silverburn Posted January 8, 2010 Posted January 8, 2010 Hi again all, Received a nice wee surprise in the post from my brother-in-law: This will certainly be interesting for a number of reasons: - It's my first trip into "civvie street" as a modeller - Likewise for helicopters...look at all the thin breakable bits... - I'll be using 1 of the killer colours - white. - It's a medical heli, so potentially the possibility to go completely nuts on the details, as a lot of it will be open and visible. Though I need to think seriously about my own skills and what I can actually do... This will be nice a nice one because this particular model is stationed near where my in-laws live (Geneva/Alps), so will be relevant at least. Anyway...to the pics! Unboxing...main fuselage dry-fit seem ok, with only a tiny splaying at the front. Pit started! Will be keeping it as clean as possible, given a) it's a medical chopper and b ) They're Swiss! i.e. in 1:1 there won't be a speck of dirt on it, so likewise I need to do the same here. Only a minimal dry-brush to highlight some details.
silverburn Posted January 10, 2010 Author Posted January 10, 2010 (edited) Small progress: - Painted the floor runner strips aluminium, as they're are quite prominent (and look brand new) in 1:1. Typical Swiss... - Rear seats painted. Some 1:1's are a light blue, so that's what I've used. However...the aluminium cupboard and 3 tanks is not there in some of the 1:1 shots I've seen (they're obscured in others). I've opted to leave them in. In fact the whole layout looks very different in 1:1. I suspect they flew with a different configuration when the kit was specced, which is why it look very different. Subtle dry-brush with a dark to highlight the detail/belts etc, and these'll be done. Edited January 10, 2010 by silverburn
Honeybadger Posted January 10, 2010 Posted January 10, 2010 Ok, what is it with you starting another kit just when youre about to finish a great one? Gah! Do the Eurofighter! Then get on with putting this together without breaking or losing any of it, or slopping paint all over the place by accident! Hrmph! Im off to go and mutter in the corner.
richellis Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 Very nice. i had a very nice holiday in Switzerland a few years ago and remember how clean and well cared for stuff is. You could eat your dinner off the floor of the trains and Post bus!
Gajman Posted January 11, 2010 Posted January 11, 2010 Looks like a nice kit, at least they provide the doors as seperate parts! I'm currently building the shrunken version (the Revell 1/72 EC-145) for the helicopter GB. Why don't you join the GB with this build? Gary
silverburn Posted January 11, 2010 Author Posted January 11, 2010 Been busy on my Eurofighter, so another small update. Also been busy on this...anyone take a guess on what died?
silverburn Posted January 13, 2010 Author Posted January 13, 2010 Interior sealed up! The engine covers were pure fun too, but it came together ok. Dry fitting showed up the window edges preventing a tight of the fuselage halves, but nothing a bit of sanding couldn't fix. I reserve wisdom on what I'm about to do next - insert the glass *before* painting. I'm sure there must be a better way, but there's not. And the painting will be a fun one too, given the colours, and the mount of open space and glass I have to mask off. It's going to be pure pain. I'm dreading it. Safe to say - this has been my most challenging build yet I recon. I still want to attempt a scratch-built cupboard for the rear; there's one in 1:1, so it really should be here too. End of day pic:
silverburn Posted January 14, 2010 Author Posted January 14, 2010 Wow - what a day's work... Cabin finished and everything stitched up. But the bulk of the day was taken up with puttying and sanding. What a nightmare! And we're still not done - I've applied some primer and many of the problem areas are still there. Ie The belly & legs -> fuselage join...the engine -> fuselage join...the intake nose -> fuselage join....the fuselage join at the nose and rear door...gahd, it seemed like everything needed attention! Another session to do tomorrow, but should be 100% smooth by then. Still a million things to do...on top of the complex stuff already done. This kit is tricky!
silverburn Posted January 15, 2010 Author Posted January 15, 2010 Wow, I managed to get through the big scary bits relatively unscathed! My gloss lacquer is still rubbish though - far too thick and lumpy (see pic 2). Here's hoping my final satin finish levels it out a bit... Only real snag today was the superglue fog on the starboard door; it couldn't "breathe" because of the panel on this door preventing the air getting in Anyway, today I did: - The mother of all masking jobs (pic 1) to get this paint job just right. I recon 2 hours alone. - Painting of red & white...and various touch ups where the masks "leaked" - The scary black window decals; I sealed these in before I could much them up! - Side doors fully completed...paint, lacquer & decals - Started on the props (underside). 4 different colours for the props + masks! It's been a real slog of a build so far, but I recon I'm over the hump now, with the scary stuff done.
Honeybadger Posted January 15, 2010 Posted January 15, 2010 Scary it may have been, but youve pulled it off damn well mate. Do you know of any way to get glue fogging off clear bits?
silverburn Posted January 16, 2010 Author Posted January 16, 2010 Scary it may have been, but youve pulled it off damn well mate. Do you know of any way to get glue fogging off clear bits? No idea..and believe me I could do with it now...taken some masks off to find the damned stuff is fogged inside! This was a full 24hrs after glueing too (and it all appeared ok). Damn...
silverburn Posted January 16, 2010 Author Posted January 16, 2010 Ok, more progress. Decals on main fuselage and doors, and sealed them up with a coat of matt. The only ones I had problems with were the ones on the rotor tail, and the cross underneath...I need to invest in some proper decal fluids, because I knew these would fail - they are spread across complex shapes. Annoying. Not as annoying as finding either fog or dust engrained on some of my glass. Much annoyance. Also got a bit of touching up with black to do, around the leading edges of the front doors - it should be solid black right up to the windshield. Still, I'll be working on the windshield glass tomorrow, so a treatmeant of Klear should go down a treat tonight. Also working on rotors tomorrow. Then it's all the fiddly stuff before closing it all up - and believe me there's a ton of fiddly stuff!
Gajman Posted January 17, 2010 Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Wow, that's some quick progress there. Looking good. I wish my white finishes would come out looking as white as that. Honeybadger, as to your question about removing glue fogging, if the fogging is on the inside (as it usually is just to make life difficult) and you're able to remove the part, just sandpaper the fogging off (with a fairly fine wet and dry paper, I think I started with Halfords 2400), then file down with increasingly finer grades of wet and dry followed by polishing with micromesh and, finally, finish off with a coat of Klear. Works wonders. I know this for a fact because I fogged the inside of my EC-135 canopy and did as above and, if anything, the canopy on that side looks better than the untouched side Just be careful when holding the part and filing though because the transparencies are more brittle than regular plastic (don't ask me how I know, I might start crying ) Edited January 17, 2010 by Gajman
gishuk Posted January 17, 2010 Posted January 17, 2010 i dont know if this is old news to you, if it is i appologise, but if you dip clear parts in klear before you stick them in, they shouldnt fog from glue, and theyll look clearer.
silverburn Posted March 27, 2010 Author Posted March 27, 2010 Well, I needed to do something - this thing has been clogging up my desk for ages! So, lets rattle on and get it finished...however, given this is my first helicopter, I've run into a snag...how do I "sag" the props???? Looks very weird with totally straight blades! Apart from the blades, I recon this'll get closed up tomorrow.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now