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Fifty shades .. H-19 the circle closed, ciao baby


perdu

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In my ever growing (against my own wishes) stash I have been nurturing a couple of helicopters in the 'make it some day' category

 

Neither were very high up my interest scale but they were not big money so I did what you must, it is in the rules after all

 

Merlin is represented by the Italeri kit and yes I remember railing against the brand many times, but it was cheap and looked quite nice in the box so ...

 

And the CH-53 is the venerable Airfix boxing, this one came with two sets of transfers, US Marines and German Army versions but I was thinking of the grey (gray) coloured ones and thought that I should do a pair of grey ghosts with them

 

SO I AM

 

Here is the box for the, well you can see what it is

20181129-092948.jpg

 

Nicely packed for all that the box is showing its age

20181129-093006.jpg

It has options for the sponsons to be plain faced or with the mounting points for drop tanks which I will need for the Marines Gray one

 

Transfers not going to be used except the instrument 'decals'

20181129-093103.jpg

 

I am breaking the cardinal rule but as this is a stash reduction rather than labor of love exercise I won't be filling the insides with love and bits, just painted grey(s)

20181202-120212.jpg

 

Without much ado

 

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Not keen to sit quietly for the glue I found...

 

Now I began to quite like the look of Merlin when wandering round the displays at Yeovilton at last year's air day so I took a few pictures just in case

P1120994.jpg

 

A busy airframe with lots happening all over its skin, who wouldnt love to have a bit of a go?

 

P1130002.jpg

 

 

Lots and lots to do

 

I have yet to open the new window position behind the port entry door, but it is on the way,

 

You'll see

Anyway, the box

20181129-093144.jpg

Richard informs me this was based on the prototype and you can see there will be bits to add

 

20181129-093220.jpg

 

lots of lovely grey huh

 

Funny kit make-up, you have to glue the side panels into the fuselage structure, as in

 

20181129_124952.jpg

 

If this were to have been Hasegawa or others I would have said oh well they know what they are doing

Can we leave  the jury out for now?

 

The sonar, and assorted electrical bits are kept under strict lock and key by the two guys (guyesses?) who sit here

 

20181129_125014.jpg

Those display units were not right for the early or later versions but a prototype?

Who knows, maybe they were to watch telly on

 

Interiors started

20181202_115820.jpg

 

Dont get your hopes up, that has changed now  :)

 

I think we'll pause here to catch our breath

 

More later this week, bye all

 

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I was contemplating turning the CH-53 into the MH-53 sitting in Cosford, just up the road for easy reference, but since the Pave Low has been produced by Revell and Italeri already I've decided not to reinvent the wh.. Nose section and make Pave Low a possible future subject if I come across a kit at Halifax next year

 

Our own Richard sent me some additional pieces off a Merlin he built a while back so I can add some better details, thanks Richard

 

Amongst the gear in the bag is a selection of resin and etch upgrades including the sonar gear ducting and a mysterious box intended to 'be' the sonar unit and the paper templates for cutting holes in the floor and fuselage and an assortment of etchy bit for surface enhancements

 

They'll be fun huh kids

 

I can't get the tablet to play with Postimg this morning so I will do pictures later, thanks for looking. 😕

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Will follow along too Bill if you don't mind, I always learn lots from your builds. Promise to sit quietly.

Seasons Greetings to you and all BMer's

 

  Roger

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A Bill Wobbycopter build.  In fact two BWs.  Yum yum.  

 

I wish someone would would release a 1/48 ASW Merlin, but breath not held.  I have the Airfix HC3 in my stash, probably to be built as a Junglie Mk4, but I could be tempted to convert it to ASW...

 

However, I am no Merlin expert; questions elsewhere, Young William!

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Hello Dear Colleague !

Bill is on his way to Crispinize now !

Great choice Man !

I'll follow too if you don't mind !

Chimay blue ? Ready and checked !

Cheese cube from Maredsous ? Ready and checked i

Ride on Bill, we are at the ready to support this great effort !

Nice job already done !

Sincerely.

CC 

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Glad to have you illustrious gentlemens aboard, lets see if we can do something with these shall us

 

I have mentioned that the CH-53 is getting minimal alterating but Merlin certainly seems to warrant a trifle more application huh

 

As I mentioned this morning I found amongst the stuff Richard sent me,( bless him) the sonar ducting and a grey box

 

Using photos readily available in the Walkarounds near the back pages of the site I saw the sonar box  (sic)

jm%2015.JPG

 

I think the grey box was intended to replicate that box so I modified the box to look like the base unit and made up a top section from extra plastic to look like this

P1010010.jpg

 

Consider this is in 72ths of a inch I thought not bad

 

Til it was put inside the fuselage

P1010026.jpg

 

And filled it  :(

 

SO I made it again in a more 72th looking size

 

P1010028.jpg

 

Much more proximate to the size of the cabin and its windows

 

I think this will do and this is me off to the pub, in the rain... catch y'all tomorrow

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8 hours ago, pinky coffeeboat said:

 you building a mk1 or a mk2 Merlin?

 

Hopefully a mk2, as I was advised. Black seats, twin twin screen consoles five plus two display units on the dashboard and the window behind the port entry door being added too

 

 

But since I am not au fait with either or any I'm taking any advice I can get

Better perspective on the photo of FLASH would bve a help but if I can't get it right it'll have to be close

 

Like the above

 

Today I'm working on the racks and (possibly) sonobuoy dispense unit in the corner at the rear of the cabin

 

I am making the yellow dinghy? pack that sits behind FLASH and in front of the sonobuoy thingy

 

All and any interference is begged for, tell me what you know and show me pictures of your buddies larking about

 

All the dits that have made Naval stuff fascinating for us landlocked lubbers

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6 hours ago, JosephLalor said:

I didn't know there was a Heeresflieger boxing of the CH53.  I remember seeing one flying over my school when President Karstens visited Ireland in 1980.

If the part used decal sheet appeals send me an address

It does not have the instrument decals any more, I have used them but all else is as you saw them

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You seem to have picked up quite a cyclic mix of keen whirlyists in your collective rotor wash Bill. Pardon the puns there!

 

I don't have either of these in my stash but am being tempted by a Merlin. As Crisp has suggested, a 1/48 one would indeed by awesome.

 

Terry

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I'll see what I can dig out, but for you landlocked lubbers FLASH is generally referred to as ADS (Active Dipping Sonar). It's strange and slightly amusing to read in places how people refer to the names of systems on the aircraft by their "official" names like Orange Crop/ Reaper, Blue Kestrel etc.. as if that's what they're called in day to day life -

 

"need a Pinky on the line, 68s got a Blue Kestrel snag"!!!

"Get a grubber out there, the number 1 RTM322 has starting issues" 

 

Most times the systems are called by what they do - the radar, the ESM etc... I was at RIAT  years ago presenting our tiger striped Merlin (though it looks more like a grey mackerel) and I was caught in a dit lock with someone who worked in the factory where the screens were made. He seemed a bit disappointed when at first he told me he worked for Smith's and I stared blankly at him. You see, most don't really care about such things but only if they work, are reliable and easily replaced. (I must admit though, as an aircraft enthusiast, I do have an interest in such things).

 

Not a criticism or mockery of you at all, far from it because names and terms aren't often known outside the circle in which they're used. Like people calling the Tornado the "tonka" (civvy spotter name) when in crab parlance it was referred to as the "fin" (I think?)!

 

How detailed is the model going to be? 

 

Jeff

 

Edited by pinky coffeeboat
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Some diamond padding inside, if I can trace a decent substitute

Some but not all or many cable runs

Only the decal seat belts off the kit

I presume the sonobuoys will need a launch hole underneath and there will be wiggly cables hanging where headsets and mics can be expected

 

Ish

 

As I said the sonobuoy racks and the big launchy looking drum at the back

 

I have separated the pairs of crewseats into 'one, two, three' configuration to spot around the floor

 

Oh yes FLASH, I like the sound of it, soundtrack of one of cinema's great sci-fun movies

But suitably chastened I'll keep it down, OK?

 

Really looking forwards to your input, as are the rest of the slathering horde watching along of us

 

:)

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2 hours ago, perdu said:

Some diamond padding inside, if I can trace a decent substitute

The diamond pattern is about 2 inches across.

Quote

Some but not all or many cable runs

The umbilical for the ADS changed places from the mk1 to the mk2. In the picture posted of the ADS you can just about see the pictures umbilical on the right side (as in the photo). This came from connections in the roof and down to the ADS. It had a label attached saying "NO HAND HOLD" because honestly it was the most conveniently placed hand hold in that area. 

The mk2 relocated the umbilical to the left side wall, well clear of straying hands!

Quote

Only the decal seat belts off the kit

I presume the sonobuoys will need a launch hole underneath and there will be wiggly cables hanging where headsets and mics can be expected

There are two holes under the rear of the aircraft, just forward of where the fuselage and tail cone meet. Two dispensers can be fitted, left and right with the left the more common fit.

The mk1 had one mic/ tel lead in each crew position and at the cargo door. The mk2 has more (duplicated at the crew positons).

 

Edited by pinky coffeeboat
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2 hours ago, perdu said:

....separated the pairs of crewseats into 'one, two, three' configuration to spot around the floor

 

Oh yes FLASH, I like the sound of it, soundtrack of one of cinema's great sci-fun movies

But suitably chastened I'll keep it down, OK?

 

Really looking forwards to your input, as are the rest of the slathering horde watching along of us

 

:)

The standard day to day fit is a forward facing three-man troop seat in front of the ADS, on the left hand side with a 2-man troop seat in the rear right cabin position. The 1-man seat is placed in the right hand side, rear facing adjacent to the rear crew position. It's used mainly as an instructors seat.

 

Jeff 

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17 minutes ago, pinky coffeeboat said:

The standard day to day fit is a forward facing three-man troop seat in front of the ADS, on the left hand side with a 2-man troop seat in the rear right cabin position. The 1-man seat is placed in the right hand side, rear facing adjacent to the rear crew position. It's used mainly as an instructors seat.

 

Jeff 

Yep, got that from the pictures

 

Only going to fit the port sided dispenser so the seats can be back there like on the walk-around shots

 

Must say, the tiger stripes don't really work for me

Mackerel really does 😂

 

Great info thanks, would you like to hazard a guess at the height, in cabin, of the sonar fingy so I can decide if mine is near enough to splash paint on please

 

 

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