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JMSDF Helicopter carrying destroyer "Hiei" (1/700)


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Maybe not too much new to see in this picture but I've added the lifeboats, the ASROC, the radar, the various other grey things on the top and the lattice or framework thing in front of the bridge. 

 

Next is to paint all the radomes white, install them, and deal with the helicopter situation.

 

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Since my last post I've painted the radomes and will put them on at the next opportunity, thus more or less finishing the ship. But before I go into Parliament and brag about my unprecedented on-time, on-budget naval procurement program, this thing needs some helicopters.


That program, let's call it Project Sea King, got off to a more typical Defence start, inasmuch as the procured aircraft can't fly and need repairs before even entering service.


These Trumpeter Sea Kings are really nice, but they are moulded in clear plastic which is really brittle. Both of the helicopters I cut off the sprue snapped at the tail-to-tailfin joint, both lost the right-side little connecting arm thing for the wheel sponson (which are separate parts), and one of them lost its tailwheel too. Also, both suffered a bit on the top of the air intakes as I tried to clean up the mess left from the connection to the sprue.

 

So that was ...fun. I spent a while last night with tweezers and magnifying glass rebuilding the chopper you see on the deck; the one lying on the mat in front still has to be rebuilt. 

 

The Chinook, meanwhile, has a first coat of brown and later I will give it some green to get it looking like a JGSDF Chinook - I used to have all the correct modern Japanese colours in Mr Color but I couldn't ship enamel paints so I will just have to make do with what I can find in my collection of Vallejo acrylics. 

 

Also I realize this would look pretty good with some PE railings - I have a stash somewhere but haven't found them. So one day I might come back to that. But for now, I'm in the home stretch.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick update from the flight deck. After a few frustrating efforts I have rebuilt the two Sea Kings - the parts broke when they came off the sprue because that clear plastic is so brittle. Then, of course, they also flew all over the workbench out of my tweezers too. But I got there.

 

That's just the first coat of white on the Sea Kings. The underside will be light grey. For the Chinook and Cobra, I'll use a fine black pen to make the little black stripes.

 

Slowly getting there.

 

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OK, it's closing out to deadline time. I have a work trip from next Monday until after the GB ends so it's crunch time. 

 

The ship now just needs the pennant number decals on the hull. I lost the rear flagpole and one set of side torpedo tubes. 

 

Last night I finished the helicopter markings, except the red spot and a touchup where I smeared grey. So there's one more night in it - rotor blades, a little bit of touch up here and there, like the wheels, and I'm calling it done.

 

It may not pass the spit & polish test in peacetime but hey, this is Frontline Asia 80s and I guess there's Russian and/or Chinese subs to hunt. So here we go!

 

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Well, I'm calling this one done. I will gratefully use the extension to get some nicer photos when I get back from my trip.

 

I think the helicopter rotors look too high but I'm not sure I can really change it now.

 

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Better photos in the gallery soon.

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Thanks! 

 

My only disappointment is I can't work out why the photos I uploaded here seem to be so low-res compared to the originals. Does the BM forum downgrade the images? I notice yours of your builds are super sharp. 

 

My pics were taken on a proper camera at 20MP (unlike the earlier shots in my build thread which I did with my phone). 

 

There must be something wrong in my workflow between camera and here?

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