Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Nose aerial safely fettled into shape: And assorted pieces of PE added to the nose, plus restoration of the starboard fwd Orange Crop aerial, which had been knocked off at some stage. Battery bay door and the two cooling grilles for the nose bay are Eduard, and the baseplate for the nose aerial is FlightPath, all duly countersunk. The aerial itself will not be added until after painting, since it is a different colour (and anyway would get knocked off a zillion times). I think I have also (finally) succeeded in filling the slight gap between the windscreen and the nose. I have had to try that about five times, but this time (fingers crossed) it seems to look OK even in close up. More later Crisp P.S. Gradually working my way through the snagging list. Not all of these have to be done before priming, but most do... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I like that last little one Rotor head......... Just that, rotor head Fnaar fnaar. Just a teeny liddle job. I had similar snagging lists for the Wessex Repair Port u/c Ditto Ditto Ditto 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Just now, perdu said: I like that last little one Rotor head......... Just that, rotor head Fnaar fnaar. Just a teeny liddle job. Thought you might like that! "Tail rotor" and "Winch!" are not exactly small jobs, either - but the good thing about all three of those is that they are completely separate; if I wanted to I could take the fuselage all the way to painting, marking and weathering before I touched the two rotors. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 "Aircraft" (if you can call a coptywobbler that) is brilliant, stunning, awesome etc, but that keyboard needs cleaning again. Seriously. More bacteria than a loo seat apparently. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) To be frank, I am not sure what business the state of my keyboard is to the BM community. But if it makes you feel better: Oh, by the way; top tip. If you want to get in the good books of a helicopter pilot, don't make disparaging remarks about his aircraft. It flies. In what sense on Planet Kirk does that not constitute an aircraft? Harrumph. [Sorry - on re-reading this it comes across as rather more snotty than joking, which was not the idea. Absolutely no offence intended.] Edited February 14, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 We are now coming to the point where I want to start adding protrusions to the underside of the airframe, but that gives me a problem with risk of damage - unless, of course, I fit some undercarriage. I don't plan to fit the entire u/c, but enough to keep the assorted aerials off the ground. So, first up, the stub wings. They have no aerodynamic purpose (as far as I am aware - though they do have an aerofoil shape) - their main raison d'être being bracing the sponsons (and thus the main wheels) away from the fuselage and providing somewhere under which to hang weapons. None the less, they are referred to as wings. Hasegawa's design provides a good amount of rigidity for the undercarriage, but the connection with the fuselage bears little resemblance to the real thing. There are all sort of tubes, electrical connectors and co there, and of course they stand proud of the skin - i.e. there's a gap of a couple of inches between stub wing root and fuselage side. Like this: Some of what you can see there is the weapons carrier underneath, but even so... Hasegawa's basic design is two fat pins, thus: Starboard stub wing seen from underneath. The black lines are my marks for where the skin is once fitted. I reckoned I could improve on that, so went to my trusty collection of resin connectors (thanks Hendie!) and come up with this (dry fitted port stub wing): The only thing I want to do now, before gluing the stub wings in place, is to do something to represent the very substantial base plate that fits the wings to the fuselage, visible clearly in this shot from Yeovilton: That makes even the SACRU fittings look delicate (but then it is a large part of what holds the undercarriage on, including during a typical deck landing controlled crash, so it needs to be pretty chunky!). I haven't done that yet, so more later. C 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 The answer lies in Eduard's large pieces of PE for the strengthening bands added to the tail later in the Sea King's life, but which were not present in my era - lots of nice chunky rivets and industrial metalwork! And fitted, seen from below: ...and above: All good progress. C 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 nice industrial detailing. Those connectors come in handy for a number of things don't they ? I also liked the fact that you get about eleventy seven in a pack as I've destroyed quite a few trying to drill them out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 They are excellent - though, as you say, trying to drill them is... uhhh... fun. That joy will return when I get back to the rotor head. But for now, at least, we have a tail wheel and two stub wings. Leaving it all to dry overnight; we're out for the evening. Pip pip Crisp 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 Sorry Crisp - no offence intended in my post either. I do marvel at helicopters but am often gratuitously rude about them because: 1) I can't fly one and am jealous of anyone with that much brain capacity & hand/eye coordination. 2) One of them blew over an aircraft I learned to fly on, bending a prop that I had run my fingertips over on many a preflight. Helicopter pilot claimed the Cessna (stationary at the holding point) fell over of its own accord and the incident had nothing to do with him taxying too close. I felt this was a poor show on behalf of the one pilot but (unfairly, certainly) extend wariness to all of their kind, holding a childish grudge on behalf of the poor innocent 152. ;-) 3) Given half a chance they monopolise the Tower so that I can't call final. Well once or twice maybe. And I didn't have to go around. And come to think of it less so than the infamous local Firefly - so, er, sorry. It's basically a jealously thing. Nice clean keyboard though. Kirk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Final bit of SACRU gubbins in position (& the crossbars also added since I last photographed this): And the beast sitting for the first time on her makeshift undercarriage: I don't plan to use this very often, because it lacks the strength that will come with the diagonal shock struts. But it's always a good moment (even if it does look rather too Junglie-esque for comfort), and will at least allow me to fit the remaining aerials. A domani Crisp 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 7 hours ago, Kirk said: but that keyboard needs cleaning again. Seriously. More bacteria than a loo seat apparently. It's probably a 'weathered' effect. Quote fell over of its own accord I like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 1 hour ago, Kirk said: Helicopter pilot claimed the Cessna (stationary at the holding point) fell over of its own accord As they are prone to do...!! More excellent detail work happening here Crisp. It's a real pleasure watching all these bits & pieces getting added - & actually learning what they are. While I can add all the details I want from looking at piccies, oftentimes I have no clue what they are, so it's nice to know for a change! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntPhillips Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 13 minutes ago, keefr22 said: More excellent detail work happening here Crisp. It's a real pleasure watching all these bits & pieces getting added - & actually learning what they are. While I can add all the details I want from looking at piccies, oftentimes I have no clue what they are, so it's nice to know for a change! Keith My sentiments exactly, from a young age I've been a firm believer in learning by doing or at least by seeing it done. I thought I knew quite a bit about helifloppers but Crisp has brought a real depth of knowledge along with the build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: I don't plan to use this very often, because it lacks the strength that will come with the diagonal shock struts. Ah! Did I neglect to tell you? The struts were a good 1/4 inch short on my kit and had to be replaced with scratch built ones. Maybe they were short shot but they didn't look like it.................. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 shouldn't it be sitting on wooden seafaring legs ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 There's a parrot missing then..... Ian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 Some matelots refer to their ship's primary weapon as 'the paraffin parrot', if that counts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) 12 hours ago, Martian Hale said: Ah! Did I neglect to tell you? The struts were a good 1/4 inch short on my kit and had to be replaced with scratch built ones. Maybe they were short shot but they didn't look like it.................. Martian God, Martian, I don't know whether Hasegawa sent some sort of spoof version of this kit to you, but you certainly seem to have had a right dog. Allowing for slight alignment distortion from the Blutac holding this together, mine looks fine, on the port side at least: On, on Crisp Edited February 15, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I can see at a glance that my parts were short shot at the sponson ends. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 Working my way through this snag list, I seem to have reached one of those points where your eyes hurt after a while; we are talking tiny pieces today. First up, something relatively simple; after a few experiments and taking an example from other builders of this kit, I have decided to use the kit parts for the tail strake (albeit duly thinned down to a better scale thickness). However, I don't want to fit it yet because adding the rivets with it already there would be almost impossible; after all, the real thing was bolted on top of original rivet lines, so why not mine? The challenge is to get a good finish when you add the part after most of the paint, so what I have done is add a row of 0.7mm Aizu tape sections along the line of it, to act as mini masks - then when I add the part it will have something to grip on. That's the theory, anyway: Then under the nose, to attach three things. First up, the sea anchor attachment point - a half-shackle underneath the nose - Eduard provided a neat little plate, to which I then added a suitably bent piece of thin wire. Note also - slightly blurred in the foreground - the little spigot around which the cable runs (presumably to keep it completely clear of the Doppler aerial); this was a 2 minute job with drilling a shallow hole and inserting a suitable piece of plastic rod. The sea anchor cable will run something like this rather rough and ready illustration with copper wire: The other piece added is the T-handle for the nose electronics bay - it goes into that small indentation which you can see above in the curve of the nose, but it is so tiny that I haven't been able to get even a half-decent picture of it! (Don't look for it above; that photo was taken before I added it). Just for a giggle while I was working with unfeasibly small pieces of brass, I tried building one of the Eduard exhaust blanks. Yes, I did say "building"; these things come with two teeny handles which have to bent to shape and added. This is now safely stowed in my fragile parts bin, which is becoming increasingly crowded! I have to say it does look good, and will be even better once painted a battered yellow colour with an RBF tag. More soon Crisp 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) Finally for today, something less demanding of the concentration - I have started converting the main rotor blades from metal to composite. For those of you who don't know how to tell the difference, this means removing the BIMS (blade integrity monitors - a system of pressurised gas inside the blade spar which told you if there was a problem with the blade; it manifested itself as a bump at the blade root at this scale!), and sanding off the lines - quite nicely done, actually - that depict the pockets on a metal blade so you are left with a smooth composite surface. That's where I have got to so far: Next up will be to add a fillet section to the blade root so they look like this: For those of a Kirk-esque persuasion who don't understand helicopters... those are my wings! More tomorrow Crisp Edited February 15, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 There are also differences at the other end, much squarer. would post a pick but I am soon to be transitioning from work to home so am a bit short of time, but I am sure there is a lot of piccies out there. I don't know why but I do like that sea anchor attachment......small things for small minds I suppose! Keep up the cracking work! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) You mean this end? Oh, and just a photo to show you the start of yet more madness: Yes, that's right; it's Forth Road Bridge time! [And before anyone says it, yes, I know that the Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge and it is clearly the RAIL bridge that the blade support gear resembles - but I didn't name it.] Edited February 15, 2017 by Ex-FAAWAFU 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Just now, Ex-FAAWAFU said: You mean this end? Yep! Just now, Ex-FAAWAFU said: Yes, that's right; it's Forth Road Bridge time! This will be interesting, especially as it never fitted correctly on the real aircraft! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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