Puma HC1

[HL-10]

After completing Fly's Wessex, I have got the large helicopter bug.

 

I dug this out of the stash.

It is the original Matchbox issue of the Puma HC1 which I got from a second hand dealer, hence the poor state of the box:

 

 

Inside everything was fine, it's original "Three Colour" glory:

 

 

The decals, however seemed to be beyond use. The covering tissue paper had stuck to the decals and would not come off:

 

 

I tried sourcing aftermarket decals, without much success. In fact, there is very in the way of AM for this kit.

So I experimented to see what I could do to salvage the kit's decals.

I found that if I removed all I could of the tissue paper, I could remove the stubborn stuck on stuff by using Tamiya acrylic thinners to soften and dissolve the tissue paper without damaging the decals.

I carefully applied the thinners with a cotton bud until I had removed it and the decals are fine, and still work:

 

 

I have made a start by enhancing the low relief interior detail with plastic card, wire and odd parts from the spares box.

I found that left over resin pour blocks can be cut & sanded to form various boxes:

 

 

 

The exterior detail is in the form of raised panel lines and rivets.

I have engraved the panel lines, and have tried to preserve the rivets.

The photos are very clear I'm afraid due to taking photos of the white fuselage parts:

 

 

The interior walls feature moulded on sound proof quilting.

There are some hefty mould knock out marks that mar the detail, and the walls are too thin in profile, so I intend to re-quilt the walls with Milliput.

 

 

That's all for now, more to follow.

Thanks for looking

Angelo.

[TonyT]

Later Revell version is green plastic That green sprue may be from the later kit.

Edited September 29, 2017 by TonyT

[HL-10]

Some more work done on the interior.

 

The area around the back of the instrument panel has been busied up so there's something visible through the canopy, mostly done with plastic card, lead wire and florist's wire, with odd bits of etch:

 

 

 

 

The main cabin interior has been re-quilted as the kit's moulded on quilted soundproofing was marred by prominent mould ejector marks.

Also the walls were too thin.

Milliput (black) and Green Putty was rolled out thin, laid on the inside and textured with wire mesh.

 

 

As the kit has no cabin ceiling, I made one from plastic card, then added the sound proofing the same way as I did for the walls:

 

 

I have also improved on the kit's pilots' seats.

A new seat base was made from thick plastic card, with the seat cushion and back rest fashioned from Green Putty, and a frame was added using more florist's wire.

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

Angelo

[AlexM]

Now this texture looks spectecular

 

Alex

Edited October 3, 2017 by AlexM

[Out2gtcha]

Looking lovely Angelo!   I really like the main front IP, and the wire additions. 

[ClumsyDude]

Wow, the wire mesh approach looks awesome. I think that's the most convincing quilting effect I've seen.

 

Jim