1/35 Miniart FL 282 V-6 Kolibri

[mattlow]

Maybe a white metal pilot figure would sort it?

 

Nice looking kit and well made and recovered.

 

Matt

[Nick_Karatzides]

As for being a tail sitter, is there any chance to slip some weight into the two tanks (intakes?) that drop downward behind the pilot?

 

@ Ol' Scrapiron,

 

These are not "intakes" or "tanks". These two curved tubes, are actually plywood-made covers of drive shafts located either side of the pilot's seat (check following pics taken from HERE).

 

 

 

An easy trick to add weigh (regarding any tail sitting problem) is to place tiny metal rounds (lead pellets) used for bird hunting - you can find them easily in hunting shops, in bags (500gram, 1kg, 2kg etc) for hunters who make their own custom ammo. The smaller you choose, the best for the scale modeling hobby! Use the well known water-based white glue (for wood) to place them in hidden areas and leave them at least 24hrs to let the glue dry. Epoxy or CA super glue are not reccomended, because may effect the plastic (when applied too much) and face unpleasant surprises on warped plastic next day.

 

So, where to hide the weigth? Where to place these tiny metal pellets? IMHO there are few places underneath Kolibri model that could host these tiny metal balls, but I think that best is into these "curved tubes" located either side of the pilot's seat.

 

 

 

 

If there is anything else I could help, do not hesitate to ask.

 

Regards,

Nick / Anyuta 3D

 

Edited February 10, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Stormer]

Question for Nick: you mentioned that the Kolibri was painted in a Kriegsmarine light grey? Would that be Schlickgrau or can you refer to another RAL color?

[Nick_Karatzides]

Question for Nick: you mentioned that the Kolibri was painted in a Kriegsmarine light grey? Would that be Schlickgrau or can you refer to another RAL color?

 

@ Stormer,

 

Apologies for not mentioning earlier. I am talking about the RLM 63. To be accurate, I am talking about the RLM 63 v2 "LichtGrau" (because the RLM 63 v1 is the greenish "GrünGrau").

 

 

There are plenty of equivalent products made by different companies. Since I prefer Lifecolor's products, I find the UA113 close enough, but I also think that Model Master 2077 or Xtracolor X221 or Humbrol 127 or Gunze H308 etc, will also do the job just fine. After all, when modulation, weathering and fading effects are applied, it doesn't make much sense which exact company used - IMHO if it looks right, it is right. Just my 2-cent worth opinion of course. Btw, I don't know what grey paint used on Wackyracer's Kolibri, but it looks just fine!

Edited February 10, 2018 by Nick_Karatzides

[Wackyracer]

Gloss coat to decal areas the decals on. Not the nicest ones I've ever used but OK. Note the heavy drill bit to keep the front down. Adding that weight to the 2 tubes further back still doesn't stop it tipping up on its tail. Going to need pinning to a base. Also the 2 tubes don't have that much room especially when fitted as there's rods and stuff behind them.

 

 

 

Also fitted the seat and filled the back of it with some lead shot.

 

[Stormer]

Probably too late now, but could you place a lead ball behind the instrument panel?

[RLWP]

Those last two are the best pictures I have seen on the internet

 

The air museum is a ten minute drive from our house, I have visited several times although not recently

 

Richard

 

On a whim, I visited the museum today. The V20 is now in a new building with less clutter around. It has also grown a tail and some plywood panels

 

How is this build going?

 

Richard

Edited February 24, 2018 by RLWP

[Gene]

Beautiful build - using your WIP as reference for my own build.  Amazingly well engineered kit and with so many microscopic parts - I admire your patience!!!

 

Awhile back a post (4 Fed 2018, by Phartycr0c )  in this thread caught my eye - "great build work on a really unusual subject. does make you wonder whether Kayman "Appropriated" the captured German technology for its line of helicopters etc." 

 

The connection is more direct than "appropriation" - a quote from Wikipedia:

Design and development [of the Huskie HH-43]

In 1947 Anton Flettner, a German aviation engineer, was brought to New York in the United States as part of Operation Paperclip.  He was the developer of Germany's Flettner Fl 282 "Kolibri" (Hummingbird), a helicopter employing the "synchropter" principle of intermeshing rotors, a unique design principle that dispenses with the need for a tail rotor. Flettner settled in the United States and became the chief designer of the Kaman company, where he started to design new helicopters, using the synchropter principle.

The Huskie had an unusual intermeshing contra-rotating twin-rotor arrangement with control effected by servo-flaps. The first prototype flew in 1947 and was adopted by the U.S. Navy with a piston engine. In 1954, in an experiment by Kaman and the U.S. Navy, one HTK-1 was modified and flew with its piston engine replaced by two turbine engines, becoming the world's first twin-turbine helicopter.  The Air Force later adopted a version with one turboshaft engine: HH-43B and F versions.

 

Italeri/Testors makes the Huskie and provides internally a pair of beveled gears that allows one to study the coordination of the counter-rotating blades – a ‘must have’ companion to the ‘Kolibri’ – no?