Buster99

I’d like to point out that the ‘great teacher’ part comes from Chuck’s unreserved willingness to share with us what he has learned the hard way - by doing something til it works.  We all know modelers who would never share some special skill or process because they don’t want anyone else to get glory from it.  Chuck is not that guy.  Hats off and many thumbs-up.   Nice model, too.

Ahoy!
 
It's been far too long since I posted an update - purely procrastination, I'm afraid.  Last time, I was about address the spokes (160, not the 120 I mentioned - I forgot about the spare wheel!) and rims, but I got about ten in and decided that it was not the game of soldiers I was looking for, so I set about the sidecar, instead.  The kit offers the Steib BW43 for your entertainment.
 
Unfortunately, the body exhibits sink marks including a big one right across the front deck, various surface imperfections, and fit is... approximate.  The two halves have slightly different profiles (which you can hopefully make out in the first pic), and the wall thickness also varies between the two halves in various places.

 

Those aren't water marks, they're scabs in the material.
 

The interior surface is poorly finished.
 
It is worth mentioning at this point that the raised rail across the front of the tub is a complete facrication.  The rail ought to be flush with the deck and run behind it:


 
Note that, as seen in the last pic, there ought to be seven small loops running across the deck and side walls; these take securing straps for a canvas deck covering - the kit only provides six, omitting the one on the left wall.  The various studs on the rear deck are also not provided.  The kit also omits the stamped Steib logo from the right forward wall, opting instead for a decal.  This is a pity; it would've made a nice touch
 
I have decided not to include the heater assembly and exhaust, panniers or machine gun rail/pintle, and chose to blank off the mounting holes with Meng bolt heads rather than filling them - the intention being to suggest that the various furniture could be mounted, if needed. I also added corresponding nuts to the inner surface ( one is juuuust about visible in the second pic).   After many, many, rounds of filling, sanding and priming, I ended up here:


 
I didn't notice the rail error until I'd finished the outer surface; rather than risk opening up the seam I decided to leave it be, and settled for reducing the size of the moulded part to match the separate piece that provides the handle, and I have not bothered to address the interior seam line as it will not be apparent under the seat.  The floor forward of that was simply covered with thin foil to hide the joint.
 
Interestingly, the kit includes these ten vaguely circular parts:

 
These do not appear on the runner diagrams and are not mentioned in any of the build steps.  I wonder if they were intended to be blanks for the six pannier and four MG rail attachments?  I have seen a pic of a civilianized KS750 with similar, but being so distorted, you'd have to replace them, anyway.
 
The boot lid hinge straps received Meng bold heads, as the kit's were misshapen:

 
The frame went together without issue. My only query is the provision of a vinyl grommet in one place.  I could see no purpose in this, so I replaced it with a doughnut punched from plastic card.

 
Which brings me to this unfortunate object:

 
which is the boot lid latch handle, and ought to look like this:

 
This is still a WIP; I've carved the body to increase the width of the lower land and sanded down the sides a little.  I have to go further with both the above, but my intention is to replace the shaft with brass tube and add a ball made from some yet to be selected item, probably a small ball bearing, if I can get one to stick solidly enough to said brass shaft. I'll leave further size reduction until I know that works, as it'll be easier to hold when drilling the various holes.

 
Finally for this update, I've started on the front saddle.  Much of this differs from the real thing.  The kit provides large bosses which retain the saddle springs, top and bottom. On the real thing, the springs are attached to small central turrets, as seen on this beautifully restored example:
 
I'm not going to do anything clever here.  The parts are, typically, vaguely related:

 
after some adjustment:

 
The hinge points at the top of this are different sizes, but the holes line up correctly, so I have left correcting the mismatch until the frame and saddle all sit together nicely.
 
In the following pic, the "bow" is mounted in the locating holes on the saddle. The bosses have central pins that locate in the holes you can see.  Hopefully, you can make out that the pin on the front of the saddle doesn't line up with the hole in the frame.  the sharp-eyed will note I mounted the front part upside down - fortunately, as previously noted, the kit's plastic doesn't like being glued, so separating everything and re-doing it was a doddle.

 
Trial fit suggests that the arms are too long; when seated, the front attachment locates the the saddle correctly fore and aft in relation to the fuel tank. Note that one arm is also narrower than the other.  While attempting to bend the arms slightly to get them to fit, this arm broke - you'll want to add a splint here.  The arms being too long, the bosses also protrude slightly from the rear of the saddle, so they were sanded down somewhat. (I considered cutting the bosses off the frame and shorterning the arms a little, but I eventually persuaded it all to come together and surgery is currently postponed).
 
That's all for now.  I may get some paint on various bits this week, but I'm off the the States shortly for a fortnight so this might go on the back burner until I return.
 
Thanks for looking,
 
Sepp, out.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Back again.
 
I forgot to add in the above post re. the engine: the dynamo, which sits on the front of the engine received some work, too.  The kit's offering is a single lump, but it should have a separate cap secured with two screws - duly scribed and Archered.  I've not painted the cap yet, as I still don't know what scheme it'll wear.

 
Part 2 - the frame.
 
Before getting stuck in, it is perhaps worth repeating what others have said about this kit - namely, the plastic does not respond at all to Tamiya thin or extra thin cement, and MEK seems to frighten it into a literal jelly. "Normal" Tamiya cement, though, works fine.  Be prepared to spend a lot of time removing parting lines, too.
 
And so...  Oh dear.

 
 
Oh dear, oh dear...

 
There appear to have been two teams working on the tooling for this kit, with two distinctly different ideas of what the it should look like.  The outer parts of the rear rack are moulded to the support legs; I've removed them as it will be much easier to address the poor fit of the centre part "off the bike".  The legs seem to differ in height by around 0.5mm, too, so there will have to be some fettling when the rack and mudguard go on.  At least, despite the flaws, the frame sits reasonably square.
 
The kit would have you mount the engine before painting, but this would obviously not be ideal, so the first job was to remove the forward mounting bar, drill the frame and replace with slide fit tubing. Much care required here, as there's not much material left once the holes are cut.


 
Then it was just a case of sand and fill, sand and sand again.   Getting there...

 
The four white filled slots are where the kit would like you to locate the fuel tank - they don't exist on the real bike, so they're gone.  I don't think the people who were responsible for the throttle quadrant had ever seen the drawings for the frame. A lot of reshaping required to get the majority of the body to fit, then a lump of filler to shape the rear end.
 
Eventually, I was happy with the plastic surgery, and whaddya know, the engine actually fits. Phew.
 
The white dot rectifies another oddity; the left side of the kit frame has a hole through which various wires pass.  No such hole exists on the left side of the KS750, but does on the 600 - which makes me think again that there was some confusion between the two - understandable, they're very similar - and I've come across quite a few pics online that are mis-labelled.  Photos exist that show the welds on the upper forward part of the frame and the frame legs to vary from agricultural to completely ground away, so after much rumination I've decided not to add them*.  Whoever owns this bike has taken more care than was felt necessary in WWII.
 
And so to the fuel tank.  The kit would have you build it with the hinge on the left:

 
which I duly did. If you could kindly ignore the fact that the hinge should have five leaves, not three, that would be great:

 
only to discover - or rather notice - that in just about every pic online, the hinge is on the right, e.g.:

 
So, with a fresh blade, I removed the button/knob/cap and hinge as carefully as I was able, and swapped 'em over:

 
You know what's coming, don't you.  Yes, that's right.  While looking for something else...

 
At least there seem to be a mahoosive number of different combinations of features on these bikes. It seems that no two are completely identical in layout. Ah, well.
 
Lastly for this update, another 'wut'.  The joint between the two hinged parts of the rear mudguard is depicted with a raised panel line.... in 1/9 scale? Really?  Scriber out again.  The two required wingnut fasteners are not included in the kit, so will be added.  Again, lots of sanding to remove extraneous surface blemishes.

 
That's all for now - there will be a short interlude while I go and gently coax parting lines off 120 spokes and try to get eight rim halves to fit seamlessly. Joy.
 
Thanks for looking,
Sepp, out.
 
*At least, I think I have. You know how it goes....
 
 
 
 
 

Ahoy!
 
Apologies for the delayed update - seasonal flu wiped me out for a while.
 
Part one - the engine. 
 
Not a lot to say about this other than it serves as a metaphor for the entire kit - some details are really well done, others are... wut?!  The parts as provided generally fit OK - the exception being the clutch lever which is too short, too big at the base and generally a poor rerpresentation of the real thing.  I considered entirely re-working it but decided it won't be very visible, so it could just be tarted up.

I forgot to take a pic of the engine before making the various mods, but these pics 1 2 from a build on Small Tracks give a good idea of what the kit offers. Note the inlet tubes end in a blind lump - it should have a bolt top and bottom, so some carving was required here. This part of the engine is in the "wut" category, as it looks nothing like the real thing. 
 
The spark plug leads are a mystery, too - in just about every pic I'd seen of a KS750, the leads enter the block just forward of the inlet tubes (note how short they are, compared to the kit's rendition). I was beginning to wonder if the designers mixed up the KS600 engine with the 750 when working the kit up (first pic 750, second 600)


 
when I found this pic, which is pretty much the only one that shows the plug lead behaving per the kit.  Oh well, I moved them anyway.

 
Another oddity is the top cover, which protects the magneto ignition unit and carburettor.  The real thing is split down the middle and should feature variously two, four or six ventilation slots on each side; the kit's is a blank, single piece - forgivable, but I wish I'd spotted the omitted slots before I'd glued it in place. The kit includes the magneto unit but not the carb - an odd choice as the mag is completely obscured by the cover, and is thus redundant; otoh, omitting the carb means you'd need to do a LOT of work if you wanted to display the model with the cover opened or removed.  The cover also ought to have lettering (START - BETRIEB) moulded in next to the rich start selector (the paddle on the top of the cover)
 
The KS750 air filter on the back of the engine is either the pan type included in the kit or, for dusty conditions, a nifty three-can vortex filter (first pic). Sadly, the latter is not included in the kit, so more work is required if you want to depict an Afrika Korps etc. machine.
 
Where I am now:


 
I've carved the inlet tubes to look more sensible and added rubber boots over the joint (appropriately sized heat-shrink tube, glued on), added various missing nuts, studs and/or bolts to the crank case, cylinder heads, inlet tubes and clutch lever, moved the plug lead entry points, added the spring to the cluch lever, added the gearbox dipstick cap (red thing on the right side), added the missing retaining lip to the battery shelf, and replaced the moulded battery strap with lead foil.  
 
It is currently my intention to replace the kit's vinyl tubing with lead wire or similar, which is what I've used for the battery earth lead, plus heat shrink for the terminator. On most pics, the earth connection is made to the top bolt on the crank case joint. I did find one pic where the connection is made as depicted in the kit, so went with that to save a lot of messing around.
 
Every time I think I'm done, I notice something else to add - there ought to be a grease nipple between the studs on top of the kick start unit (behind the battery), and I need to open the fuel line entry point (blank U-shaped bit on the right side of the top cover).  Incidentally - the kit includes the fuel tap, but omits the line entirely. 
 
A final engine oddity: if you refer to the box art - which apparently depicts a finished kit - you'll see a large red wing/butterfly nut, which is the oil filler cap. This feature is not included; you get a plain hex bolt - on my kit, it was badly mis-shapen, so I've replaced it with a cap concocted from scrap.  I have some wing nuts on order; if one looks suitable, I'll change it.
 
Time for a spot of lunch, then part 2 - the frame.
 
Sepp, out.

 

Right enough procrastination - I mean research - time to start... and after about 0.5 seconds, out-the-box went out-the-window.
 
First up is this sorry object, which purports to be the sidecar footwell planking:

 
and ought to look like this:

 
Using some lime wood strip and thin plasticard, I came up with something inbetween the two. The slats are closer together than they should be as I'm not sure how much room there will be in front of the seat base when I slip it in once the sidecar is assembled.  If there's more room than I have anticipated, I'll revisit, and open up the slats.

 
I still haven't decided what colour(s) this will end up, but while looking around I came upon this build by Michael Benolkin on Cybermodeler which I thought interesting, so it will either be an alt history post-war Breton military bike or a modern civvy restoration - either way, it'll need an "open" headlight. Hooray: the kit includes rims for both covered and uncovered lights. Boo: it doesn't include a reflector shell, so you're left with this:

 
which is not much help.  Fortunately, I recently bought a Kotare Spit which includes two spinners. These have a nice socket at the tip, which will do for a bulb holder:

 
After scraping out the mahoosive ejector marks (no insult to Kotare, no reason to be subtle inside the spinner) and some rounded off clear sprue (coloured to represent the selective yellow bulbs used in France until the '70s):

 
It's not wonderful, but behind the lens it won't look too bad on the shelf.
 
Small start, but that's all for now - next: engine and frame.
 
Sepp
 
 
 
 

To clear the palette between aircraft, I'm going to have a go at Italeri's [edit: or rather, Italeri's re-pop of ESCI's] ancient KS750 kit.  I last made one of these when I was about 14; I recall poorly fitting parts, wobbly wheels and a host of other horrors, including awful vinyl parts and hoses.  How much of that was my lack of skill will shortly become apparent....
 
Obligatory box shot:

 
I haven't yet decided whether to follow one of the included schemes (which are quite nice), do another wartime machine, or add it to my what if/alt history collection - but I'm intending to build it mainly OOB... we'll see how long that lasts   More shortly.
 
Sepp.

I just got a shipping update for it showing shipping in July.

Bit of a milestone, I've got the cabin assembly completed.   Still will be adding bits to the cockpit.    Next up is a decision - whether or not to add about 10,000 tiny .030 "solder balls" to fill in all those recessed "divots" on the fuselage.    I'm conflicted on this one.   The real thing is covered in raised rivets, not little dents like KH opted to use.  I'm gonna do a trial run in an inconspicuous area to see how hard it is and then make a final decision.    In the meantime, a few pics:
 

 

 
Also placed a helmet on the CE's seat.  

 
The other CE pilfered a pilot's seat cushion for his seat (a common occurrence for those crew chief's who no longer had a "4 hour ass", according to a couple of vets). 

 

 
That's it for today lads, thanks for checking in. 

Back with an update.   Work progresses on the interior.   My planned subject is a Blackhawk making a routine supply run to a remote FOB, flying out a few grunts and some of their gear.   Nothing glamorous but it was a critical mission that UH-60's performed in Iraq, made even more important as the threat from IED's made road travel extremely hazardous.    I've loaded up the cargo compartment with a bunch of gear, the theory being that this 'Hawk was just waiting for the crew and grunts to get in, before being cranked up for yet another mission.   I put a lot of thought into the layout of the cabin.   In speaking with a couple of folks on FB who were Blackhawk Crew Chiefs during OIF, they said that often times, they pulled all the seats out (except for their two seats) and strapped down any cargo with ratchet straps.   Cargo nets weren't used very often because the rotor wash could get them tangled and they became more trouble than they were worth.   Sometimes they left the aft 4 troop seats in place (as I did), sometimes they pulled those seats as well and the grunts just sat on the floor (major safety violation in peacetime but during combat, the need for seats and seatbelts were waived).   The standard (peacetime) seating layout for a Blackhawk included an aft-facing seat mounted between the two crew chief's seats.   The guys on FB said this seat was nearly always removed so they could store more of their gear on the floor.   The only time it was used was if an Instructor Pilot was doing a checkride with the crew, in those cases, they would turn the seat around so the IP could face forward   As soon as the flight was over, they pulled the seat out again. 
 
Anyway, enough Blackhawk trivia for today.    I had a hard time finding applicable gear for the cabin.  Finally stumbled upon a set by Meng that did the job.

I was mainly interested in the rucks and the "Pelican" cases that are commonly used by the US military these days.   
 
Next up were some of Reedoak's amazing helmet bags (2 closed and one partially open) and a HGU-56 flight crew helmet.   This stuff is amazingly detailed, the only downside is the cost.   

 
Lastly, I added a few water cans, ammo boxes and other odds and ends.   The ratchets were from an aftermarket resin set, the straps themselves were lead foil from a wine bottle.     I'm generally happy with how things came out.

 

 

 

 

 
Painting the ACU camouflage was a pain.   I did the best I could, knowing that the stuff wasn't going to be super visible once the fuselage was sealed up.   Here's a real-life ruck in ACU camo pattern.

 
Regarding colors - note that the color in the pics I posted above is a bit off.  The lighting I used makes everything look lighter and glossier.   You will have to trust me on this one.    
 
So that's were things currently stand.   Any suggestions, comments, etc are always appreciated. 

Last update of the year!   First up - I completed the troop seats that are going against the aft bulkhead.   They are the kit parts with a few additions.  I used the new Quinta seatbelt set.   Instead of applying the belts like decals, I let them dry a bit once off the backing paper and then twisted them to have them better replicate the real thing, supergluing them in place.  Much more realistic approach than just having them rigidly attached to each seat.   Most of the time when not in use, the seatbelts were tucked into a velcro flap on the seatback.  Kept them from getting tangled up or blown around by rotor wash.   For the two seats I opted to build like this, I replicated the open flap by cutting out a section of lead foil from a wine bottle and adding small portions of seat belts.   I also added the thin wires that support the legs of the seats and the triangles that attach to those wires (also made from lead foil).   Here's the real thing:

 
Here's my humble replication:

 

Note that you can't see the seat legs from this angle but rest assured, they are present.  They angle back and secure against the rear of the floor.  
 
Also adding more details to the cabin area. Added a radar warning display to the instrument panel (carved off a gauge from the kit IP), the countermeasure safeing box mounted on the side of the CE’s storage bins, various wires, a coiled-up intercom lead on the battery box and a Grimes light on the side of the co-pilot’s seat.  Have to admit, I’m nervous about how well the cabin is going to install into the fuselage. Anyway, this is probably going to be my last update for a bit. I’m waiting on some parts to arrive in the mail (Reedoke helmets / helmet bags) and a set from Meng that has some rucksacks and Pelican cases. Need to clutter up the cabin a bit before moving forward with the final assembly. 
 

 

 

 
Thanks for all the feedback lads, hope every has a safe and happy New Years!

Progress continues.    I've added the rest of the major cockpit assemblies.   One issue with using the KH UH-60S-model kit is that the IP in the kit is completely different than the one in the Lima version.   The S has new LCD displays, while the Army version is all analog "steam gauges".  Thankfully a great ex-Army crew chief I met online helped me out by providing the long out of stock Eduard PE instrument panel that was originally released for the old Academy UH-60L kit ages ago.  The PE IP is pretty basic but it does the job.  The only problem was that the IP is finished in a weird purple-ish grey color, instead of the flat black on the real thing, as shown below.   As a result, I had to carefully overpaint around all the placards and instruments.  Here's the real thing.

This picture does a great job of showing all the clutter of the forward cabin.  
 
Here's my work.  Disregard the co-pilot's harness projecting off into space.  Once the cabin is assembled, I'll have it draped over the side armor plate.   I also added some random wiring behind the IP and the crew chief's area.    

 

 
Next up was the crewchief's seats.   To the kit parts, I added Werner's Wings headrests, inertial reel housings on the side of the lower seat frame and (for one of them) a seat cushion.   These tube and hard nylon seats were pretty uncomfortable to sit in over time and some crew chiefs pilfered a pilot's seat cushion for a bit more padding.   For the harnesses, I used the new Eduard PE set.  I also used Milliput to scratchbuild the "pouch" that protrudes off the back of the seats. 
 
This shot shows the inertial reel assemblies and the "pouch".   

These seats may not be any more comfortable than the ones in the old Huey's but they are much safer in the event of a hard landing or crash.   They are designed to attenuate the energy of a crash by collapsing towards the floor in a controlled manner.   The inertial reels (identical to what you have in your car) lock the harness in place.    The old Huey seats simply had rigid aluminum tubing and a very basic lap belt that was just bolted to the seat frame.    Here are my seats:

 

 
I tried to reposition the harnesses so that they don't look identical.   PE Seatbelts that just drape straight down have always been a pet peeve of mine, just looks fake. 
 
So that's it for now.   Thanks for checking in, comments and critiques are always welcome. 
 
 

Thanks guys.  Been making some progress on the floor.  First off - I added the markings on the BAPS panels using an artist's watercolor pencil.   Nothing fancy (or legible) but once I've weathered the floor and buttoned things up, I think it will look ok.   Also added the pilot's floor armor and started work on the pilot's seats.   

 
Next up, I started weathering the cabin floor.   Iraq was known for the dust, it got everywhere.   This is the first step, using ground up pastels.   I'll continue to tweak this.  I also added some avionics boxes and wiring to the recessed area under the pilot's seats.   This area was mostly open, its purpose was to allow the pilots seats to collapse into it, in the event of a crash.  It was covered with a velcro fabric panel but these panels were easily lost.   I left the pilot's seat "box" exposed, the co-pilot's seat as the fabric cover partially in place.    I also started working on the center control console.    The kit's part was decent, but I opted to use the Quinta decals.   To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about these.  All I can say is that they look better in RL than they do in these following pics.   One thing I noted is that the Lima model has additional control panels at the back of the center console that aren't included in the kit.   They come in many different configurations, evolving over the years.  Here's one.
 

 
I scratch built the two boxes at the aft end, using a slightly different control layout than the picture above.   I used Archer rivets to add a bit of surface detail.   Lastly, I continued working the pilot's seats.  The real thing is a pretty complicated assembly, with a lot of equipment added to the backside, for use by the Crew Chiefs.
Note the two first aid kits and the battery cover on the floor.  These parts are all in the Werner's Wings update set. 

 
Werner's Wings also provides the black stowage pouch and crash axe, as seen below.  

 
For my seats, I used the Eduard PE seatbelt set.   Some of the belts in the pictures are sticking off into space, that's because I will end up draping them over various interior bits after the cabin is assembled.    I also added water bottles (from Live Resin) since these were widely present with US troops in Iraq.  I textured the bottom seat cushions to try to replicate the sheep skin seat covers 

 

 

 
Also added some wiring and details to the pilot's control sticks. 

 
Sorry about the picture quality, once I get a bit further along, I'll put the assembly in a cleaner background and try to take a few detailed shots.
 
Thats it for now, thanks for checking in. 
 

Moving onto the floor for a while, first up was to get the base paintwork down.  Like pretty much every modern US helo, the cockpit / flight deck is overall black to minimize reflections while the pilots are flying on NVG's.  BTW, flying in low and fast Nap Of Earth in helos during the day is great fun, flying low and fast in helos on a pitch-black night is decidedly less so, especially for the times that I wasn't wearing googles in flight and could't see what was out there.  It's a bit disconcerting to see treetops come out of the darkness ABOVE you.   The aft cabin is supposed to be Dark Gull Grey but every picture I've ever seen shows a lighter shade.   I went with a custom paint mix, seems to be a good match. 

 
After that, the first thing I needed to get out of the way was the floor armor.   All deployed Army Blackhawks had a number of upgrades before they went into the theater.   They received upgraded radios, self-defense gear, (some) got engine sand filters and all had cabin floor armor plates.    These were called the Blackhawk Armor Protection System (BAPS) and covered the entire cargo compartment floor with armor mats that (I think) were proof against 7.62mm rounds.   There were also plates for the cockpit floor and side plates for the crew chiefs' stations.   
 
Here's the real thing on a MH-60K, sorry the pic is blurry but there aren't many shots out there that show the armor.  You can also see the crew chief's side armor as well.   Just note that these panels came in a few different configurations. these are bit different than what I'll be using.  

 
I got my panels from Werner's Wings.   They fit perfectly; the only issue is that they don't cover the entire floor.   WW's set is designed to be used with an MH-60L that has a large aux fuel tank in the back of the cabin.   My helo is a standard Lima version, so I had to scratch build those plates from thin sheet styrene.  Major pain in the butt.   They aren't perfect but I'll have seats mounted over them so I don't think it will be that evident.   Here's my work:
 

 

Once I make further progress on the floor, I'll weather these plates to tone down the starkness. 
 
That's all I got for you guys, thanks for checking in. 
 

More updates on the ceiling.   Here are few pics of what the real thing looks like:
 
Circuit breaker panel over crew chief's station.

 
Forward cabin roof.  Note the intercom housing for the ground troop commander and the interior lights.  Top of the picture is forward.

Both of these pictures are from Shawn Earl, a current Blackhawk Crew Chief who graciously provided these as references.  
 
Here's a quick summary of the details I added:

Not liking the access panel covers.  I'll repaint them. 
 
And here is where things currently stand.   Added some Quinta decals to the pilot's overhead panels, did some additional detail painting.   I'm probably 90% done with this section.  I'll still need to add the crew chief's seats (they mount to the ceiling) intercom wires and a few small bits.   

 
That's it for now, thanks for looking. 

This build was kind of a rush job, I had nothing to work on since my Apache project ground to a halt pending decals.    What this means is that I didn't spend a great deal of upfront time researching my subject, I kind of just dove in.   I had no idea how complex the Blackhawk interior really was, also had no idea how many differences there are between the various versions (and even the same model as it was upgraded over time).  It's scary how much crap is present inside these beasts.    

 
Oh well, the journey of a thousand miles starts with the cabin ceiling, right?   The real thing comes in two flavors.   Either with the sound proofing in place or removed, showing all the wiring and other parts.   Behing inherently lazy, I opted for the former.   On a new helo, the sound proofing panels are all a uniform dark green.  Over time and with heavy usage, they turn all sorts of shades, from a light cardboard brown to a dark OD.    Here's the real thing.  The grey structure is a drip pan for the transmission housing.   Note the clear drain line tubing.   Also note that in this particular case, the tubular bar used to mount the troop seats is running for and aft.  Typically it runs side to side.   

 
The KH kit gives you multiple extra parts, with no real info on which to use.  It's a mix of parts from their MH-60L kit and the MH-60S.    In this case, you get two options for cabin ceilings, one with most of the sound proofing removed and the other with it all in place.   The only problem is that the drip pan isn't accurate in either case.   Here's where I started:

To the basic part, I removed the raised ribs and that extra release latch on the drift pan.  Nothing complicated about this, just careful cutting using a fine chisel blade and some sanding.   I then added the seat mounting bar referenced above, a FRIES bar (fast roping attachment, it's not labeled in teh kit instructions, but it's provided), the "H-Bar" up front (from the Werners Wing's set) and a bunch a scratchbuilt details.    Here's how it currently looks:

 

 
More to follow...

Since my ongoing Apache build is on indefinite hold (pending Werner's Wings finally getting around to releasing their decals which have been "in the works" for close to a year now), I figured I start another build to keep me occupied for the time being.   I've had a Kitty Hawk MH-60S kit in the stash for quite some time.    That particular version doesn't do much for me.   I'm an ex-army grunt and wanted to build a model of a US Army UH-60.   The bad news is that Kitty Hawk never got around to releasing this version.   The good news is that with only a couple of exceptions, all the parts to build a UH-60A/L are present in the KH MH-60S kit (including those big boxy inlet sand filters).   In anticipation of the build, I've been gradually stocking up on aftermarket bits.   These include:
 
Live Resin - M240 machine guns, M240 Blackhawk window mounts, M240 ammo / spare barrels, M4 Carbines, Clear Water bottles (critical for any helo flying in Iraq).
 
Werner's Wings - Blackhawk update set (lots of small cabin bits that aren't in the KH kits), A/L model backdate set (provides the different horizontal stab and other parts specific to the Army version) and their awesome Blackhawk decal kit (includes full stencils).
 
Eduard - A/L Instrument panel (graciously provided by a very kind gentleman I ran into on FB, since this set is long OOP) to replace the kit's panel that has large multifunction displays (the A/L panel is all analog "steam gauges"), Pilot and Crew Chief PE seatbelt set.
 
Quinta - MH-60S cockpit set (as noted, I can't use the IP but the rest of the set will come in handy), troop seat seatbelt set.
 
For my specific subject, well, I don't have one.   I've got plenty of time to figure that out as I build this kit up.  I will generally be building a Lima model, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the US invasion of Iraq, somewhere in the 2007-2010 timeframe.   The Blackhawk was kind of the iconic helo of that sad conflict, pretty much the same as the Huey was in Vietnam (which by the way, as a grunt was by far my favorite helo to fly in, we had Hueys around for a short time when I had just joined up).  I'll be back with some modeling updates shortly, in the meantime, here are some general pics of the real thing.
 

 

 

Note the filthy condition of these helos and the removal of windows / doors to try to beat the horrible 120-degree summer heat.   
 
That's it for now, thanks for checking in. 

Hi everyone thank you for your kind comments, really encourages me to do better
 
 
 
Hi both - for skinning I exclusively use Evo Stick contact adhesive, which is diluted with it's own brand cleaner to the consistency of single cream - this is then brushed on both surfaces and left for a minute or two to go off before application. Very occasionally, I use thin CA for an errant edge to hold it down..
 
I finished the floats and detailed the struts, all done with litho - this includes some very long, this one piece multi hundred rivet strips that run the length of each chine..
 

 
the struts were detailed as well..
 

 

 

 

 

 
..next up the tailfeathers... the stabiliser seems to have overlapping panels, with the elevators a joggled but flush panel edge...
 

 
..the card formers I made had tiny brass 'L' sections added to the trailing edge and were filled with P38 - then the skinning started with the outer edges as the panels overlap in this direction..
 

 
..tape and dymo tape guides used to make one piece wrap around panels..
 

 
..the elevators were also done and interstingly have a sheet extension at the trailing edge so this was copied by leaving the brass sheet core exposed..
 

 

 
..the rudder was a sheet brass core with plastic ribs, then covered with scored thin plastic sheet to represent linen - I can't see any evidence of rib tape, but there is a characteristic rib feature i need to add (perhaps this is tape?)
 

 
 

 
..after covering, I added the Flash Gordon style counter weights..
 

 

 
..and while not fitted yet, the tail is virtually complete..
 

 

 
..might do the prop next as it is starting to come together..
 

 

 
TTFN
 
Peter
 

Thank you gents, very kind
 
 
 
Hi OBG - the foam is pretty soft really and can be easily deformed with a fingernail for example, but it is stiff and retains it's form. As far as PPE goes, no I don't wear a mask - only when painting really - I know I should though..
 
 
 
Haha Geedubelyer, thats a challenge to get it done by then, though I do feel I am steaming along - I recon there is a month in the trolley & wire wheels it sits on alone, let alone the airframe
 
 
 
Hey Matt, I have a saw toothed riveting template and just taped it to an edge and cut each 'tooth' one by one... yes I am mad..
 
The saga continues with skinning the floats - these are covered in symetric rivet patterns and rather than do panel by panel, I did pairs of panels for each float. I would say over the course of a few days I did ~5k rivets..
 
..here are two pairs with about 1200..
 

 
..again these were only lightly burnished to retain the oil canning seen on the real one - also any panel overlaps on the real one were copied..
 

 

 

 

 
..once complete, I started the struts - I used a 3D extrusion to sheath the brass rods I set at the beginning, and then used ali foil on the floats and fuselage so I can fill to them and it will all unstick cleanly with a matching mating face..
 
..it can all be seen in a jig I had to make so I can get everything aligned properly & the yellow sponges apply enough upward pressure to hold them in place without distorting the position..
 

 

 

 
..the forward upper strut mounts have these odd tails, maybe to deflect water..
 

 
..these were made by embedding stiff wire into the strut and filling around it..
 
some of the mounting stubs are a bit short for my liking, but they can't intrude into the cockpit or they are as long as they can be before they cross each other
 
hopefully when mounted with JB weld they will be ok..
 

 
..skinning these is going to be problematic as it won't be easy for one thing, and they would need to be a perfect fit when assembled so I haven't quite figured out how I will do it all yet..
 

 

 

 

 

 
TTFN
 
Peter
 

Thank you gents, you are all very kind
 
With the fuselage coming along, it was time to start another major sub assembly in the floats...
 
the former structure was filled with hard foam to give it a basic profile..
 

 
..this was then skim filled with P38 and templates used to get the chines the right shape...
 

 
..I would say there were over 30 filling/sand/prime excercises before they were in their final forms..
 

 
..then the undersides were skinned...
 

 

 

 
..there were a few structural features of interest, one is the lapped panels where on the real aeroplane the panels are joggled into an overlap, and the other are these sort of serrated panels which I assume have something to do with disrupting water suction on the step of the float - these were cut one serration at a time so quite tiresome
 

 

 
..on to the top surfaces now and these are covered in spaced fittings & rivets so are going to be a challenge...
 

 
TTFN
 
Peter

Happy Friday my friends
 
 
Hey there, thanks for dropping in so to answer your questions - I just use normal, if very tired bits of sandpaper of various grits - I rarely wet sand the metal. The finish is created by polishing after sanding with 0000 wire wool. The rivets are done one by one and on this ship there are probably 3 x a normal aircraft unfortunately as the wings were the radiators so the surface has tens of thousands of them They are done with a awl set. The panel overlaps are deliberate and copy the real airframe - that is pretty much what this update will be about
 
The fuselage is skinned like a Spitfire, from back to front with some overlaps - the fist step was analysing pictures to work out the skinning order - I started at the rear with a tape template, using dymo tape to define borders where needed. I always mark out rivet lines on the tape template so they are right on the model as what can look a straight line rarely is...
 

 
these are those panels after rivetting and making the holes for the circular hatches..the next step is to peel the tape off, wash them with a stiff brush and solvent to get all the tape discs left by the rivetting off, and then finally turn them over and burnish hard with a rod to remove the 'quilting' effect...
 

 
..with that panel down and the others that form the bottom layer, I need to fill the upper edges as with another panel to go on top if I don't a visible ridge will appear when I lay it down...
 

 

 
..then the next panel that wraps across the spine - you can see some rivets done with the panel in place have deformed as the foam/filler skin has given out under pressure.. nothing can be done about that..
 
..the edges are also filled again..
 

 
..with that done, the skins on the tail are marked out....this is an intersting design feature as the tail is actually the oil cooler so the surface air cools it rather than a cooler sticking into the airflow and causing drag..
 

 
..it has a very distinct 'quilted' appearance which is exactly what you get if you don't burnish a rivetted panel, so this will be fun to make..
 

 
..same principle applies - tape templates & dymo tape..just thsi time i only lightly burnish the panels before adding them..
 

 
..with the fuselage skinned another distinctive feature needs doing - there are radiators running the full length of the fuselage each side (again to reduce drag by hanging them off the wing or under the chin)..
 
..like this..
 

 
..I pondered how to do it and eventually tried 3D printing a male mould I could work from - I figured I could burnish the shape in one piece if I was careful..
 
..it had to be in two parts to be printed though..
 

 
..these were then superglued to a bit of perspex.. and the work started..
 

 

 
..millions more damned rivets...
 

 
..and then scored & carefully broken away..
 

 
..I was worried that I would need to fill the 'tubes' but it seemed rigid enough so I bit the bullet, took a deep breath and got ready to stick it in place..
 

 
..quite a bit of work that, so here is a walkaround..
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
..gonna be a shame to paint it
 
TTFN
Peter

Although everything is gorgeous, those rear semi-circle vents are pure precision art.  I can't imagine what it took to create them so perfectly.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

hi folks
 
 
 
100% correct GW - as in you are 100% correct and the instrument is canted the wrong way Oh well, it's staying like that now..
 
I kept thinking I will stop in a minute and take a picture of what I am doing, but then I would think, I will just finish this bit... well before I knew it the engine cowling was done.. it is a complicated structure, but shouts early aviation..
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
can start the fuselage proper now..
 
TTFN
 
Peter

Hi folks, Happy New Year
 
 
 
Thanks Jay - there is no real secret other than making sure the compound panels are super tight to the form as most times the distortion is because there is still some 'give' in the metal/glue layer - really heavy burnishing will prevent this. The other thing is the pressure applied to make the rivet is 1/10th of the pressure on the hard sheet
 
cockpit is pretty much done..
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
all the best for 2024
 
TTFN
Peter

Seasons Greetings
 
I figured before I finish the cockpit, I better start skinning some of the nose as there would be some hammering involved to get the metal to conform to the very curvy rocker cover blisters..
 
..it all starts like this - a bit of ali sheet taped along one edge and worked & beaten to follow the shape.... it creases and buckles and really doesn't like it, but I will have my way in the end..
 

 
..by now it's pretty much there, always working the creases away with thousands of taps of a tiny ball pein hammer..
 

 
..then the surface is abraded to get it smooth (sorry for the crap pictures..)..
 

 
..and finally cut to shape allowing the bottom edges to flare under the panels that will sit on top of them....
 

 
..and with those panels added and the exhaust ports..
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
lots more panels to go, and I need to complete the cockpit before I can do the rear of the blisters and add the cooling vents..
 
Happy Christmas everyone
 
Peter

thank you ladies, you are all too kind
 
so, this is one of the few pics I have of the cockpit...
 

 
..tons of info there - all I have to do now is make it..
 
..started with control yoke, forward bulkhead & rudder pedals, all from plastic or brasss..
 

 
...then it was a few more bobbins including the seat and time for paint.. I have tried to start a bit of weathering as I suspect open cockpit, seawater and an oliy monster 18 inches away would mean it would get a bit grubby..
 

 

 

 
..also starting to get the fuel tank seen in the photo ready for fitting, though lots more pipes to go..
 

 
..and thats it - I want to get it closed up so I can start skinning the fuselage - the instrument panel is next as soon as the decals arrive later this week
 
have a wonderful Xmas everyone
 
TTFN
Peter