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Usmcski

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Everything posted by Usmcski

  1. Greetings All, A few years back (and after about a 10 year hiatus from building), I decided to jump back into the hobby. Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to tackle the (horrible) Panda 1/35 UH-1N. I had daily access to the real thing, so coming up with reference material wasn't a problem. Long list of fixes on the aircraft, here goes: -Stole much of the main rotor gearbox, drive shaft, tail rotor and main rotor parts from the MRC UH-1C gunship -Converted it from a "stab bar" Huey to SCAS (no stab bar) -Sanded most of the HUGE rivets off and replaced with Archer Transfer rivets -Used Cobra Company's UH-1N update, as well as part of their weapons set -Scratchbuilt the tailboom mounted chaff/flare dispenser housings (dispensers were stolen from the 1/35 AH-1W) -Scratchbuilt the IDAS mounts (Improved Defensive Armament System) for the rocket pod and crew served weapons. Mainly paperclip wire and plastic sheet. -Rebuilt cabin interior to reflect absence of soundproof lining. -Used Floyd Werners EXCELLENT auxiliary fuel bladder inside. -Stole many parts from the 1/35 OH-58D Kiowa, including the "disco ball" jammer. -FLIR used from 1/35 MH-60. -Legend Productions M134 minigun to depict the GAU-17. -AMS Resin intake/exhaust covers. -Removed/replaced the mesh engine screens. -Scratchbuilt the 42 degree gearbox cover at the base of the tail, replacing the solid kit part with mesh screen and a scratchbuilt tailrotor driveshaft underneath. -Scratchbuilt wirestrike guides on the windscreen with wire and plastic sheet. -Maketar masks were used to spray most of the markings. The aircraft depicted (BuNo 159202) was the first Huey I ever crewed, and I depicted her on the day of that flight. Sometime later, I decided to build an OOB Huey from the same kit, just to see the comparison of an "accurate" vs. un-fixed build. Hope you all enjoy the pics! -Ski Reworked: OOB: A few more to follow.... Ski
  2. Harold, I'd be happy to lend you a set of OV-10 wheels; do you prefer them assembled, or could I send the halves to you? Let me know, I'm in WA state. Semper, Ski
  3. And finally: Thanks for looking! Semper, Ski
  4. Tail mid-way through weathering, disregard the ghosts leftover from the wash:
  5. Thanks, Iain! Here's a few more "glamour shots":
  6. Greetings all, Been watching from the sidelines for awhile, but finally signed up and figured I'd jump in! Growing up in Southern California, my family and I would attend the El Toro airshow every year. One of the highlights for me was always the Skyhawk, and the "Mike" model along with it's OA-4M brother were always prominently displayed. Once Trumpeter came out with their large scale M, I knew I had to build one. Unfortunately, the only markings for a big Marine Scooter anywhere were high-viz, but I always liked the dull gray looks of the low-visibility schemes. Besides, that's how I remember the planes when I saw them in the 80s. Doing some research, I found that high-viz markings in 1/48th scale would be similar in size to the subdued and smaller low-viz scheme. I found myself a nice aftermarket high-viz sheet for the tail markings and oversprayed them to get the appropriate shade of gray; a 1/32 A-7 sheet provided the intake warnings, rescue arrows and ejection seat warning triangles. The squadron designator (VMA-311 TOMCATS) was cut out individually from an appropriately sized letter and number sheet. LAU-10 Zuni rocket launchers and the centerline tank came from Fisher Models, and I spruced up the kit Triple Ejector Racks and Mk 82 500lb bombs with a homemade thermal protective coating, arming wires and appropriate painting and weathering. Hope you all enjoy!
  7. Brian, Given your excellent review build on the "D", (and pointing out the subsequent issues with decals), one can only hope that aftermarket decals and parts for both kits will be forthcoming. Really digging the bicentennial VMO-2 bird, hopefully it's one of the contenders when the "A" sheet comes out! Thanks for keeping us posted!
  8. Thanks for the pointers on clear-coating; I was thinking about experimenting with the Navy decals included on a test model, since I won't be using them on anything. I'll be sure to mention my results... With the scheme I'll be doing, I'm confident that I can scrounge enough (usable) markings from other sheets to make it work. The tailcodes might be a different matter, though. If needed, I'll have to mask and paint those.... I'm learning a TON about the kit by following this build, btw, can't wait to see more. Looks fanstastic! Cheers, Ski
  9. Greetings All, From a fellow modeler who is going to start the OV-10D soon, here's a question re: the decals. If the carrier film is too thin, would it help to clear coat over the decal sheet to build up the thickness, then closely cut them out? I've heard about preserving damaged/old decals this way, just wondering if it would apply in this case. Semper, Ski
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