Kayaba "Ha-Go" (O-Go) Model 1

[Sgt.Squarehead]

So, in a moment of utter unbridled madness I promised to build a 'whirly-thing'!

Based on the current contents of the stash I am limited to three options for the build; Huma 1/72 Fa.223 Drache (Yeah-right.....Like I'm gonna try to build that in public! ), a Hobbyboss 1/72 Mi-2URP (God only knows why I bought that one! ), or this (couldn't face typing the name out again):

I'll have a little mess with the bits to see how much space I've got to play with, then see about knocking up some flight-crew figures for it.....I'm assuming the guys on the box are typically dressed?

Before I even contemplate any of that however.....I've got to finish bashing my Bishop**.

**Just testing to see if Ced is actually still alive.

[CliffB]

Looks like a very attractive subject Sarge (and a new one on me)

Presumably it's an autogyro?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I believe so Cliff....TBH this is way outside my field!

It's also my first Finemolds kit and based on what I'm seeing I really don't get what all the fuss is about. The detail is adequate, but it's covered in flash and it has some distinctly retro features like a tailwheel moulded on one fuselage half.....Like that's gonna survive being handled by an AFV modeller.

[sean]

I look forward to seeing this! Wherever will you put the tracks?

Sean

Before I even contemplate any of that however.....I've got to finish bashing my Bishop**.

There's a joke that you'll always get a nice rise from.......

[llking]

this should be an interesting build, great choice

[Nigel Heath]

Looking forward to seeing this one come together.

[moaning dolphin]

So, in a moment of utter unbridled madness I promised to build a 'whirly-thing'!

Based on the current contents of the stash I am limited to three options for the build; Huma 1/72 Fa.223 Drache (Yeah-right.....Like I'm gonna try to build that in public! ), a Hobbyboss 1/72 Mi-2URP (God only knows why I bought that one! ), or this (couldn't face typing the name out again):

I'll have a little mess with the bits to see how much space I've got to play with, then see about knocking up some flight-crew figures for it.....I'm assuming the guys on the box are typically dressed?

Before I even contemplate any of that however.....I've got to finish bashing my Bishop**.

**Just testing to see if Ced is actually still alive.

A nice departure from the conventional chopper, and the kit looks interesting as well, I may just stick around for this one.

Bob

[Nigel Heath]

Any progress on this one KT? We are all in anticipation.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Well I've assembled three of the four cockpit bits and started weighing up the various figures that I have available, but I didn't think it merited a post TBH.

Getting the missing details (and then the rivets) onto my Bishop is my main priority right now.

[stevej60]

Interesting subject Sarge,I'll be keeping an eye on this one!

[Sgt.Squarehead]

OK.....Just for Nige, I've decided to see what I can do with this.

Two sets of CMK Japanese pilot figures are on their way and while I do my pre-surgery planning for my Zveroboi I'll attempt to get a few bits of this thing stuck together.....It is cute after all, but I won't be buying any more Finemolds kits.

[Nigel Heath]

Thanks KT, excellent news.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

No promises I'll finish it before the deadline, but I will try.

I ordered the figures from MH, so they should be here pronto.....In the mean time I'll have to work around them, I've already 75% built the cockpit as I mentioned, but the final part will have to wait on the pilots because I may want to glue it to one of them. I figure the rotors may be a good bet to keep me occupied once I've finished building a zillion zverobogies.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

So I'm at the half-way point in my zverobogie building and I definitely needed a change, so I dug this one back out of the stash and it's back on my desk:

What I took to be thick flash around the tailwheel was in fact misalignment of the mould, resulting in struts with a vaguely S shaped profile and a wonky tailwheel.....It's also covered in ejection marks, the two on each side of the cockpit are in a properly awkward spot to fill without trashing the interior detail, so I've added a couple more 'black boxes'. I'll add two more of slightly different shape on the other side and call that dealt with.

Apparently 'Sail Color' is the way forward for the interior painting.....Thanks once again Finemolds!

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Was hoping the crew figures might arrive today so that I could make some serious headway with this little thing, but sadly not.....However any disapointment soon evaporated when I found the box containing my two Flyhawk 1/72 Pz.II Ausf L Luchs!

I've built pretty much everything that can be built without joining the fuselage halves and am about ready to start painting it, but I've got a couple of minor issues I'd appreciate some advice with, firstly the leather padded strip around the cockpits (coaming?) is a bloody mess front and rear, presumably another consequence of the mould misalignment:

How do people normally go about dealing with this? Is it something I can leave until after the halves are joined.....Maybe tidy it up first and add new padding from Milliput once the fuselage is closed?

[Sgt.Squarehead]

So having no idea what colour WWII Japanese Sails are.....I took a wild stab in the dark and went for the closest primer I had to a natural linen type hue, Nige will no doubt be mortified to learn that my selection was Army Painter 'Skeleton Bone':

It's dried with a very slight texture and it's revealed what seems to be either fingerprints or toolmarks in the fuselage mouldings, but other than that I don't think it looks too bad at all.....Certainly not the worst outcome that I've had with these products.

I shall be picking out the various frames in 'Neutral Grey' (I figure if I mix some black and some white I'll probably be on the right course here) and eventually highlighting with graphite, I'm thinking heavily chipped green for the seats but not sure which green to use, and possibly a natural wood floor? Any & all suggestions welcome because frankly I haven't got a clue what I'm doing.

[Nigel Heath]

Is it something I can leave until after the halves are joined.....Maybe tidy it up first and add new padding from Milliput once the fuselage is closed?

It looks like something that can only be tackled after the fuselage halves are joined. Milliput was my first thought or just maybe Perfect Plastic Putty? No I think I'd go with Milliput. A wood floor sounds good and perfectly feasible if indeed highly likely. I thought you'd binned all that Army Painter paint - horrible stuff.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Nope, Jonas sent me the cans to test and test 'em I will.....I was expecting problems TBH.

I did my best to recreate the situation in which my Shermans got pebble-dashed (can allowed to sit for a very long time, then shaken thoroughly, original nozzle used for second time) and tested it on a junk model.....It was fine.

It's clearly sticky stuff though and it seems to take a lot longer to dry than most aerosol acrylics that I'm used to, I mocked up the fuselage halves and cockpit parts allowing what I considered to be ample time for drying, but I still had some trouble getting the halves apart again.

I've painted the detail bits on the fuselage sidewalls, such as they are and am letting them dry before a coat of Klear and some oils.....I'll do the wooden floor and the prop at the same time.

Any thoughts on the correct colour for the seats?

I might actually get this done you know!

[Nigel Heath]

Any thoughts on the correct colour for the seats?

I'm thinking Nakajima green (cockpit colour). Mr Color No 127 is a specific example. I have no idea if this is right but would look good against a wood effect floor.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I've looked the colour up and I'll have to mix it, but that shouldn't be too problematical.....Cheers Nige.

Here's the current state of play:

Closer inspection (when I was applying the Klear) revealed a couple of rows of what appear to be fine rivets on the floor which I'm guessing probably rules wood out? Aluminium then.....Painted or unpainted, once again the instructions offer no hint.

The prop needed some more cleaning up, so I'll have to reprime it before I start on the wood effect......Plenty to keep me busy and hopefully the aircrew will be here tomorrow.

[Nigel Heath]

Those cockpit side walls look good. I thought your eyesight was failing, no sign of it on this work.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

It so is Nige.....Unassisted at normal viewing distance the letters on my keyboard are a pale grey blur and I have to wear glasses to read the screen now. I've got a custom pair of 'modelling glasses' with very short focal length (they also magnify slightly because of the thickness of the glass lenses) that I use in conjunction with a magnifier (the same one you have IIRC).

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Not huge progress today, but the pilot figures arrived.....While they are very nicely sculpted and cast, they're not exactly what I'd hoped TBH (although they are definitely what I ordered), somehow I neglected to order a pilot actually sitting in his aircraft!

Finemolds appear to have tried to build some rotor droop into their model, but they've done it by angling the mounting points for their arrow straight rotor blades slighty downward, giving the assembled unit the appearance of a parasol. Mockups of the various assemblies suggested the blades would barely clear the tailplane.....Consequently I'm currently enjoying the nervewracking process of bending the extremely fine hub parts straight and then attempting to add some droop to the blades themselves.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I think I may have rather overdone the weathering:

Bugger!

Oh well, you won't be able to see most of it anyway, but I really do need to remember that not everything is a tank.

[Nigel Heath]

Its just seen a lot of action.