month less, I am sorry. Would you like your build moved to another thread to finish as I am still looking forward to seeing the finished Blue Thunder.

Sorry again

Graham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey dermo, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the Gb finishes today, I missed a typo when the thread was set up and hence we have a month less, I am sorry. Would you like your build moved to another thread to finish as I am still looking forward to seeing the finished Blue Thunder.

Sorry again

Graham

No worries at all Graham, thanks for letting me know!

I'll start a shorter build thread over on Aircraft w.i.p and will add a redirect to that from my build here.

Thanks again and well done to all who took part.

Cheers,

Dermot

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I've just found a load of internal and external close up shots taken on the set of the Blue Thunder film, PM me if you want them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just found a load of internal and external close up shots taken on the set of the Blue Thunder film, PM me if you want them

Thanks F-32 and PM will be on the way later!

Thanks to everyone who's read/commented/gave me refs for this crazy build; in the end, that cockpit, nose and other ongoing builds on the bench just got the better of me.

Here's where she currently lies - not pretty (but at least not in front of an oncoming train)

Airfix172Gazelleconversion.jpg

I haven't given up on the little chopper, especially after catching the movie on TV last week. I hope to finish her by the end of the year if I can and will post WIP pics along the way. Congrats on all the great builds in this GB and to Graham77 for leading.

And as Officer Frank Murphy himself might say at the end of a very eventful day.....Catch you later

All the best,

Dermot

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...