Mounting flying helicopter in diorama?

[Michael Morris]

My planning for a Soyuz capsule landing/recovery diorama continues.  I now have a 3D printed Soyuz capsule and an Ark models Mi-8 helicopter.  I have two photo etch sets for detailing the Mi-* on order and I'm getting there with sorting out how I am going to try to recreate the steppes of Kazakhstan in 1:72 scale.    One of the last bits I need to sort out before I start is how I am going to mount the helicopter.  An easy option would be to have it landed, but I can't possibly do this to scale as helicopters tend to land several 100 metres away from the capsule.  They do however sometimes hover very close by just after the capsule has landed, so I'm looking to reproduce this type of scene.  (see picture below).

I was thinking of mounting the helicopter on some form of bent metal rod that would attach to the side of the diorama base.  Has anyone experience of the best way to achieve this?

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

Edited March 14, 2020 by Michael Morris

[dcrfan]

I have seen a clear acrylic rod used to good effect.

[dcrfan]

Oh I got that wrong.  I finally found the photo I was thinking of showing a scratchbuilt 1/35th scale Alouette III displayed flying.  Model was made by Kwix on The New Rhodesian Forum. It is mounted on a solid rod.  The methods of showing motion of main and tail rotors well worth looking at.  The flattened grass is also very effective in adding to the story of movement. 

 

IMG_0325 by tankienz, on Flickr

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by dcrfan

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Mine is on a carbon fibre tube with a threaded rod in each end - but I needed an electrically conductive support.

 

 

It's motorised:

https://www.facebook.com/jamie.duff.75/videos/10157599320921489/

[Major Eazy]

@Michael Morris  May I suggest you try looking at Pinterest for some ideas. I've seen some other modellers try mount a flying helicopter in different various ways. As a matter of a fact, I liked so many of the ideas that I've repined them in my board, you could check them out for ideas, specially some of the model helicopter ones, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/temp47guardforp/whoa-neat-trick/

[Michael Morris]

Thanks

[Flankerman]

I built a 1/72 scale Mi-6 hovering alongside an MH-47E - which it had just recovered and brought back to base....

 

 

I used the thinnest brass rod I could getaway with to support the Halo - running from under the helicopter and snaking flat along the ground towards the Chinook..

 

 

 

The end of the brass rod then connected to the strops (made from flat dental floss) attached to the Chinook rotor heads.

 

I was trying to reproduce this scene.....

 

 

More photos here:- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/modl_mi-26.html

 

You could do something similar - with the Mi-8 attached similarly to the capsule hovering alongside just about to commence the lift.

 

Note the blade pitch on the Mi-26 - coned upwards as if under load...

 

Hope this helps

 

Ken

 

PS - Don't forget - the undercarriage legs would also be extended - 'in flight',

Edited April 4, 2020 by Flankerman

[Major Eazy]

On 04/04/2020 at 19:23, Flankerman said:

I built a 1/72 scale Mi-6 hovering alongside an MH-47E - which it had just recovered and brought back to base....

 

 

 

 

That is really good, really brilliant!

Edited April 8, 2020 by Julien
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