Raven Morpheus Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) Hello I have a couple of helicopter kits, already "finished", in my stash, and planning to buy, that come with wheels instead of skids, helicopters like Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings and HH-3E Jolly Green Giants, and usually they don't come with a raised undercarriage option (none of the kits I've got have at least), in fact I've not come across any helicopter kits with wheels that raise up during flight that do come with those optional parts. Now, as I hang my choppers from the ceiling in my bedroom I'd rather have the wheels up as it looks better imo. It's probably too late to do it on the kits I've already assembled but for future builds I'm wondering... ...are there any makers of aftermarket parts for this? How do people go about (if they do at all) scratchbuilding such parts? Thanks in advance. Edited November 20, 2014 by Raven Morpheus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I build helicopters but tend to plant them firmly on the ground. If the undercarriage retracts in flight what parts you asking about? Maybe the undercarriage doors? I would expect them to come with the kit. If not in the kit they could be made from plastic or brass sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Morpheus Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) Well, not all helicopters that have undercarriage that raises during flight have doors. Take the SH-3 Sea King for example. It's undercarriage folds up into open wheel wells. No doors. And the same for the HH-3E, but on the 1/72 Revell model the wheel wells aren't deep enough to fit the wheels into. After contemplating my question I'm thinking it's probably just a matter of clipping the undercarriage parts so they are just one rod down to where the wheels attach and chop the wheels in half (if necessary) if I "scratchbuilt" raised undercarriage. But are there any aftermarket makers of such parts? Edited November 21, 2014 by Raven Morpheus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Not that I've ever seen, RM. But then, I've never looked specifically for them, either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkdipXV711 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Well, not all helicopters that have undercarriage that raises during flight have doors. Take the SH-3 Sea King for example. It's undercarriage folds up into open wheel wells. No doors. And the same for the HH-3E, but on the 1/72 Revell model the wheel wells aren't deep enough to fit the wheels into. After contemplating my question I'm thinking it's probably just a matter of clipping the undercarriage parts so they are just one rod down to where the wheels attach and chop the wheels in half (if necessary) if I "scratchbuilt" raised undercarriage. But are there any aftermarket makers of such parts? About to start a Hasegawa 1:48 scale Westland Sea King and thinking about retracted undercarriage. Will test fit this first. Might mean sanding down the upper part of the wheels when up in tge well. Will let you know 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkdipXV711 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Also ... just a thought ... if the undercarraige is raised then the tail wheel suspension oleo will have to be modified as it will be longer ie no weight on it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 The undercarriage on the Airfix Puma is a working feature, this was handy for SMW as it allowing me to fit it into the travel box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Also ... just a thought ... if the undercarraige is raised then the tail wheel suspension oleo will have to be modified as it will be longer ie no weight on it That and also the main legs if the undercarriage can not be retracted (Lynx for example) I don't know of any aftermarket manufacturer but really I believe that some work with a knife and files should sort most situations. It is useful here to study how the landing gear works to find where the leg is hinged so that the final result is realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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