MD-500D and MD-530D 1/35 dragon paint almost done 10/23

[oppenheimer]

this is going to be a challenge for me, i am not used to do building progress on my models, so i will try my best, i am planing to build two choppers, i know people is not much fan of flying blenders, so this will be some type of different build on this forum.

 

first of all i would like to let you know that my english is not my native language, so you will se some mistakes on my writing, i hope you guys can understand what i am trying to say on this work in progress

 

the two chopper will be civilian versions of this little birds, i have 3 of this one

 

 

 

and one of this one, from this one i will use few parts only like the skids and the rounded nose to build the 500D

 

 

i already bulit one of this, it is a nice model but it have lots of fitting issues, this was my first one, from it a learned all the glitches the model have

 

 

 

so lets start the building , first of all is to make the high skids the civilian version use, the kit comes with the lower skids and i dont like the lower version of this chopper, so in order to make the high skids i have to use two pair of skids, and cut them and glue them

 

 

and this is how it looks on the fuselage

 

 

the two front windshields i will use

 

Edited October 24, 2014 by oppenheimer

[LSP_Kevin]

Sounds like an interesting project Jorge!

 

Kev

[Vandy 1 VX 4]

Looking forward to this build. As I have both the kits in the stash and one built to.   As for your English don't worry . English is my native language, and you will see mistakes in my writing  

 

Have fun and I will watch your build

 

Cheers

[Guest Peterpools]

Jorge

Nice start and a terrific build thread to follow. I sure I'm part of a large crowd eager to enjoy following your progress.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[Aluxe]

more helos ....more helos .. 

as a helo fan and I will follow your progress as a spectator ..

 

I applaud your initiative

[Anthony in NZ]

Great to see another helo on here!!

 

Your 'little bird' is FANTASTIC! your finish and attention to detail is second to none.

 

Really looking forward to this build

 

Cheers

Anthony

[oppenheimer]

Not much of an update, i am working on the worst thing about this model, the twisted fuselage halves, i learned from the first one i made, that if you dont fix the twisted fuselage halves the windshield would never fit properly on the fuselage, thank god this kit comes with the doors (AH-6J) dont come with them, in this pictures you can see how twisted is the fuselage, if you fit the windshield on the bottom of the fuselage look how distorted is on the top side

 

 

i found out if you start glueing the doors from the bottom side of it to the fuselage and work all the way up little by little with the glue and moving the fuselage so it will conform to the doors and fixing the engine cowling to the fuselage you will get a perfectly straight fuselage, here is the halve with the doors and the cowling glued in place

 

 

and if you put the windshield in place you will get a 98% perfect fit

 

 

here you can see the diference from both halves, the right side on the picture is the one with the doors and with the correct shape,  the left one is without the doors, you can see how different are both sides

 

 

Edited October 1, 2014 by oppenheimer

[LSP_Kevin]

Wow, there's a challenge right there!

 

Kev

[Guest Peterpools]

Jorge

Nice work on taming the fuselage and straightening things out.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[oppenheimer]

well almost ready to close the fuselage, not much detailed work insede the cabin, at the end you wont see much through the windows,

 

 

 

now comes the the pain of this hobby, join both sides of the fuselage and sand the joints with minimal loss of rivets on the fuselage, and after that the fitting of the windshield, a big pain in the a...s

[Loic]

Wow! Twisted stuff ... but nothing you can not fix 

[oppenheimer]

finally is starting to look like a Hughes 500, both side of fuselage joined and the windshield is in place, i got it right, the fitting turned out 99% perfect

 

 

I made a small rigging table so the  high skids will dry in place and the chopper wont look twisted when sitting on the skids,

 

 

another view of the top fitting of the windshield

 

 

now comes the part of this hobby i like the most, painting, everything is ready for the 6 colors that i need to finish the fuselage, it will have the classic look of diagonal stripes of color , this is my goal

 

 

This chopper is from my country Venezuela, it was called La Guacamaya ( the macaw), it was a really admired chopper here and in some parts of the world, but it is know most for flying from Venezuela to Spain with just 3 fuel stops on the route, it set some records on this trip, they did this trip to conmemorate the second trip that Cristopher Columbus did, from Spain to the coasts of Venezuela

Edited October 8, 2014 by oppenheimer

[Vandy 1 VX 4]

Nice work and Beautiful paint job you have picked out

 

Saludos

[oppenheimer]

not much progress on this one, but at least it looks colorful, not the best kit on the market but at least is something different for a break of military birds

 

Edited October 24, 2014 by oppenheimer

[Loic]

Beautifull !!