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1/72 Heller Gazelle


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Last night I crafted the fenestron gearbox from some white Milliput and a bit of stretched sprue for the oil filler neck and cap:

P1110821_zpsd6jhhppl.jpg

This morning it was nicely hardened up so I gave it a bit of a tidy up. Here is how it looks in situ:

P1110823_zpslzkwn34u.jpg

The tiny piece of plastic broke off from the drain hole at the bottom so I had to reattach that.

For the actuator rod I stretched some more sprue and then locally necked it down using some heat from my soldering iron (after several practice attempts):

P1110824_zps38h9xcjt.jpg

After a bit of sanding to reshape the end I had this:

P1110825_zpsngnggsyf.jpg

As a reminder this is what I was trying to replicate:

sa-342m_3547_087_of_291.jpg

Now I could check everything fitted together including the drive shaft and bearings:

P1110826_zpsvduck1dp.jpg

I had to shorten the drive shaft slightly and I've put a bend on the end to get it to align better.

I think these can be mounted up for painting now although I am thinking of adding some square pads to the aerofoil struts to pack then out and represent the mounting points:

P1110827_zps1ug9qd6r.jpg

I am still waiting for the rivets and punch sets to arrive from UMM in the US, they have been on order over two months now and if they don't arrive soon I will run out of things to do. Next I think I will have a go at the oddly shaped pipe on the side of the engine which connects to the exhaust.

By for now,

Nigel

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Missed a few days due to festivities, just caught up and what a fine read it's been. Love the fenestron, as Martin says it's a kit in itself. Particularly like the blades and how you managed to space them equally and all at the same angle - give or take the odd arcminute of error ;)

And as for all that vac forming ... well that in itself was impressive. However, what impressed me the most is that you could have actually discovered a use for a Ronco 70's classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhrHnhMGWEc

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Last night I made a start on the pipe joining the exhaust, for reference this is what I'm aiming at:

gazelle_18_of_31.JPG

My going in point was piece of stretched and bent sprue:

P1110829_zpszotutrvk.jpg

Then it was a case of getting busy with files and sanding sticks until I got something I was happy with:

P1110830_zpslhaagdr3.jpg

Then I split it with the thinking that this would make painting easier:

P1110831_zpsgg1dvf1b.jpg

Unfortunately that didn't work when I came to wrap it in some black wire to represent the black corrugated rubber section. It also broke near the base so I bit the bullet and made another, here with the wire wrapping:

P1110833_zpsvwfxa71a.jpg

With the wire masked up I got it fitted:

P1110834_zpsm7aj7dq3.jpg

Having learnt my lesson with the first one, I drilled out a slot for the tail drive shaft after it was glued in place:

P1110836_zpslpxvzzft.jpg

I also added a 0.6mm disc to finish off the end of the tapered actuator rod:

P1110835_zps6wwrqwyn.jpg

Next I think I will do a bit more work on the missiles and doors.

Bye for now,

Nigel

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I think i just figured out how Nigel does this work.......at night when the moon is full he turns on his 'shrinkatron Mk 4' reducing his size so he can easily make parts and assemble them.......

Just a thought

Regards

Norm

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I think i just figured out how Nigel does this work.......at night when the moon is full he turns on his 'shrinkatron Mk 4' reducing his size so he can easily make parts and assemble them.......

Just a thought

Regards

Norm

I have it on good authority that he is a graduate of Hogwarts and is adept at using the "shrinkus prototypicus" spell.

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I think i just figured out how Nigel does this work.......at night when the moon is full he turns on his 'shrinkatron Mk 4' reducing his size so he can easily make parts and assemble them.......

Just a thought

Regards

Norm

No, he just goes out to the nearest Gazelle and nicks the parts off it. Why shrink himself when he can shrink parts instead?

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Aaaaahhhh Jessica .......of course !!! thats the answer

Female logic and intuition will beat me every time

( well it has for the past 43 years of married life !!!)

Cheers

Norm

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Hello Nigel and all the best for the New Year

Cannot believe I have missed this build, this is what happens when you have distractions in your life. As usual my jaw is rebounding off the floor as usual, your eye for detail is first class.I have just purchased the Airfix rendition and it is a small model so you have my attention.

Super work thus far.

Gary.

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I started today by gluing the glazing into the door frames using extra thin superglue and extreme caution:

P1110839_zpswywihqfj.jpg

I did one side at a time, let that set and then finished off in the remainder, capillary action did most of the work and it went better than I expected. The glazing also seams to have added a lot of strength.

Next I got some decals from the spares box on the missile tubes:

P1110840_zpsgxmi7fah.jpg

They were then glued onto the side mountings, here they are compared to what's left of the kit originals:

P1110841_zpsi5i6llve.jpg

Now the doors were set I started masking the outer frame, the top has a slight curve and I using this glue applicator to cut that:

P1110842_zpstnoug11c.jpg

Here's the masking finished:

P1110843_zpsbjb4eaq0.jpg

Now I could attach the external door handles which are one of the few parts on the Extratech set worth using. I left them attached to a section of fret for ease of handling:

P1110844_zpswfmxotxw.jpg

I got them bent up and at the last minute removed the surplus fret:

P1110845_zps0vh1uhgg.jpg

Here they are in place using more extra thin CA:

P1110846_zpscmj5i1ga.jpg

I have a nasty feeling some might have wicked under the masking despite my best efforts at burnishing it down.

Then I masked the edges and rear with tape and sealed the two together with liquid masking:

P1110847_zpszfey8d9j.jpg

These are now ready for the paint shop and external colours:

P1110848_zpsuucszqzo.jpg

Not a bad day at the modelling bench, its back to work tomorrow so normal service will be resumed.

Bye for now,

Nigel

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https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=23016&p=albums&album=26398#6

Hi Guys

Just a link to my Gazelle detail, have done the basics of the engine!

Regards

William

Some superb work. I'm going to have to make a trip across the Big Pond and enroll in the same Hogwarts course that you and Nigel both apparently passed.

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I started today by gluing the glazing into the door frames using extra thin superglue and extreme caution:

Where do you get the extreme caution from ? What size bottle does that come in - I think I need a few gallons

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Where do you get the extreme caution from ? What size bottle does that come in - I think I need a few gallons

Here ya are. Sold only at the Hogwarts Hobby Shop, along with Nigel's book Modelling for Muggles.

Mr.%20Xtreme%20Caution_zpspfrhr5jz.jpg

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