perdu Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 17 minutes ago, hendie said: it sure looks like it would make a very handy step to climb up on If there was somewhere to go to up there 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share Posted October 15, 2020 Optical detector gubbinses for laser illumination detecting for when the machine notices a laser looking at the thing it illum... OK Laser detector, now I need to find a really thick clear sp oblongish section runner in my stash so I can make four of them. Got to choose whether to make the latest HIDAS version OR decide whether there is a specific period for me to model... Jugroom Fort like a myriad load of others? No, not making sodjers to sit outside. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, perdu said: No, not making sodjers to sit outside. Go on Bill you know you want too...........................................🧥 Great work on this pair Bill really liking your attention to the smallest details Stay safe Roger 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spadgent Posted October 15, 2020 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Wonderful progress Bill. Glad you got your mitts on some rod and barrels. (Lined that one up for you Ced🤣) I’ll just wait here patiently for paint. 🤩 Johnny 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 Patchworks! I know you guys like patchwork so I made you one. Really just looking at a bit of colour to see how the changes fit together. I'm not pretending this is great but it does let me see where more work is advisable, I see work on the engine nacelles too but I am mostly happy with the integration between my bits and the factory supplied stuff. The acrylic paint I just sploshed around is 70.097 German Camo Green from Vallejo, it will be wiped out in a twinkling of an eye and a whoosh of ACUS25 Helo Drab when paint time comes around. This bird gets Colourcoats (Dilemma resolved by the way, I found my stash of thick semi-pseudorectangular clear runner. The laser detection dooberrie is under weigh.) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 15 minutes ago, perdu said: I am mostly happy with the integration between my bits and the factory supplied stuff You should be, it looks spot on from where I sit Ciao 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 4 hours ago, giemme said: You should be, it looks spot on from where I sit Ciao There's nothing better than knowing your bits integrate properly! Ian 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 16, 2020 Author Share Posted October 16, 2020 The way I see it a patchwork needs to go together reasonably neatly Just saying I confess to doing glueing inside the cockpit, all round it too, but. Happy enough though with the sighting equipment, I think that has the look I wanted after an update to modernise the sensor suite Unlike the front cowling, what on earth is that gurt big hole/slot doing right under the screen glazing? (Answers on the ubiquitous postcard please if you have an answer) Oh well, much to do. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 No answers, sorry - but it all looks good to me Ciao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 The boxy looking things with blunt faces are radar warning receivers RWR. There are also little lens things in those boxes, they are missile defences (I can't remember if they can actually burn out missile seeker heads). The glass bird cages are laser detectors for defense against MANPADS. The defensive system on the Westland Apache was vastly superior to the US AH64D. There are also flare and chaff dispensers somewhere (I think in the wings). I'm not very up with the Apache defensive aids suite - a lot of it isn't for public knowledge, hence it's hard to find out much about. The hole at the front of the windscreen is for windscreen wipers isn't it? There's also a wire cutter on the right hand side of cockpit (right from the gunners seat looking forward). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, wellsprop said: The hole at the front of the windscreen is for windscreen wipers isn't it? the pilot has to haunch down to get his arm in behind the IP and up through that hole with a cloot to wipe the windows? You'd think they'd have automated that kind of thing by now Starting to look very business like and mean Bill. Nice work 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 minute ago, hendie said: the pilot has to haunch down to get his arm in behind the IP and up through that hole with a cloot to wipe the windows? You'd think they'd have automated that kind of thing by now 😂 that sounds like the exact sort of thing the MoD would suggest to reduce costs! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 12 hours ago, wellsprop said: 😂 that sounds like the exact sort of thing the MoD would suggest to reduce costs! Well obviously but it isnt the driver has to do it, it's the gunslinger innit 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 Looking very good from here Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted October 17, 2020 Share Posted October 17, 2020 3 hours ago, perdu said: Well obviously but it isnt the driver has to do it, it's the gunslinger innit I bet they'd come up with an acronym for it too... Advanced Rain Sensor Equipment... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 17, 2020 Author Share Posted October 17, 2020 Manually Enhanced Rain Sensor Fit, L.H Oriented Operations Systems. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 18, 2020 Author Share Posted October 18, 2020 Given up with this ridiculous canopy Big H hopefully to the rescue, Airwaves canopy frames and a vac formed canopy to play with in the week I wonder what to do? Oh its OK, gaffer has things to do 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 I found things to do Kind of... Didn't do any more I have been working on extra stuff to represent HIDAS on t'Apache This is utter madness, none of the brown grunge colour poking through is visible to my eyes at street level I hate acrylic scrape (Paint? This junk isn't paint, fortunately the airframe will be given over to Jamie's wonderful Colorcoats.) I must admit to being very disappointed with the transfers that came with the (huh!) Apache Longbow kit (yes folks he's whinging again!) No more than a generic 'Royal Army' (it says) scheme, none of them would be decent enough to hang from a ceiling forty feet up in the air I had already begun printing the letter parts of the replacement sheet including no holds and no steps with serials to cover ZJ224 and ZJ226 alongside ARMY ones to give me a choice later in the day as I was not sure then which Apache I was going to produce yet. To give a British Army machine we also need the black outline WARNING placards for the tail, the things in the kit are... things. To do the transfer sheets I prefer using MS word in whatever version sits in my computer, have done for years because it is all so very easy. A problem I do have with word is performing graphics in it I have no doubt that somewhere in the Microsoft panoply there is a perfectly capable drawing and graphics method, but as I intend to carry on modelling into my dotage rather than learn new computer applications (I understand it might be possible in Powerpoint but I cannot be asked) What I do, and this is my build after all, is start up paint Shop Pro and open a new sheet Input text from RAF_PW_ATH font which I put into my font bank many moons ago I wrote the word DANGER twice separated on the sheet by a reasonable distance. Then using the 'line drawing' tool I drew some lines in arrow shapes (PSP allows very easy line drawing unlike some other programs which need multiple key presses and witchcraft at midnight on Walpurgis Nacht) this gave me the beginnings. You can see that the basic arrow boxes are asymmetrical but the drawing tools in PSP make altering mistooks very simple A veritable boon to a philistine such as I A quick rejiggle gets here There are still discrepancies but a short play around gets me done, here for instance the space between the word and the arrow back 'wall' needs adjusting More adjustments and the arrows need their image cropping to use in the Word processor I know I can be awkward but these will do for me when they are printed out about 3/8ths of an inch long to sit on a Apache. I crop the image to a size that won't take up too much expensive space on my home brew decalcomanie sheet I open Word and start the ZJ224 (the title Word gave it based on the first readable letters I put in the prog) sheet Find the programs Insert Pictures function and deposit the image from PSP onto the work sheet. It will load with a set of 'handles' round it, use one of the corner handles to squeeze the image smaller - and rest. I like to add a couple of the first size I guess then highlight it again and pinch it down a little more to give me wriggle room. I got this image here I am very pleased with the text colour comparison with the PSP colour, a very dark (NATO black-ish) shade was chosen from the font colour function and the printing in Paint ShopPro colour I chose was fairly well matched COLOR CO-ORDINATORS-R-US This feels like a decent place to stop, (because that is all I have done today) so I will. Catch ya laters. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 This is great stuff, Bill - but: what kind of decal paper and printer do you use, please? I'm sure you have already mentioned it before, but I plenty forgot it.... Ciao 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 More teeny weeny stencils eh Bill? Great stuff, but you poor eyes! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 20 hours ago, giemme said: This is great stuff, Bill - but: what kind of decal paper and printer do you use, please? I'm sure you have already mentioned it before, but I plenty forgot it.... Ciao OK Giorgio, just for you But it might not be a lot of help The Printer extant, an Epson XP-215 217 series inkjet, these printers use inks packaged with charming little flowers so you can identify them on a shelf at the shop - go figure. It looks like this but normally much more untidy, for you I made an effort to clean around a bit... That is it, cost me a fortune at a Sunday Car Boot sale Me to computer ... stuff salesman (He's usually there selling --- stuff) I need a replacemnt printer, my ink reservoir filled up and cannot be easily cleaned and put back in service so if you see one cheap let me know will you? (he always passes a cheery moment as we walk on by) Computer stu guy "What like this?" Shows me a black device ^^^^^^^^ that one actually and says it is new ex-display stock I took on as a favour but I have been stuck with it. Me to my new best friend "O....K... how much are you looking for because I don't have a lot of cash left after wandering round here?" Best buddy to me "Have you got three quid?" BB further, "Because it was display stock I don't have any ink units so you will need to get some and there are no instructions, should find them on the net." Reader, I bought it It is lovely too, copies without needing to be connected to another WP or imaging program Brilliant and is capable of photoreality images I use it in draft to make basic decals and print as photoreal when the subject demands This sheet of Merlin decals from Xtradecals has a very basic mistake that needed sorting, the Royal Lion emblems for the Merlin's tail rotor pylon should both face to the front of the machine. Obviously one is right, but... I did a quick copy-swap and reverse and then printed it in photograph setting for the model. These were copied into PSP , reversed and then imported into Word and resized to suit I made a few in case the first ones didn't take. I always just print tests on plain 80gsm paper to test for size and shape which saves wasting decal paper. Which brings in the second part of the question. What paper do I use? Any waterslide paper I have to hand, which at the moment might mean some inkjet decal paper that Ced sent me as a present a while back. Make? Hold on I am looking. Mr Decal Paper is one pack I have in my folder, [email protected] it says on the packaging. Some print with a thickish backing film but not, so far these ones. Ta Ced. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Ah, that was a very informative and thorough explanation - thank you, Bill! Ciao 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 Big H delivered today, two sets of etch for Apaches and a canopy which looks slightly better than the Italacanopy The Airwaves canopy frame set and an Eduard set of minigreeblies 'Apache for the embellishment of:' Much of these will remain unused this time round but little hooks and panels are always a decent shot for other helos You might have noticed my recent foray into fly-tieing too I ordered some lead wires and a length of lead tape, these will be very useful if I discover that they are happy to glue with cyano. We'll see 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 25 minutes ago, perdu said: I ordered some lead wires and a length of lead tape, these will be very useful if I discover that they are happy to glue with cyano. Try sanding the end to be glued with coarse-ish sandpaper, it should improve the bond/grip (by removing any chemical coating and roughing the surface) The new canopy and PE bits look super cool, BTW Ciao 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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