Trumpeter 1/35 Hind Mi-24 Gunship

[Madhatter]

Hi guys

Well, I wasn't going to join this GB as I really wanted to finish of my BSG Pegasus but I couldn't resist the urge to start it, so here I am

This is a well known kit and I think it deserves all the positive comments it got when it was released. It's a little sparse on some details, but that nothing some plastic strip and lead/copper wire won't cure

The only after market I'll be using for this are the Czech decals I have coming and the Eduard masking set

I have made the obligatory start with the cockpit. I spent a LONG time looking for the right colours to use for that Turquoise blue that the Hind's are known for and I found the closets match I could with Game Color's Turquoise - it's almost, if not, dead on to the pictures I have. I sprayed it over Tamiya Fine White primer and it looks awesome. Next comes the tedious task of masking out the control panels!

I have also added some missing detail from the back of the pilots seat. How much of this will be seen once the fuselage halves are together remains to be seen - I highly doubt anything will be, but I know it's there and now, so do you

And that's it for now. I will keep on detailing and painting and will be back with some progress later

Till then

MH

[Will Vale]

Good start! This is one of those kits I bought ages ago but have been too afraid to build. And then there's the space thing...

Will

[hacker]

you may find that Mr Paint has the right shade of interior colour

[Madhatter]

I've heard good things about Mr Paint and am keen to try them but TBH, I just wanted something now. I'm happy with the colour I've painted them. It looks right to my eye in the plastic. These photos don't really show the true colour, although I did try.

[llking]

great start

[S5 modeller]

That turquoise colour looks spot on mate, also liking the detail you added to the seat.

Matt

[Madhatter]

thanks guys

Little more done last night. I have painted most of the panels but still have to do a couple more. However, it's damn hot here today (37) so I won't be doing anything for the rest of today

Seats are almost done - just need to add the belts

Sorry, that's all I have for now. I'll be back again once I have something more worthy to show

Thanks for looking

MH

[Will Vale]

Lovely work on the panels, good clear photos too. Did you follow Andy's tip for the white backgrounds?

On the temperature, I know several people here who emigrated from Melbourne to Wellington to avoid just that. Food for thought?

Will

[Madhatter]

I've been playing around with the sharpness functions of photobucket to make them cleaner and the highlights to make them whiter. Yes, I took on board a fair few of Andy's tips and they seem to be paying off. Well, in my opinion anyways

As for immigrating to NZ, I left there 12 years ago and am not looking to go back anytime soon. It's only one day. Tomorrow is meant to be thunderstorms and rain. That's what I love about melbourne : 4 seasons in one week the wife and I are looking at moving to Brisbane sometime this year. That'll be worse I reckon. I don't do humidity well!! Still, it's for a good reason.

[CliffB]

Beautiful detailing and painting

Cliff

[Nigel Heath]

Looking great, nice detailing and painting.

[heloman1]

Ooooooh! looking good I do like the attention to the backs of the seats.

Colin

[llking]

seats look good

[Madhatter]

thanks guys

It's a shame that the rear of the seat won't be visible once installed. But as I mentioned earlier, I know it's there

Small update. The cockpit is almost finished - I'm just waiting on the seat belts to dry and then they'll be attached t the seats and then a few more cables to add before it's done. I'm thinking I may need to build the shroud that covers the gunner's seat as it's quite a prominent feature that's missing. If it works out to be too hard, I may just skip it and hope no one notices

I've also spent some time creating the ribbing in the troop compartment. Trumpeter have left this area really bare for some reason, but it's nothing some strip styrene and some basic measuring can't fix. I'll add the missing cabling to it later today. I've also scribed in some missing lines from the floor plate and added some ribbing to the rear wall

Well, that's it for now. I've been sanding the roof plate where the engines sit to hide the nasty sink and location marks (not really worth photos just yet) and I'll start the inside paint work pretty soon

As always, thanks for looking

MH

[CliffB]

Nice. A little bit of extra detailing can make a big difference

Cliff

[Nigel Heath]

The cockpit looks great and the cabin detailing really enhances the model.

[Madhatter]

thanks guys

Well, the troop compartment is done and is all ready to go together. I am not going to add the seats as a lot of them were taken out during service as the crews didn't like them very much and found the troops to be a big distraction (according to Wikipedia). I also think it looks better without them. There wasn't a lot of extra things to go in, after the last set of pictures.

I also spent some time making some of the sub assemblies, like the rotor head and the wings. I read a few people had fit issues with the wings, but I didn't seem to have any. and they went together well.

I started to ad the plumbing to the rotor heads - the rest of the pipe work will go on once the blades are in place. I've also drilled out the front gun barrels to make it look better than how Trumpeter would have you do it

Well, that's it for this week.

As always, thanks for looking

MH

[Nigel Heath]

That's very tidy looking work.

[Will Vale]

Like the main rotor head very much, it's all coming on really well.

Will

[IGKent]

Good work! Why the instrument panels have this color?

[IGKent]

[S5 modeller]

Good work! Why the instrument panels have this color?

I've read on the net, that the Russians decided it's a relaxing colour. Supposed to make the pilots more relaxed, psychologically and reduce fatigue on long sorties.

[CurrantBunbury]

'Ere, that is pretty smart. Lovely work on the control panel and those seats look spot on to me.

[Madhatter]

I've read on the net, that the Russians decided it's a relaxing colour. Supposed to make the pilots more relaxed, psychologically and reduce fatigue on long sorties.

Haha, and here's me thinking they just like being different. Wonder if that psychology extends to the choice of colours to the SU27 etc cockpits ?

Thanks for the interest guys

[IGKent]

I've read on the net, that the Russians decided it's a relaxing colour. Supposed to make the pilots more relaxed, psychologically and reduce fatigue on long sorties.

i know about it.

I mean you have the color discrepancy.