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Next out of the stash - a Lynx AH-7


chrislowe

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10 hours ago, chrislowe said:

Not too much progress last week because I was over the pond, but I'm back now and ready to get going. 

 

One question for the collective wisdom of BM. What is the thing that hangs underneath just behind the doplar sensor, and what colour should it be?

 

This is it, in the PE...

IMG_20190320_213727

 

Thanks

Looks like a 'Hook' to me for underslung loads, usually a shiny metallic grey.

 

Great looking build 👍

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4 hours ago, Rogue. said:

Looks like a 'Hook' to me for underslung loads, usually a shiny metallic grey.

 

Great looking build 👍

 

4 hours ago, perdu said:

SACRU?

Semi Automatic Cargo Release Unit, they seem to dangle underneath most military chopters these days

Got it, thanks. I found a really good pic of it here that raises a couple of questions. First is this pic taken looking fore or aft? Gut feel says aft, but I'm not confident. Second, is that a bungee cord on the left hand side, and if so, where is it attached at the other end?

 

Airfix didn't include the "lump" for hydraulic ports, so I'll try to scratch build that along with the pipes.

Edited by chrislowe
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Good view of the starboard leg so that is looking back'ards

Definitely a bungee cord obviously intended to keep the hook off the deck most times, hook it somewhere convenient?

Ex-FAAWAFU may be able to help you there, I expect naval Lynxes had similar needs to Army ones

 

Most SACRU pics I've seen have the hook pointing to the front, like that

 

Nice naval Lynx picture, I'm going to hang on to that link

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Fantastic build Chris, really excellent work you’ve done 👍

I have this kit, and the BigEd set for it also, so I’d like to pull up a chair join you for the remainder of the build 

 

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Some "gigery pokery" tonight firstly adding the cable / hydraulic to the IR shields. Happy with how they have turned out although I'd like to find some resin joints or fittings for making these details a little better in the future.

 

IMG_20190321_220111

 

And then lenses onto the defensive suite on the nose.

 

IMG_20190321_222139

 

I'm not sure about that. The lense is visible in the photos on the walk around, but mine don't quite look right. More thinking required.

 

Edit: those close-ups really do make it look like awful. I need to work on achieving a better fit and using more filler.

Edited by chrislowe
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With the help of some Mr dissolved putty,, that gap under the screen is starting to disappear. In the mean time, my thoughts turned to the sacru, more precisely the hydraulics. 

 

First I tried to build the housing out of card by making walls, but that was fiddly and it proved very difficult to get it square. Next I tried gluing some 0.04 plasticard together to make a block which I then chopped diagonally. That worked much better. 

 

Somehow I managed to convince myself that PE would be a good representation of the very proud hydraulic caps that can be seen on the housing. 

 

IMG_20190323_211913

 

Wrong again.  My plasticard block had given me 2 identical shapes, so I could have another go with it starting over

 

This time, to represent the caps, I cut small rounds from a piece I'm not going to use 

IMG_20190327_124733

 

Better. With the addition of paint and some spare PE

IMG_20190327_130516

 

Still not as good as I imagined. How @perdu does this in 1/72 is beyond me.

 

In situ, I'm happy with the result.

IMG_20190327_211737

 

Thanks for all your kind words. I think I'm getting to the point where I'm going to put a clear coat on it and start working on the rotors.

 

Not tonight though. Tonight I'm going to have a beer. Cheers!

Edited by chrislowe
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That is amazing and there is no way I could have done that so well

 

Just saying

Anyway, the defensive suite thingys on the nose look ubergood

If you dont quite like  the lens shape by the way why not just use a blob of PVA glue let to form the dome, a little more or a little less will change the look of the dome

 

 Playing with the idea gives you lots of scope for dome sizing

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Neat work on the load hook and hydraulic connections Chris. Just ploddibng around with one I picked up at the model club, so need to add this myself.

 

Colin

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I’m late to this question (but love what you’re doing).  But Bill is right about the SACRU and the function of the bungee cord.  

 

 

 

 

[You can clearly read the words “Semi Automatic Cargo Release Unit No.2 Mk.1” on that Danish jobber - but you can tell someone who has only ever flown the Lynx because the Lynx FRCs call it a “CRUSA” - presumably Cargo Release Unit Semi-Automatique, or some such nonsense.  I converted to Lynx from Seakings, and could never get myself to csay “CRUSA checks” in the Beefer-approved manner.  Guys, it’s a SACRU: get over it]

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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Pushing on I distracted myself with the flare & chaff units

IMG_20190330_211727

Not much added here except some black tape on the top of the step and the wiring on the back. 

 

And then I have in to temptation and went back to tidy up the sacru hydraulics.

IMG_20190330_211843

At this point I think that's as close as I'm going to get it to the image I had in my head.

Then back to finish off these

IMG_20190405_200516IMG_20190405_200536

Only to realise that they're pointing slightly aft when they should be pointing slightly forward.

 

I won't say anything if you don't 😉.

 

In between all that I started on the L7A1

IMG_20190405_200645

While there are lots of photos of the weapon on line, I struggled to find clear photos showing the detail of the magazine. So I did a "best guess".

 

While I try to scratch build the RH step with the IR light, I'm going to start on the rotors. Any advice about colour for the blades? Most pictures I've seen look something like xf-67 NATO green.

 

Thanks for coming along

Edited by chrislowe
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Quick update from yesterday. I thought about building the rotors, but as I'm in the scratch-building groove, I thought I'd have a go at the RH step and the BriteStar light. It's not included at all in the Airfix kit, but you can clearly see it on the photos of the same aircraft in the walk around. 

 

So, first the step. I started with the top plate and built the frame underneath.

 

IMG_20190406_185645

 

IMG_20190406_214515

 

Pretty happy with that, so I went on to build the bracket for the lamp. Forgot to take a picture of that so here it is fitted and painted.

 

IMG_20190407_122215IMG_20190407_122233

 

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Today I've been mostly working on the BriteStar light to suspend under the new RH step. 

 

I built the front out of spare PE and some clear plastic packaging from something or other. Turns out the plastic isn't polystyrene, so it was CA all the way. Then I built the body out of pieces of plasticard, and with some filler and Mr dissolved putty, got what I believe is the right shape. 

IMG_20190407_230919

 

The inside is airbrushed with Alclad light burnt metal to give it the slightly yellowish tint you can see on the pictures. Sick the front onto the body and...

 

IMG_20190407_231748

 

Close enough?

Edited by chrislowe
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Little bit of progress tonight, I made the mount for the IR lamp, connected a power cable and fixed the lamp itself onto the mount.

 

IMG_20190408_221727

 

IMG_20190408_221804

 

Then, finally I went back to the defensive suite on the nose. I wasn't happy with my first attempt so i added the red-brown surround to the lense that is visible on the walk around pics. Some how that has made all the difference, so I'm happy to move on.

 

IMG_20190408_225502

 

I think that's everything I wanted to do on the fuselage, so I'm going to move on to the rotors.

Edited by chrislowe
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The Brite Star thingy, blooming lovely work

And I reckon I can still play noisy games with the Gimpy, even after all these years

In all, one of my favourite builds of a favourite aeroplane

 

Great stuff Chris

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I've been working on the rotors. 

 

IMG_20190416_185437

Bit of PE on the rotor head, but mostly it was just following the instructions and remembering to check back with the photos in the walk around. The leading edge decals were ok after a bit of gigery-pokery.

 

In the walk around pictures, the tail rotors are one of the only areas that show notable weathering, so I tried some humbrol weathering powder. First time I ever used this and there's no hints or tips on the bottle so I was just brushing it on with a soft dry brush working from the leading edge back.

 

IMG_20190416_184548

 

Thanks for following along

 

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Hi Chris,

 

just a a couple of notes on the blades. The tail rotor green area - This is where we put all the blade info on in white writing. The silver leading edge didn’t get that dirty but the red/white would erode where it meets the Silver. The main blades leading edge tapers to a point roughly inline with the the angle change on the trailing edge. The part where the main blades attaches to the head with the bolts (known as Cuff bolts) are the same colour as the blade.

 

Steve.

Edited by speedy
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Ok, I'm going to deal with this one rotor at a time...

11 hours ago, speedy said:

The tail rotor green area - This is where we put all the blade info on in white writing.

Awesome information, thanks. The white writing on the blades was actually provided in the decals along with the outboard / inboard stencils. I cut it off because it didn't seem to fit in the space that I had. I've reinstated it, but as you can see it creeps up over the red area. Is that ok, or does it need trimming so that is entirely on the green section? 

11 hours ago, speedy said:

The silver leading edge didn’t get that dirty but the red/white would erode where it meets the Silver. 

I've repainted the silver so it's nice and clean hopefully that gives more of the impression of the weathering you've described?

 

IMG_20190417_224228

Obviously at some point the new writing will need a little weathering as it's very bright compared with the rest.

 

I'll tackle the main rotor tomorrow.

 

Thanks for looking.

Edited by chrislowe
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Hi mate, I see what you mean buy that decal. For your model I think that white decal detracts from your overall efforts. Thought about some white fine lines that will fit which will pass in this scale?. Silver L/E looks loads better. If you can try and remove a little of the dirt from the white panels. As said these remain quite cleanish. The only other I’ve seen was when the were sent back from Afghanistan or Kenya, they were allowed to paint the whole blade green in theatre for erosion protection.

 

Steve.

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