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Here at Air America, what's considered psychotic behaviour anywhere else is company policy.


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Excuse me, is that an Uzi? :mg:

Hi guys

Finally getting my build up and running. With impending being between jobs starting next week I will have some free time for the first time in as long as I can remember.

My build will be the Revell UH-1H Huey (it says on the box) that will be in the Air America scheme. The sprue says UH-1D. The difference between the two is a more powerful engine. The kit is circa 1994 and I recently purchased this off of everyone's favourite auction site. I remember building the kit in my younger days and for an extortionate fee of £3 I fancied a trip down memory lane. Mostly I wanted the miniguns as a huey with one strapped either side just looks mean. My disappointment started upon opening the box to find the kit has the XM16 system hosting two very badly molded and overscale M60C machine guns on each side. For the scale the rest of the kit isn't too bad. I will be using Mike Grants Air America decals and will need to source or make some registration decals.

This is what I am aiming for.

5084_1.jpg

The box

21905032322_35048254c3_h.jpgDSC_6594 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

All the contents

21926744021_849bbe6b64_h.jpgDSC_6595 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

Mike Grant decals

21730154329_694f0066e6_h.jpgDSC_6599 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

I hope the kits nose looks better than stage 13.

21295902563_43d26725d0_h.jpgDSC_6600 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

Exhibit 'A'

21917010975_0c408fe880_h.jpgDSC_6601 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

The other half of the relationship.

21890861266_3ed3fde922_h.jpgDSC_6603 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

UH-1D

21295891873_d09da5b3ea_h.jpgDSC_6604 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

Crystal clear, ish...

21905008712_86b59c7e9f_h.jpgDSC_6605 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

I should be starting this towards the end of next week. :elephant:

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  • 2 weeks later...

No movement on this so far sorry. 40 minutes before walking out the door of work for the last time I was called into the office and asked if I wanted to temp for them till the end of the month. Work is work so I'm still there for the meantime. As soon as I get time I will crack on with it.

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No movement on this so far sorry. 40 minutes before walking out the door of work for the last time I was called into the office and asked if I wanted to temp for them till the end of the month. Work is work so I'm still there for the meantime. As soon as I get time I will crack on with it.

No problem, I'm in a similar situation with other priorities, both my builds have stalled for the time being.

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Them decals look good Mark..

.

They do look good. For some reason I ordered two sheets as I needed a minimum spend. In hindsight I should have ordered 1:48 jet dial decals but hey ho. I have been thinking that I can now do a fleet of Air America craft. Rubs hands together.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Right guys now between jobs I am finding myself with a bit of time to work on a few builds. This kit really is simple. So simple I had built the cabin, primed and painted the base colour before realising I hadn't taken any pictures. I'm seeing many areas that I could scratch build or improve but I really can't be bothered for this build as I want to keep it easy. I'm going to leave the doors shut so it wont be seen anyway. It is painted with Model Colour 992 which is the closest to FS36231 that I have. Next up detail painting and light weathering before she is closed up.

22305924763_fa03c8828c_b.jpgDSC_6645 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

22305922913_51209ef9b9_b.jpgDSC_6646 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

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Really like your chioce of subject!

I've got a UH-1D kit and Mike Grant decals but have never gotten around to building it. Several other Air America projects, some on the go some in the stash. A favorite subject. Looking forward to your progress!

Paul

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Really like your chioce of subject!

I've got a UH-1D kit and Mike Grant decals but have never gotten around to building it. Several other Air America projects, some on the go some in the stash. A favorite subject. Looking forward to your progress!

Paul

Defiantly. I hope to have a whole Air America air force one day. Quite a few in the stash and always on the look out for more. Currently searching for a Williams Bros C-46 and Hobbycraft Caribou.

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I've got the William's Bros in the stash. Look's like it will be a bit of work but so be it and have been working on the Caribou off and on for a while. Haven't tried the Mike Grant decals before. Believe there pretty good. Interested to see how you make out wiith them.

Keep everyone posted.

Paul

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I have one of these, I think it may be the old ESCI mould? I think the Italeri series of UH-1's are probably a better choice in 1/72, but this doesn't look too bad. Inspired by your progress I dug my one out of the stash and might give it a go. Sadly I don't think it'll make it for this GB.

Should look great in the Air America scheme.

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I have one of these, I think it may be the old ESCI mould? I think the Italeri series of UH-1's are probably a better choice in 1/72, but this doesn't look too bad. Inspired by your progress I dug my one out of the stash and might give it a go. Sadly I don't think it'll make it for this GB.

It is a Korean "improved" version of the Hasegawa dinosaur.

Nowhere as bad as people make it to be but the ESCI/Italeri one is definitely better.

Edited by Panoz
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It is a Korean "improved" version of the Hasegawa dinosaur.

Nowhere as bad as people make it to be but the ESCI/Italeri one is definitely better.

Oh, ok. Thanks for the info.

Is the ESCI/Italeri UH-1D one and the same? Just so I know, as I will probably pick up a few as and when I come across them at shows etc.

Cheers.

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How is this one coming along?

By the way, I followed your YouTube/Uzi link at the top of the page. There is an interesting film there called 'Air America Flying Men Flying Machines'. It's an hour and twenty mins long, but I'm getting through it!

Cheers.

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Hi smudge. Good find with the YouTube vid. I'll watch that when I get a moment. The build hasn't moved since the last update due to lack of time as I've been temp working most days. As its a small simple build I'm still hoping to get it finished before the GB ends. I just need a couple of days off. For painting the blue I have ordered Gunze aqueous 326 which should arrive any day now. Lastly I have been searching the spare decals and spares of other modellers I know for reg decals but to no avail. According to the internet most of the UH-1H's had registrations 1200xx moving up in sequence. Black on the front doors and white on the tail. She will probably end up without codes.

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These are the type of registrations I'll be after. A list of all the Air America UH-1's is listed HERE.

N47004 would be a nice one to do as pictured below.

3b97e1b54b77584e5b01501dba6e8d8b.jpg

Air-America--Bell-205-helicopter-at-Hmon

AA-H-20112.jpg

Air_America_Bell_205s_on_USS_Hancock_(CV

For the registration on the door they are black and I guess around 8 - 10 mm total length and around 2-3mm high. Very small.

23225217409_c10a32057f_b.jpgDSC_6648 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

The same dimentions for the tail reg which is in white.

23225216999_f1f550b1b8_b.jpgDSC_6649 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

Lastly I have finally tracked down the closest match to the Air America blue that I can find.

23510724401_cb8cd05a38_b.jpgDSC_6651 by Mark Inman, on Flickr

This is going to be a struggle to finish in time. I have work for the rest of the week and at this rate I will have to turn work down to find time to finish this.

Edited by snapper_city
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Doesn't sound too good :( I hope somehow it manages to work itself out, would be a shame not to see this one completed although sometimes life does take a priority.

Unfortunately modelling has had to take a back seat over the last 16 months since my daughter was born. In January I start a new job that is back on shift work so that should allow me free time to model again during the week. The wife is 9-5 and the little one is at nursery so 2016 output should start to get back on track.

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