abat Posted August 13, 2016 Author Share Posted August 13, 2016 Well I made it this far today... I'm very pleased with the seats.Not strictly authentic but they'll look the part when the cockpit is closed up. I salvaged the seat belt attachment from the etch and will fit the etch seat belts once I've painted these guys up. And here's some progress on the rear seating. I'll be hanging some Tamiya tape seats over the frames once the glue hardens up properly. The airframe at the FAA museum, Nowra, has a row of seating as well as a couple of stretchers hanging above. That's what I'm aiming for but it will have to wait for my next session. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Those seats are a great piece of scratch building. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Those replacement seats relly look the part. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milktrip Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 Top notch scratch building, Andrew. Cheers Aaron 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Gordon Bennett! Those seats are very nicely done indeed. Seen magnified many times on the 'big screen' doesn't quite portray how tiny they are, and the micro-modelling skills involved. Best regards Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 14, 2016 Author Share Posted August 14, 2016 Gordon Bennett! Those seats are very nicely done indeed. Seen magnified many times on the 'big screen' doesn't quite portray how tiny they are, and the micro-modelling skills involved. Best regards Tony Thanks Tony. My best ever modelling purchase was a Megaview head magnifier. It makes this little world much easier to work in. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 So here is the cabin is nearly done. Here I've scratched up some stretchers to sit above the bench seat with some plastic rod and my favourite Tamiya tape. I'll add seat belts and restraints once its all painted up. Once again a bit chunky but it'll look the part. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milktrip Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 Very nicely done Andrew. It's going to look great painted up. I particularly like how you've made the stretcher latches on the rear bulkhead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 I've now under-coated the cockpit and cabin fittings and am looking for a recommendation for the interior colour. The Italeri instructions specify FS16473 Aircraft Grey but this looks too light compared to my RAN reference photos. I notice that Nigel may be using Gunze H306 (FS36270) in his Japanese build which looks more like it. I have a jar of H307 (FS36231) to hand which is close to H306 so will that suffice? Any other suggestions? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Yes I used H306 as it looked like a good match to my reference pictures. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Yes I used H306 as it looked like a good match to my reference pictures. Excellent, thanks Nigel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Those stretchers are exquisite. Well done. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 17, 2016 Author Share Posted August 17, 2016 Those stretchers are exquisite. Well done. Matt Thanks Matt, I think it'll look interesting when all closed up. Helicopter interiors are really interesting to build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milktrip Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Helicopter interiors are really interesting to build. Completely agree Andrew. Great fun! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 Its all the sticky out, twiddly bits. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milktrip Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Its all the sticky out, twiddly bits. Oh yes.that too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 18, 2016 Author Share Posted August 18, 2016 And all that space ... just waiting to be filled up with bits and pieces. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Well I finally made it to the painting stage for my Huey cabin/cockpit. After an undercoat of Tamiya fine grey primer I followed up with a few coats of Gunze acrylic H307 (FS36320). I noted that Nigel used H306, and well I had a bottle of H307 already and it looked a close match to my reference photos so I went with it. It's also semi gloss so I won't need to gloss up before applying some weathering washes later. The seat belts were made with Tamiya tape (of course) with buckles canibalised from the etch set. I also added some details courtesy of Nigel's excellent build, namely the cabin light, u-shaped piping behind the instrument console, and some detail and wires to the back of the instrument panel. The quilting on the roof was made by rubbing aluminum kitchen foil up against a fly screen. I noticed in reference photos that RAN birds have emergency exit yellow striping around the cockpit doors. I made this up by slicing fine strips off a spare yellow decal. A little trick I used was to only cut through the decal itself and not the decal paper. This stopped it bunching up and self destructing. I really like the red seats. Originally I had them a more subdued reddish hue but I re-painted them in a bolder colour. I've still a bit of work to do here before closing up, namely some weathering, touch ups, fitting the stretchers and an overall matt varnish. The stretchers are missing a handle so I can slip them into the round hoops on the pole. The missing bit will then be glued back on. Really enjoying this one - lots of twiddly, sticky-out bits. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 That all looks excellent, particularly the seats and stretchers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milktrip Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 looks brilliant Andrew. the doors are a nice touch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Just a quick update on progress this weekend - a trial of the interior fitted as well as the start of some washing and minor weathering. I had to trim the poles supporting the stretchers a fraction to get the roof on. And the holes I drilled in the forward roof vents need tidying up and some rivets replaced. I'm thinking the roof is a little too long given the overhang at the windscreen. I'll test-fit that next to see whether any adjustments need to be made. Some minor filling will be needed where the interior meets the nose and doorway. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Shortening the roof a touch might get rid of those holes I had to fill. I had to sand quite a bit off the underside of the floor to get it flush with the door opening. Looking very good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Thanks Nigel, some previous rest fitting suggested around a mm off the back of the roof would help make it mate better with the windscreen. The floor is also interesting. I raised the back of mine a mm or so to get it parallel with the bottom of the door frame - hence my gap is a little larger. Didn't think far enough ahead - oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abat Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 Only minor progress to report this weekend and no photos. First up I sprayed a flat coat over the cockpit/cabin before assembling it. Next I thinned out the engine cowling sides by scraping a sharp exacto blade over them and cut out the simulated mesh in order to accomodate PE mesh replacement panels. Went together well. I also sprayed the roof cockpit windows translucent green, removed the wipers from the windscreen (PE replacements) and re-polished it with micro mesh together with the smoothing and thinning the side cockpit windows in preparation for a future bath. I hope to close up the cabin and fuselage sides this week. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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