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Helicopter in-flight diorama help


LooseSeal

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So I recently picked up the new Kitty Hawk 1/35 MH-60L, along with the fantastic resin figures, and immediately thought it would look great as a diorama scene from the Battle of Mogadishu. I'm probably being a bit overambitious given I've never done a diorama, time will tell...

 

The big issue I want to decide on before I get started building is the practicality of showing the Black Hawk in a hover, with the 2 fast-ropes on the ground. I guess the advice I'm looking for is... is the best way to do this to use something like a clear acrylic tube underneath the model as a stand? Or is there a better way my un-diorama-trained brain is not considering?

 

I was thinking of using steel rod (wrapped in fabric) to replace the rope, and while I'm fairly sure they could support the weight, I realised that the bars which extend out from the cabin are going to flex under the weight.. and I can't think of a way to get around that issue.

I've seen a couple of examples of the same idea, but in smaller scale and the sacrificing of detail around the fast-rope system which I don't think I can get away with at 1/35.

 

Also.. can anyone recommend a good scale equivalent of fast rope? The one provided in the kit is much too short.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Hello, 

 

Here goes my 2 cents, can I be bold to suggest a frame with steel rod on the ceiling of the cabin roof. 

 

That way when the rope aka steel rod is attached into the the FRIES system, and here is the tricky part you can replace part of FRIES with steel rod, hopefully giving stability to the all thing. 

 

Hope this contributes to the brainstorm. 

 

Pedro Monteiro 

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Just to throw an idea into the ring.

 

Could you make a replacement for the FRIES system from, say, soldered brass rod and then attach the FAST "ropes" to it so the helicopter effectively rests on a frame?  You might also be able to add some plates the inside of the replacement FRIES system so you could bolt it to the roof of the helicopter.

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Thank you for the ideas guys! I'm sort of stalled at the moment anyway as I'm noticing some other kit mistakes that need to be sorted too.

 

I was indeed thinking about replacing the entire FRIES system, using steel rod for the slide-out bars. Need to think on what to use for the rectangular structure though

 

This is the type of FRIES we're talking about, because there seem to be two variants, an older and newer version. Typically the newer one would have been much easier to replace! 😄

 

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If I was to replace it with a strong metal version, I'd need to figure out how to create the attachment points at the end (I think the red hoops can be sacrificed to make it work..).

And more importantly, how to attach the 'ropes' to the attachment points. My original 'fantasy' idea was to be able to somehow 'plug' the 'ropes' into the attachment points so that the model could be removed at will (for transport/cleaning etc). How to actually achieve that, however, is bewildering me...

 

@Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies I've never worked with carbon fibre before, would you use it for the 'ropes' or the FRIES system itself? Could it be shaped to look like a rope? The steel rod I got is pretty strong, although there is naturally a bit of spring to it... but the advantage is that I can coil it at the bottom to give as sturdy a base as possible.

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14 minutes ago, LooseSeal said:

I was indeed thinking about replacing the entire FRIES system, using steel rod for the slide-out bars. Need to think on what to use for the rectangular structure though

 

 

You might be able to source the rods for the rectangular structure from Albion Alloys.

 

 

 

 

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Yes, thank you! I've just had a look at some of their stuff. I reckon a U-shaped brass rod could be turned into more or less the right shape, then the slide-out bar soldered on and the brackets added from spare PE.

 

Would a soldered joint be strong enough to support the weight? I've had mishaps with over-estimating solder before...

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Found a German site, Modular, which offers the perfect dimensions in rectangular brass bars, so that's a start!

 

As regards to attaching the rope to the FRIES, I was wondering whether the top loop of the metal rope could slot in the top of a short, plastic tube, and the rest of the rope could then slot into the bottom when the model is positioned, also making it removable. If it was a tight enough fit then it shouldn't wobble.

 

Not sure if I explained that well, so here's a very crude illustration 😄

 

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Obviously it isn't accurate in any way, but if it worked it might be a sacrifice worth the end result. A big if, though!

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On 5/18/2019 at 5:58 PM, LooseSeal said:

Thank you for the ideas guys! I'm sort of stalled at the moment anyway as I'm noticing some other kit mistakes that need to be sorted too.

 

I was indeed thinking about replacing the entire FRIES system, using steel rod for the slide-out bars. Need to think on what to use for the rectangular structure though

 

This is the type of FRIES we're talking about, because there seem to be two variants, an older and newer version. Typically the newer one would have been much 

@Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies I've never worked with carbon fibre before, would you use it for the 'ropes' or the FRIES system itself? Could it be shaped to look like a rope? The steel rod I got is pretty strong, although there is naturally a bit of spring to it... but the advantage is that I can coil it at the bottom to give as sturdy a base as possible.

 

CF is just very rigid, and once cured will resist any shape changing efforts. The commercially available rods are fully pre cured. They're very light for their considerable strength and are easy to bond with epoxy or superglue. The R/C aeromodelling community likes them for lots of things, but a typical example might be control rods between servo and control surface where it's imporant that the surface itself moves predictably with the servo and in accordance with the transmitter stick rather than buckling.

 

It's usually possible to get a good fit with brass tube so your dio could be dismantlable for transport if needed.

 

The carbon fibre rods may have a better chance of holding a helicopter at the top of a "rope" than steel would, particularly since the weight at the top will be offset and will encourage the "rope" to bend over.

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  • 2 years later...

Not sure what the status of this build is, but I just has an idea that might work for you.

 

Replace the rod that holds the rope with a clear plastic rod, strong enough to hold the weight of the model. Make sure the rod is long enough to go all the way through the model and actually cover the distance of the entire diorama.

 

Here is where it gets interesting. You can paint the rod only in the interior portion of the kit, to represent the FRIES rod amd hang fast ropes out both sides of your bird. The rod will also serve to hold up the kit by placing each end into buildings on both sides of the street. If you go through a window in the buildings, you can hide the majority of the rod and get the best stability possible.

 

I think this achieves two things. One, it gives the model (which is rather heavy and large, I have several H-60 kits by kitty hawk) a very safe, stable platform to rest in the air. Two, it gives the diorama the appearance of extraordinary skills to hover in a confined space while men dismount from both sides of the fuselage.

 

If you read the story of their actions in Mogadishu, you will learn that these brave pilots did things that normal pilots would never even consider doing. It is reported that one of the Little Birds dropped down between two buildings in a very narrow street to allow the men in back to exit the aircraft and assist the downed Blackhawk. The street was so narrow, the tips of the rotors actually scrapped both buildings while landing and taking off. That is about the craziest/bravest thing I ever read. They did what had to be done. Anyway, I hope that you succeeded with your plans, I also have ambitious plans for a diorama, a very ambitious plan. So far, I have two Little Bird KH50002 kits, and two Little Bird KH50004 kits, all with figures. That makes four Little Birds in total. Then I have two Blackhawk kits, the KH50005 with figures, but I will probably make that kit into a DAP, using one of my other Blackhawk kits to place the fast ropes on. The plan changes with time, I just hope I can actually pull it off.

 

Good luck with your build!

 

Anthony

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