Elboogie

Also while creating my seats, I knew that I wanted to add some sheep skin to the seats.
So I created some templates to add the sheepskin onto the seats cover.
 
 

 
 
Once again, I don't know if i will use it.  It depends on the final rendition, but since this is my first time building seats, any feedback, good or bad, would be appreciated.  
 
Richard

That is the paint that I am missing!!     
 
I was looking at all my Alclad and MM Metalizers that I have and I could not find the paint that would match.   I have everything Except for burnt iron.  
I have burnt metal but not burnt iron.  Thanks for the info kike gt.
 
 
Richard

I then finished the glare shield by applying a dark wash and then dull coat.
Now you may see a decal on the upper left airbag of the glare shield.  
Don sent me a picture of a Kiowa that had the same placard in the same spot.  So I tried to replicate the placard.
It is not a placard, it is a decal.  Ran out of placards.....lol
 
 

 
 
 
Model:
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
On the back of the main IP, I installed some styrene squares where my cables will go. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Then I finished my cables that go from the middle console to the main IP.  It took me a little while but after about a hour, I 
said that is that.....lol.  Damn EZ line, they look fantastic to create wires on a IP but they are a PITA to work with.  But I think that I
made that area look a little more busy.
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
When I look at the last picture, I like the contrast of Black on the model.  Maybe it will stay that way when the cockpit is completed
to break up the all black cockpit.  
 
 
Richard

I finish my collective and the cyclics:
 
 

 
 
Then I started working on the cockpit wiring in the upper middle console near the fire extinguisher:
And the lamp that I built above the map holder in the middle.
 
 

 
 
 
More updates later.
 
 
 
Richard
 
 
 
 

Here another late night in Las Vegas and the temperature today was 109 degrees.   
 
So needless to say, I didn't do any airbrushing today.....lol.
But I did start to work on my diorama for the helicopter......
 
 

 
 
And to scale with the Kiowa:
 
 
 

 
 
 
The next thing that I did was the cyclic and the collective today.
Now the collectives and the cyclic that was included in the kit, I did not like them.  I am not creative enough to make a collective and cyclic from scratch, so what I did was glue some plasticard to both of them:
 
 
 

 
 
Now what I plan on doing is file them to shape.  I worked on the collective and started to file it to shape, which was a little bigger than the collective that was included with the kit.
I tried to make the collective look like this:
 
 
 

 
 
BUT....I made a mistake.  On the Kiowa that I am modelling this model after, (modern Kiowa), when I put the buttons on top of the collective, in the upper left hand corner, there is a red switch.  
But the Kiowa that I am modelling this model after, the red switch on the upper left hand corner is not there.  I was looking at another collective picture when I glue the buttons on the collective.  But I used "plastic welder" to glue the parts and I cannot remove the red switch without sacrificing the entire collective, so I kept it in its place.
And I put switches on them as well.  I am starting to get use to the technique of adding switches to the IP or collective..  
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
I think that it came out alright, at least a lot better that the collective that was included with the kit.
That is it for tonight, tomorrow I will work on the cyclics
 
 
 
Richard
 

I then finished the glare shield by applying a dark wash and then dull coat.
Now you may see a decal on the upper left airbag of the glare shield.  
Don sent me a picture of a Kiowa that had the same placard in the same spot.  So I tried to replicate the placard.
It is not a placard, it is a decal.  Ran out of placards.....lol
 
 

 
 
 
Model:
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
On the back of the main IP, I installed some styrene squares where my cables will go. 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Then I finished my cables that go from the middle console to the main IP.  It took me a little while but after about a hour, I 
said that is that.....lol.  Damn EZ line, they look fantastic to create wires on a IP but they are a PITA to work with.  But I think that I
made that area look a little more busy.
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
When I look at the last picture, I like the contrast of Black on the model.  Maybe it will stay that way when the cockpit is completed
to break up the all black cockpit.  
 
 
Richard

Thank you Brian and Anthony for the info and the support.
I live in Vegas and I don't usually look for a model convention or anything that has to do with models except that I do them.
I have never thought of my models being good enough to start competing or putting them in a model judging.
Even at Hobbytown USA they have a modeling contest but I have never submit a model for that either.
 
I see a lot of magazines or online and they show things like the nationals and when I look at the model competing in them, I don't think my model would make the cut.
 
BUT.........
 
There is a meeting tomorrow night of the Red Flag Scale Modelers Meeting tomorrow and someone asked me to join them and I probably will.
So I will start to look around and see where the conventions are and maybe I will create a model that I want to put in a contest.  Probably my MH-60s build.
I have always been apprehensive about joining a club or a contest because I have never done it before and do not know what to expect.  Especially at the judging stand.....lol.
 
When I do my MH-60S build (after my Kiowa) I think I will try to do that model as if I was going to enter that in a competition (no glue marks etc).  And if I think that the MH-60s Build looks good enough to enter in a contest, I may join one.  I don't know anything about what the judges will be looking for but just like you said, it is a great way to learn.  So thank you guys for the information.
 
 
Richard
 
 

So I taped the cockpit together and my seats to see what the whole thing looked like:
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
I just painted the back wall or the bulkhead black to see what the alum strips look like.  It will be repainted.
And I have not did any washes or anything to the seats yet.
 
Richard

Looking at my model, I have been told that when I find a subject (reference picture) that I wanted to model the subject after, keep to it.
So I am modeling my Kiowa off of this reference picture:
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
While waiting for the milliput to cure, I started on the console between the pilots.  I have always wanted to add switches to a console but I have never done so before.
Looking at the reference picture, I see 3 switches on that console.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
I decided that I wanted to try it.  I broke out a IP from the black hawk that I will never use and took out my smallest drill bit and proceeded to drill two holes.
then I placed 32 gauge wire in the holes and cut them to see what I was dealing with.  
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
So onto the middle console.  I drilled my 3 holes and the only thing that I was thinking about was to put the holes in the correct location......LOL
 
So while I did two holes and inserted wire in them, on my 3rd hole, the damn bit broke.......
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
Good thing that I was fortunate to have something that I can hold onto to remove the bit from the plastic.  After that I inserted the 3rd wire.
Then I applied CA to the wires to make them glue in place and then after the glue cured, I cut the wire to the appropriate sizes.  After that I placed a small tip of ca to the switches to make them look like
switches instead of wire.
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
I know that someone will ask what happened to the back wall?  Well I made a mistake drilling in the holes in my back wall, but looking at the ref picture that I am modelling this Kiowa after,
I see a cover over the holes right next to the pilots seat on the right hand side that I need to make to cover my mistake on the holes.   
 
So give me some feedback on how you guys think the switches look, good or bad.
 
 
 
Richard
 

Making the seats as one.
Firs thing that I did was put in the map section on the back wall so I can measure where the seats are to be placed.
Then I taped the back of the seats into position.  Then I taped the wall to the cockpit floor.
Then I put the lower seat in the position that I wanted them to be in and then I glued the seat to the back of the seat.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Now making sure the glue didn't go all the way through the seats onto the plastic, I then removed the seats from the wall and they stood rigid
Then using a very small piece of Milliput, I made small strips and joined the two together.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
That was my solution of joining the seats parts together to make it one seat.
Then while I had the seats together, I decided to scrap the sheep skin templates that I had made for the seats and I created some new ones.
 
 

 
 
 
I waited a hour for the Milliputt to start to get hard and then I removed the templates so they can fully cure.
 
 

 
 
 
 
Richard
 
 

Also while creating my seats, I knew that I wanted to add some sheep skin to the seats.
So I created some templates to add the sheepskin onto the seats cover.
 
 

 
 
Once again, I don't know if i will use it.  It depends on the final rendition, but since this is my first time building seats, any feedback, good or bad, would be appreciated.  
 
Richard

I created my new seats from Milliputt.  Now because this was my first time creating seats from anything, It took me a little while.....lol!    
 
After about a hour of shaping and reshaping, and starting over and repeating the process again... I think I came up with my seats.
They are not done yet and I don't know if I will use them in the build, it depends on how they look when I am done.
 
I don't think it looks bad...
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Now in the above picture, I had to make the seats in two parts, the seat and the back of the seat.  I plan on putting them together
as one seat when I am done.
 
 
Richard
 
 
 
 

I got the answer I was looking on the seat angle.
 
So I started messing with my EZ wire for the first time.  Excellent products for adding in small wires without looking for the right gauge of wire.
Plus, in my opinion, they look like small wires when they are bunched together plus they are already white.  But they can be a pain when you start working with the "fine" thread.
Because they stretch, it took me a little bit of time to get all 7 lines of thread together....lol
 
 
Now the EZ wire in the picture is not glued and the attachments (black) in the picture is probably not what I will use in the final setting.
I just wanted to see how the wires would look.  I like it.
 
 

 
 
I should have done the wires that go from the main IP on my black hawk this way.  I will keep that in mind when I do my MH-60s build.
 
 
 
Richard
 
 

Not sure I am happy with the seats:
 
 

 
 
But looking at a modern Kiowas seats, I don't know if I have the skills to reproduce this:
 
 

 
 
Maybe I will try to mess with milliput and try to recreate the seats, but I have never done so before.
But you will never know unless you try right?
 
 
Richard

I got the answer I was looking on the seat angle.
 
So I started messing with my EZ wire for the first time.  Excellent products for adding in small wires without looking for the right gauge of wire.
Plus, in my opinion, they look like small wires when they are bunched together plus they are already white.  But they can be a pain when you start working with the "fine" thread.
Because they stretch, it took me a little bit of time to get all 7 lines of thread together....lol
 
 
Now the EZ wire in the picture is not glued and the attachments (black) in the picture is probably not what I will use in the final setting.
I just wanted to see how the wires would look.  I like it.
 
 

 
 
I should have done the wires that go from the main IP on my black hawk this way.  I will keep that in mind when I do my MH-60s build.
 
 
 
Richard
 
 

CABS
(I think that what the airbag system is called on the glare shield.)
 
So I decided that if I want to build a modern Kiowa, I would have to install the air bags on the glare shield.
 
First I started my filing off the area on the glare shield where I wanted the air bags to go:
 
 

 
 
Then I added some styrene and glued them.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Then I filed them to the shape that I was trying to reproduce.  It still needs a little work but I don't think I did bad.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
I also added some very small strips of styrene on the outside of the airbag to complete them .
Looking at the pictures, I still have some work to do on the airbags.
Tomorrow I will try the Archer rivets that I got for the first time to replace the details that I removed from the glare shield.  
 
 
 
Richard

Thanks for the compliment Erik, I didn't know anything about helicopters before I built this one.  
I had to correct a lot of things on the helicopter, from people that corrected me with the right info.  I thank them very much for the info and the ref pictures that they posted as well.
Now I am off and I am going to start the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior (which I know nothing about....lol) and I know that I will get a lot of help on that build as well as I will need it....
 
 
 
Richard

Richard

I am still not done with it yet.  I still have to paint the figure that I was going to include in the diorama.  I will post the final pictures when I get the diorama together. I think for my first helicopter, I think I did a good job.  BUT they were many, many mistakes I made along the way.  I was still getting use to the Academy kit and all that I had to work around to get the model look presentable.  I will do the AFV Club OH-58D Kiowa Warrior next.  It is one of my 3 helicopters that I have occurred while I was doing this one. Helicopters are fun to model, I wonder why I stayed away from helicopters for so long.     Richard

Alright here are the last pictures for the night, or the morning.   Lol
 
I started working on the wires on the main rotors.
I used guitar strings for the wires because they have the same pattern as the wires on the real deal:
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
And I almost forgot about the windshield wipers:
 
 
 

 
 
And then the winch.
 
 
 

 
 
Tomorrow I start putting everything together and I will start to take final pictures of the DAP.
I still have a figure to paint, but I will attack that tomorrow.
 
 
Richard
 
 

As you guys can see by the time, I am on a three week vacation.
My son is back from school so I just wanted to take some time off.
So I added the clear parts to the plume detectors and the tail section:
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
Now I have to add the antenna that goes on the tail section and of course my rotor.
I got the string from Family Music Center, so I will add the wires to the rotor blade secftion.
 
 
RIchard

And here I was thinking that my helicopter was done.
 
NOT.
 
I looked all over Michaels art store, on Amazon, ebay, etc for some iridescent paper.  On amazon they have 3 rolls of it for $29.99 but I don't need 3 rolls.
So while looking, I was looking over my stash and I remember that I have a OH-58D that has iridescent paper in it.
 
So I pulled the paper out of my OH-58D kit and I used my punch and die set to cut a circle.
 

 
 
 

 
 
Then I attached it to the FLIR turret:
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
The last thing, I think, that I have to do is the plume detectors (clear part) and I almost forgot this part, the wench.
 
Then I think that I will be done with the helicopter but I still have to do on the diorama.  If you guys look at my model and see that I am missing something, (to paint), please let me know.
 
 
 
Richard

While almost everything is attached to the helicopter.
Except for the munitions.  I am waiting for stuff to set on the helicopter and then I will start working on the guns and other stuff.
This has been my longest build to date (since December of last year) so I am glad you guys are along to help me.
 
I started working on my figure that I am including in the model.  It is Legend productions Sgt. Rob (18 bravo) in Iraq.
 
The first thing that I did when I opened the package was ask myself, what did I get myself into?  I love the details on this figure.
So after everything is detached from their resin base, the arms didn't match together.  It was something that I anticipated.
So I grabbed the Milliput and proceded to fill in the gaps on the arms.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Of course when the milliput cures, I will sand the milliput to shape and then I will add on the hands and weapon.
I hate the weapons because they are so small.   lol
 
 
Richard

Thank you Oliver.
But don't take that time away from your build.  Whenever you can post something is alright with me.
 
 
So I started doing small things to my helicopter.
I took off the window mask and I was hoping that I didn't paint anything on the inside of my window, and alas, I did not!!  
And It really looks good on the Diorama, which I hope I can finish before I have to go back to work.
 
 

 
 
 
Then I glued in my windows to the cabin door, and placed the cabin doors on the helicopter.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Then the strobe lights on the top of the tail and below the helicopter.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
Not a lot of work tonight.  I will tell you what happened to my rotor blades tomorrow.   
The rotor blades are together and looks good but it took me a hour and a half to fix the problem.
 
 
 
Richard
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you Oliver.
But don't take that time away from your build.  Whenever you can post something is alright with me.
 
 
So I started doing small things to my helicopter.
I took off the window mask and I was hoping that I didn't paint anything on the inside of my window, and alas, I did not!!  
And It really looks good on the Diorama, which I hope I can finish before I have to go back to work.
 
 

 
 
 
Then I glued in my windows to the cabin door, and placed the cabin doors on the helicopter.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Then the strobe lights on the top of the tail and below the helicopter.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
Not a lot of work tonight.  I will tell you what happened to my rotor blades tomorrow.   
The rotor blades are together and looks good but it took me a hour and a half to fix the problem.
 
 
 
Richard