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1/72 Hobby Boss Kamov Ka-29 Helix-B


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Hi Folks,

Today I have got a little more done, mainly concerning what needs to be done to close up the fuselage. Some internal holes need to be opened up but I found some inaccuracies in the instructions. The upper rectangular holes are for an optionally fitted pair of parts so I won't be opening those. There are then three circular holes which are needed for the stores pylons - I thought four were required but more on that later. The final rectangular hole on the LHS is for the gun mounting which I will be fitting:

P1120295_zpseugxvlqu.jpg

These are the optional parts which I'm not going to use as none of my references show them - I'm have no idea what they are for. They are also provisioned for on the PE set but look like a delicate assembly nightmare so I'm stepping away:

P1120296_zpssdmvetx6.jpg

The three drilled out holes in the fuselage are for the struts for the stores pylons, the kit has the fourth attachment point going to the main undercarriage leg:

P1120297_zpsmethxtsf.jpg

This turns out to be incorrect as it should also mount to the fuselage side (have better pictures than this but are not allowed here):

w_ka29_01.jpg

I'm not sure whether to correct that with a new strut or live with it (remember the pilot hole is provided for it so clearly Hobby Boss had an inkling about it).

I did add some 0.9mm OD aluminium tube to the collective control to beef it up a bit:

P1120298_zpstqmj51jd.jpg

I have also found these hatched areas which need opening up for mesh covered intakes and pipes:

P1120299_zps0ghqbjnw.jpg

After a bit of drilling and filing this is how they looked:

P1120300_zpsmhhlrcw1.jpg

I now just need to thin down the wall thickness with a bit of careful, non-melty Dremel action. That rearmost projection on the spine also needs to be removed, it is supposed to be for a light but it should be off the centre line like this:

w_ka29_10.jpg

That's all for today, bye for now,

Nigel

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The optional parts look like flare launchers to me.

I love watching you work through any issues you find when building a kit.

Beat me to it, they look like some kind of flare dispensers to me too.

Enjoying this build.

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Hi Folks,

Thanks for the clarification on the flare dispensers. The mounting for the main rotors was a simple piece of construction, I inserted some 1.25mm brass rod to ensure alignment while it dried though:

P1120302_zpsueucku4p.jpg

These are the two options for the exhausts, although I don't have any reference pictures I am going for the ones with the vanes. My thinking is to remove the moulded vanes and replace with thinner plasticard ones which should look more realistic and make cleaning up the parts easier:

P1120303_zps15hfzls8.jpg

By scratching the vanes I can also extend them further into the opening (this is also a reference for me so that I can position the replacements properly):

P1120304_zpsllerffjl.jpg

Most of them were snipped off with cutters:

P1120305_zpsehr2700i.jpg

Most of the rest was removed with a burr in my motor tool:

P1120306_zpsh6sr2llr.jpg

Removing the vanes also made it easier to thin the edges to a more realistic thickness:

P1120308_zpswznrtevm.jpg

The vanes took ages to make with repeated sand / check / sand a bit more and so on. Here are the first three done. I also had an idea to mount the exhausts on the other style but they needed reducing in size a bit so I cut them in half and then glued back together (the 0.5mm width of the saw cut was enough to reduce their size):

P1120309_zpsurzkyubi.jpg

Then I cut them in the other direction:

P1120310_zpsdaymbvpv.jpg

After a bit of fettling that gave a nice snug fit:

P1120311_zpseklp93we.jpg

While the filler was hardening I thinned the plastic around the mesh holes, again mainly with my trusty motor tool:

P1120312_zpsyacgievc.jpg

For the mesh I used some more of Keith's copper square mesh:

P1120313_zps52qy6ali.jpg

I found the mesh could be deformed into a diamond pattern which better matches reality:

P1120314_zps6k1vbllg.jpg

Next for the pipes, I thinned down the walls of some 2.5mm plastic tube, finishing it off with a fine file:

P1120315_zpsfuvdthaa.jpg

Here's how they look from the back:

P1120316_zpsigoisqhb.jpg

And here from the front:

P1120317_zpszl133j0q.jpg

Back to the exhausts I found with just a small amount of filing the exhausts would slide into their apertures:

P1120319_zpssqr3inhf.jpg

At this point I abandoned the idea of using the other exhausts as they weren't really needed now. These rounded edges at the joints are best dealt with using some superglue and talc filler paste:

P1120322_zpsoq4u9z8h.jpg

Here they are sorted:

P1120323_zpsufi0nwqh.jpg

With all the filler cleaned up I could now install the vanes:

P1120324_zps8cctzxm4.jpg

Here's how they look in situ:

P1120325_zpsp8nj0qcq.jpg

That's it for today, bye for now,

Nigel

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Those vanes look a tricky shape to get right - very neatly done! Vast improvement on the kit exhausts!

I'm glad to see some of the stuff I've had sitting round gathering dust for years being put to good use too!

Keith

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I'm glad to see some of the stuff I've had sitting round gathering dust for years being put to good use too!

Yes, much appreciated. Its really good stuff, thanks Keith. :winkgrin:

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Today I started by cutting out a parallelogram of black plasticard to create a light block between the exhausts:

P1120329_zpsgdsmuonf.jpg

That went here:

P1120330_zps40lfvyc9.jpg

That was then fitted along with the cabin floor assembly:

P1120331_zpssg1jecyd.jpg

I haven't bothered adding any of the detail parts to the cabin as they will be completely invisible in there and will be of more use in my spares box. The rearmost pipe has pushed the rear bulkhead out of perpendicularity but again this doesn't matter as it won't be seen when the fuselage is closed up.

Next I had a look at the grab handles / steps. There are two sizes and the kit has them at 0.5mm in diameter, I think these are best replaced with somewhat thinner brass rod:

P1120332_zpsxkdmve4d.jpg

Some research showed that when the flare dispensers are not fitted there is an additional handle rearwards of the main gear strut, also the handles should not be under the strut but further rearwards:

w_ka29_07.jpg

I also found that the lowest handle also has one on the other side of the strut (but not on the side where the gun is fitted):

full-17916-103264-gun_ka29_2.jpg

I marked out all the new handle positions:

P1120333_zps9tyhbmoh.jpg

While I was at it I had a look at the gun which doesn't turn out to be the most impressive piece of injection moulding prowess. That then sent me off looking for better pictures of the gun, the one above was one of the better ones along with these:

full-17916-103263-gun_ka29_1.jpg

helix06.jpg

An obvious omission from the kit part is the cartridge delivery system - I will have a ponder on all this later. Anyway back to the handles, as there are now seven larger and four small ones required I thought it was well worth making some bending jigs. This is the start for the larger ones using 1.5mm thick plasticard:

P1120334_zpstu4qdjxg.jpg

Using some 0.45mm rod as a spacer I glued on the back stop. The reason for the triangular shape is so that I can over-bend it to compensate for spring back:

P1120335_zpspszmvb3d.jpg

The smaller jig was made in a similar fashion and I started production:

P1120336_zpshekquq4y.jpg

First off was an exact match to the kit steps - result! I drilled out all the blind kit holes as well as making the new ones (I don't have a 0.45mm drill so I drilled 0.4mm holes and opened up with a reamer until a snug fit was achieved). Here they are all done with the redundant holes filled:

P1120337_zps8bk3whyj.jpg

Next I wanted to make a light baffle between the meshed holes so I cut out some more black plasticard like this:

P1120338_zpstljspb8u.jpg

That went here:

P1120339_zps2wbcdi9b.jpg

Next a crude cabin roof to prevent the meshed holes being visible trough the side windows:

P1120340_zps5qlwbrkz.jpg

This is how it looked when fitted:

P1120342_zpsbgj8yutt.jpg

All that has certainly blocked off the meshed holes, there is some getting through the exhaust holes but with the baffles and dark exhausts fitted I'm sure it will be fine:

P1120343_zpssfjdbltp.jpg

That done I consigned the cabin parts and a few other that aren't going to be used to my spares box:

P1120344_zpschksob6r.jpg

That was a fun modelling session, I hope you also enjoyed it.

By for now,

Nigel

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Some more excellent work going on here. Sometimes I overlook the simplicity of something and make it very difficult........a hand hold jig.........now that's clever!

Bob

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I will be stealing some of your ideas for a future Russian helo build, if thats ok with you.

Of course it is, I look forward to seeing your work. Its interesting how much I learnt on my Airfix Hormone build that is applicable to this quite similar Kamov design.

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The extra details added to the transmission housing are transforming this kit. It could well end up being your best helicopter yet.

Martin

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Today I have been mainly making holes and slots. There are also four pairs of handles up on the roof, I roughly marked their positions and also the correct position for the light beacon:

P1120346_zpscd9vg2vl.jpg

While on the roof that dome thing in front of the existing light should be circular in section and somewhat bigger. I think I'll have a look in my spares box for a replacement.

Here are the drilled handle holes and a big 1.8mm diameter one for the light, I blanked that off with a disc of tape to prevent dust ingress and also added a disc of plastic behind the hole that removing the light exposed (to back up some filler later):

P1120350_zpsklnm8xqh.jpg

Then I got to work on the meshed holes of the RHS, first thinning the surrounding plastic with my motor tool:

P1120347_zpsjt1mg1kw.jpg

Mesh installed:

P1120348_zpsc12kxwd0.jpg

From the outside:

P1120349_zpsknb5yag6.jpg

This emergency escape door handle is moulded in the wrong place and facing in the wrong direction, it should be where the dot is:

P1120351_zpsy1tigk9l.jpg

I removed the moulded handle and drilled a hole for the replacement but won't fit that until after the glazing is in.

These moulded handles also have to go, again the top one is slightly out of position and facing the wrong way:

P1120352_zpshfiz8dpq.jpg

That's those done using some shaped 0.4mm rod:

P1120353_zpsvkvo9bja.jpg

I also replaced the ones on these front side doors:

P1120355_zps96trvtpk.jpg

There was then a pair of these slots to make on either side of the tail and also add a tiny 0.3mm drain tube:

P1120354_zpsvnoa9l4w.jpg

I remember there were some very similar slots to those on my Hormone, clearly a Kamov design feature.

There should also be a light beacon identical to the one on the roof on the underside so I made a hole for that when I'd worked out its position. I have also drilled out holes for hydraulic and brake lines to the main undercarriage and a diagonal pair for electrical cables that will go to the ordinance:

P1120356_zps4msfq6fs.jpg

I have also drilled out this light on the front, one on the left for a probe and hydraulic lines to the front wheels:

P1120357_zpsrdkrmixo.jpg

Finally I drilled a 0.5mm hole for another probe and started to open up these slots on the engine fronts that will later be backed up with some fine mesh:

P1120358_zpsstyjsybl.jpg

This gives an idea of what it should look like:

w_ka29_05.jpg

Sorry that was a bit hole intensive but I trying to get all the drilling done before the fuselage is closed up to try to avoid any swarf getting trapped inside.

Bye for now,

Nigel

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