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Agusta-Bell AH-1 - Italeri 1/72


CedB

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2 hours ago, limeypilot said:

The big problem with Scout shooting competitions is that the little buggers can still run pretty fast at that age and are rather difficult to hit!

I prefer "Chav" shooting, they wear bright clothing and run in confused manner.

 

Simon.

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On 1/22/2020 at 3:19 PM, Procopius said:

Ced, if I were to buy one of these jobbies, do I have a (handsome) friend who could print me off a mask?

‘Time spent snivelling is seldom wasted”, as the Duke of Wellington almost said

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Excellent masketry and paintifying Ced. :thumbsup2:

 

I occasionally find the Bluetooth on my Silhouette goes on the fritz too and the light for it doesn't come on, making it look dead.

 

Oddly, if you turn the cutter off, unplug the power cord from it,  wait about 10 seconds, plug it back in and then turn it on it all works again. Not sure why but presume it does some kind of hard reset.

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Thanks Ian, Ben, hendie, Andy, Simon and Dennis for your comments on the Scout Shooting - no Scouts were harmed during this build :D 

 

14 hours ago, giemme said:

Oooh, great progress Ced ! :clap: :clap:

 

Ciao

Thanks Giorgio :) 

14 hours ago, Hamden said:

 

Really coming together now Ced the war paint suits this very well.

Another superb build

 

                 Roger

Thanks Roger, kind of you :) 

11 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

‘Time spent snivelling is seldom wasted”, as the Duke of Wellington almost said

:rofl2:

11 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

I thought that was one of @general melchett's

 

Martian 👽

Now then, no pops at The General while he's not here! :D 

10 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Excellent masketry and paintifying Ced. :thumbsup2:

 

I occasionally find the Bluetooth on my Silhouette goes on the fritz too and the light for it doesn't come on, making it look dead.

 

Oddly, if you turn the cutter off, unplug the power cord from it,  wait about 10 seconds, plug it back in and then turn it on it all works again. Not sure why but presume it does some kind of hard reset.

Thanks Tony :) I'll clear some space soon and try it 'across the room'.

 

 

Bits this morning.

 

The aerials in the kit are a bit chunky:

 

49432625183_778e9e9bbb_z.jpg

 

… so the rods have been chopped off and I'll replace them with wire at the end. I've positioned the support though:

 

49432754013_be58f38387_z.jpg

 

In front of the frame where the little supports lean forward.

 

The tail rotor has been masked and blades painted:

 

49433100436_08bb90efca_z.jpg

 

49433603042_fb31f0573c_z.jpg

 

Molotow chrome on the top light and landing light:

 

49433455187_4236148959_z.jpg

 

Note that I've sawed around the bottom of the top light a bit to better represent 'the real thing'.

 

Now for the ?aerial on the top of the frame.

131 has a round base and a sticky up thing. About 6mm I reckon. Bash out a disc:

 

49432824803_ec9d42b5fc_z.jpg

 

Chop off some card and do some fiddly sanding, stick one to the other:

 

49433342601_d82c67ef09_z.jpg

 

I'll paint it when it's dry.

 

Time to look at the last bit. 

The big prop on the top.

Gulp.

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3 minutes ago, CedB said:

The big prop on the top.

Careful, You’ll be in trouble from the helicopter police for calling the rotor a prop.:nono:

 

This tiny model is looking rally good Ced, I’m tempted to get one myself.

 

AW

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Thanks AW - quite right, 'rotor' it will be :) 

 

Here it is:

 

49432992578_9413194cb9_z.jpg

 

Just two parts for the head plus some tiny little sticky up bits.

 

I'll keep the blades separate for ease of painting.

 

Oh, and I've got the skids to do.

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Skids then.

The instructions are the 'this goes in this general direction and then ta dah!' type so I think it's worth sharing my pain.

 

Parts:

 

49433555906_cec7b1caf2_z.jpg

 

The 'uprights' are the same but the skids are different because the tips 'toe in'.

The uprights also slope backward (from the bottom), presumably to add some strength during auto-rotation, er, 'landings', and the parts have this slope moulded in:

 

49433096978_34907f8959_z.jpg

 

Nice.

You can see from this shot (??) that the locating slots on the skids match the locating slots on the body so there's no splay between the uprights:

 

49433798832_9d01124976_z.jpg

 

So, that's all the dry fit out of the way. Now you need to (gulp) glue it all so it fits.

 

My approach was to put a drop of Contacta in the skid slots, jam the upright in, push it down and do the same on the other one.

Then do the same on the other skid.

Then square it all up using the mat grid.

Then panic it might not fit the body and push it into the bottom of the model.

Actually it all seemed pretty simple (if a bit nerve wracking).

 

On her feet now:

 

49433121648_16414a17c4_z.jpg

 

49433823617_950d6577cd_z.jpg

 

Happy with that.

She's now on her back while that dries.

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Would you put scare quotes around a glider “landing”?  
 

Auto-rotation is just gliding, guys; flown properly, an engine-off landing is, if anything, smoother than a normal one.  It is true that you don’t get to overshoot and have a second try if you mess it up - but that’s true of any unpowered approach in any aircraft.  This isn’t some kind of freaky voodoo: it’s engineering and physics, like all human flight.

 

Why are so many apparently intelligent people so irrationally scared of helicopters?

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1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Would you put scare quotes around a glider “landing”?  
 

Auto-rotation is just gliding, guys; flown properly, an engine-off landing is, if anything, smoother than a normal one.  It is true that you don’t get to overshoot and have a second try if you mess it up - but that’s true of any unpowered approach in any aircraft.  This isn’t some kind of freaky voodoo: it’s engineering and physics, like all human flight.

 

Why are so many apparently intelligent people so irrationally scared of helicopters?

Thanks Crisp :) 
For me, it’s just lack of experience and the stories a friend told about his engine failure training. 

Irrational it is!

10 minutes ago, perdu said:

Good question

 

Send them away to read Chickenhawk

Thanks Bill :) 

 

Last bit today, blade tips painted and rotor head done:

 

49434121092_0f21c294f4_b.jpg


(Big pic ‘cos I’m on the iPad)

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Whilst I was working for a commuter airline in Cape Cod, our FAA inspector got killed checking out a pilot in a helicopter. Auto rotation didn't work out quite as planned apparently.

Not exactly a normal glider landing...😉

 

Ian

Edited by limeypilot
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2 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Why are so many apparently intelligent people so irrationally scared of helicopters?

As David Gunson said:

"Even the people who build 'em don't have much faith. They put wheels, skis and floats on - so wherever you come down at least you've got a fighting chance"

 

'What Goes Up Might Come Down': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_iTG1CsQBs

 

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4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Why are so many apparently intelligent people so irrationally scared of helicopters?

Not me... Ive had the joy of sitting right seat in A bell Ranger and Hughes 500.D. That and as a door gunner on a Bell Huey in a mock combat insertion during an airshow. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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3 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Whilst I was working for a commuter airline in Cape Cod, our FAA inspector got killed checking out a pilot in a helicopter. Auto rotation didn't work out quite as planned apparently.

Not exactly a normal glider landing...😉

 

Ian

Sorry to hear that Ian.

2 hours ago, andyf117 said:

As David Gunson said:

"Even the people who build 'em don't have much faith. They put wheels, skis and floats on - so wherever you come down at least you've got a fighting chance"

 

'What Goes Up Might Come Down': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_iTG1CsQBs

 

1 hour ago, Dave Swindell said:

Always good for a quote! Helicopter takeoff, " you put on phenomenal amounts of power and it defies all known law and lifts off - it should of course screw itself into the ground!"

Thanks Andy and Dave :D One of my favourite after-dinner speeches.

 

13 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Not me... Ive had the joy of sitting right seat in A bell Ranger and Hughes 500.D. That and as a door gunner on a Bell Huey in a mock combat insertion during an airshow. 

Thanks Dennis :) 

 

There you go Crisp - some people get it, others not so much…

 

 

Greeblies:

 

49433732358_800aea90eb_z.jpg

 

Attached:

 

49434791496_4bfb85283c_z.jpg

 

Blades sprayed:

 

49434847021_69a44150ef_z.jpg

 

Gloss required before transfers!

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Excellent work Ced.

1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Not me... Ive had the joy of sitting right seat in A bell Ranger and Hughes 500.D. That and as a door gunner on a Bell Huey in a mock combat insertion during an airshow. 

Back in the day when I used to have to go offshore (only rarely) one of the highlights for me was flying in a Bell 212 operated I think by Bristows. This version retained the passenger seats that looked out the big sliding doors which I managed to bag. Didn't take much of a leap of imagination from me for that door to be open & yours truly to be hunkered over a heavy machine gun ready to lay down some suppressing fire as we came into the LZ er sorry helipad on the Brent Delta......don't think anyone heard the dagga, dagga, dagga sound effects, honest!

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6 hours ago, CedB said:

There you go Crisp - some people get it, others not so much…

 

But then again there are an awful lot of people scared of flying in anything....

 

I've unfortunately only had a 15 minute families day flight in the back of a Wokka, loved every second and would jump at the chance of some more helicopter rides! 

 

 

'ickle Sioux is looking well tidy Ced!

 

K

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16 hours ago, hendie said:

great progress Ced.  Looks like you got the skids spot on. Richard Jobson would be proud

15 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

To complete your post Hendie...….

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Jis2d4W_Q

 

Martian 👽

Thanks hendie - and to Martian or 'The Skids' introduction! :)

 

15 hours ago, Harley John said:

Excellent work Ced.

Back in the day when I used to have to go offshore (only rarely) one of the highlights for me was flying in a Bell 212 operated I think by Bristows. This version retained the passenger seats that looked out the big sliding doors which I managed to bag. Didn't take much of a leap of imagination from me for that door to be open & yours truly to be hunkered over a heavy machine gun ready to lay down some suppressing fire as we came into the LZ er sorry helipad on the Brent Delta......don't think anyone heard the dagga, dagga, dagga sound effects, honest!

Thanks John :D Always fun to imagine!

 

12 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

We used to get regular invites to fly with the Met Police in their Bell 222 when I was atHeathrow. It was always great fun because they used to ‘ throw it around ‘ quite I bit.

 

John

You lucky… nice story John :) 

 

10 hours ago, corsaircorp said:

Hey Ced !!

Look at this one !!

And start a second Sioux !!

[snip pic]

 

Records breaking machine !!

Ok, I'll get out !!

Sincerely.

CC

Thanks CC :) Is that all white? Weird.

 

9 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

But then again there are an awful lot of people scared of flying in anything....

 

I've unfortunately only had a 15 minute families day flight in the back of a Wokka, loved every second and would jump at the chance of some more helicopter rides! 

 

 

'ickle Sioux is looking well tidy Ced!

 

K

True. Thanks Keith :) 

 

 

As promised, transfers are on:

 

49438115051_04f5e3f3b0_z.jpg

 

Some MicroSol blobbed on the 'Danger' stickers in the hope they'll settle.

 

The rotor has been dry fitted:

 

49438348427_cb2c68d9f6_z.jpg

 

Very wobbly. The kit blades appear to be moulded under weight so I've tried to bend them to a suitable position.

I think I'll wait until the tie down is done:

 

49437656308_e6508f9033_z.jpg

 

Looks OK?

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What did they do with those rotors? The way they sit is a distinctive feature of the Bell two-bladed helicopter family - Model 47/Sioux, UH-1, AH-1, Jetranger...

....this pretty-much side-on shot of your subject gives a good view of how they should look, so hopefully will help in adjusting the kit parts:

spacer.png

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