1/72 Heller Gazelle

[milktrip]

As soon as I seen your first photo I thought you'd crash moulded some new fairings! Glad the tape is getting some use.

Great work on the clear parts, not an easy job considering the size and shape.

[hendie]

coming along very nicely sir

[Nigel Heath]

I started today by making a ceiling panel out of black plasticard and very carefully gluing it in place. I also had to file a step at the back of the roof sight to get it to still fit:

I used black card because the top side will be pretty inaccessible to paint.

I started to install some details including a map lamp under construction here:

Here that is finished and installed:

Next some levers using my patented method:

That's those done:

Then I made some curly wires for the intercom / lamps. I wrapped some black enameled wire round a 0.4mm drill for these:

Here is the first one along with the mounting holes:

I made another one but won't fit them until after painting obviously.

Finally I got the tricky blighter masked up including the lens of the sight:

For reference I think this is what it's supposed to look like:

That's it from me for now, bye,

Nigel

[hendie]

me likey

[keefr22]

Lovely stuff Nigel, I do like the 'Heath Patent Lever Manufacturing Method' !

Keith

[Martian]

The mic wires look great!

Martin

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Me Leica Lot

[Spookytooth]

Mega detailing to a fine art Nigel.

Simon.

[Nigel Heath]

Thanks guys, I hope milktrip doesn't mind me using up all his tape. I am having a ball with it.

[infofrog]

Looking good

Rick

[IGKent]

I agree with Rick

[Nigel Heath]

Christmas has got in the way of modelling today but I have got a little done. I am thinking of breaking out the airbrush tomorrow so I have been getting things ready for that. On the rotor hub the blades fit best in a specific position - I have been using pen marks but obviously that won't work after paint. I took this shot for my own reference, from the orientation of the lifting eye I can work out which blade goes where, I put a corresponding pin point impression on the end of the blades:

I then cleaned off the pen marks with IPA.

I was thinking of holding the ends of the blades in clamps for painting but decided that drilling out with a 0.4mm hole and mounting like this was a better idea:

I like to mask the glued edges with narrow tape, I think its better than scraping the paint off later:

Then I remembered that there was a rod aerial thingy on the corner of the roof which I added with 0.2mm nickel sliver rod, it stands a whopping 1.5mm tall:

Sorry, I couldn't get the focus better. I probably could have added it later but thought it might as well go on now. Apologies for the lack of progress but I will definitely get more done tomorrow. Now I'm going to cook lamb shanks for dinner

Bye for now,

Nigel

[CedB]

Is it Christmas soon? Oh heck...

That "rod aerial thingy" looks great. I've just bought some Albion slide fit tube and got the aluminium as they were out of the brass. When do you use brass / alum / nickel or doesn't it matter (if you're not soldering)?

I shall practice "corresponding pin gentleman's parts impressions" while you're having your lamb - yum.

[Nigel Heath]

Thanks Ced, I used the nickel silver because its stronger than brass and hence less likely to get bent but brass would have been almost as good. I think the aluminium and nickel slide fit tubes will be good for pitot tubes as they can be left in a natural metal finish. Obviously brass is the best for soldering but the nickel sliver can also be soldered if necessary (as I discovered a while back in this build). The brass and aluminium will be easier to cut than the nickel silver I suspect.

[Murdo]

This is an absolutely amazing build.

[Martian]

Nice work there Nigel! but Christmas getting in the way of modelling! Bah Humbug!

Martin

[Nigel Heath]

Changed "gentleman's parts" to "point" in the hope that it gets past the auto correct. I wondered what CedB was going on about.

[infofrog]

Nigel found your next project to pull the Helicopter around

Rick

[infofrog]

Opps Sorry Nigel there only 3 tires ..

Rick

[Nigel Heath]

It'll be on the other sprue just out of shot.

[Nigel Heath]

I said a while ago that the rear rotor shaft bearings needed thinning down on some wet and dry. Here is one of them done with the other yet to do:

Its been sub-zero all day here but I braved the conditions of my (currently) unheated garage and got some airbrushing done, starting with some white primer on these items:

Followed immediately by some grey primer on this lot:

Checking everything over there was the odd bit of fluff to deal with but otherwise OK apart from this bit of filler which had popped out for some reason:

That was soon dealt with and it was back outside to apply the top coats. The red is for the fire extinguisher, the light grey the cockpit interior, the black grey for the front seats and missile launchers, the tyre black for the instrument panels, dark green for the blades and RLM 71 for the missile tubes, applied in that order:

I was pleased how the lifting eye on the hub looked under some paint:

Here's the rest, on inspection most need another coat which will have to wait until next weekend now:

Fortunately there were a few pieces I could work on, the rear bulkhead should have a red cross symbol on it - Heller provide one for the exterior but not the interior, here is how they both should look:

Note the internal one has a white border but the exterior one does not, I checked a few other references and found this to be consistent so the kit decal can go on the outside and I set about making the internal one. My first attempt was a failure as the edges of the square were too ragged when I came to apply it:

After another failure, I decided the above decals were too brittle and instead looked out some nice Cartograph decals left over from my Komet build. In this attempt the square was too big so I had another go:

After another failure I got it to this state and sealed it all down with liquid decal film:

I thought it was OK but when I posted this realised that a corner was lifting - I just sorted that with a bit more decal film:

That's it from me for today so bye for now,

Nigel

[Spookytooth]

Oh, how fickle decals can be Nigel.

Still, you braved the cold air an set forth spraying.

Looking good sir,

Simon.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Quality stuff as always Nige, your patience and attention to detail is quite remarkable.

[IGKent]

GREAT!

Edited December 13, 2015 by IGKent

[Norman]

Coming along very nicely indeed