1/32 HSS-1 AND WESSEX HU, ADRIATIC STYLE

[shark64]

1 hour ago, chuck540z3 said:

Good luck with this project Giovanni!  While I’m not a helo guy, I appreciate great modeling of any kind and maybe this build can convince me to give one a try.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

Yeah Chuck ...come to the Dark side.

[Maw1963]

Ciao to everybody,

as announced I started with the Main Gear Reduction Box that is one of my favorite set and actually the best seller of the catalog.

I have been asked to specify the sets I deal with in the topics and so  I am using 32010 HSS-1 MGRB and 32024 WESSEX MGRB.

The set are quite similar but they have different details typical of each version.

MGRB seems a big, crazy puzzle, and is true for real. We are studying a more appropriate layout for this, but the braves that have already bought a set received this.

 

Don’t be fooled by appearance it will be easier than you think. First of all, I must advise that this set is done to be used with the correct positioned deck, famed 7mm taller than Fly solution, so If you will attempt to use it with unmodified deck it will not work. Comparing our part with Fly one it is easy to understand why.

 

First task is to remove parts from supports and be careful, they are all thin. To start you need MGRB main part, three actuators, the upper plate with non-rotation fit and the lower cross

 

 

Here you see the difference among Wessex MGRB, on the left and H-34 MGBR on the right. Other parts are identical.

 

Assembly the upper plate, the non-rotation fit has tab locators on MGRB part and then the three actuators that have locating pin in the lower part. Be careful with distance because the whole assembly must pass across the opening in the photo-etched mesh on top of fuselage. Check and dry fit.

 

MGRB supports. If I didn’t get it wrong, I realized that MGRB was suspended from deck by the use of this supports, for a matter of vibrations I suppose. To avoid a too fragile assembly, I decided to reproduce supports without rods, thinking that using plastic rods would have worked better than printing them in 3D. So, the four supports came with holes where rods are to be inserted. Another consideration is that MGRB in 1:1 was tilted 10° forward, so it is necessary to opportunely fit the length of the rods. One more reason is that rods are connected at the base and using plastic cement for this operation is by far better than using ca glue. This is why connectors came without rods. If some doesn’t agree I apologize but choice has been done. FIY plastic rods lenght is 25mm for shortest and 27mm for longest, so you will have 1 support with 2x25mm rods, one support with 2x27mm rods and 2 supports with 1x25mm and 1x27mm rods.

PS: I chanced rods measures later in this topic, and what I consider the correct measures now are 27mm and 29mm. Sorry for inconvenience.

 

25mm rods installed

 

Supports fitting is so accurate that they stay in place even without glue and this is welcome for the assembly.

I started placing the first support and it stays in position without glue. Then I placed the second one with a tiny drop of plastic glue on the rods ends to join them, taking care of allignment and then I finished adding the other two supports in the same way.

 

 

 

 

Front supports may look wrong on this picture but when you place on the deck floor everything turns rigth

 

 

The most important thing is to check allignments and symmetry. Dimensions of parts and lengh of rods seem to be right, I checked the final result while dry fitting parts.

live from the workbench, I think that MGRB heigth and the position of pe grill is right compared with pictures of the real bird. The only doubt I have watchig the last two pictures is that rods may be a little too short, and the anchor points should be closer to fuselage sides. I will think about it and any suggestion is very welcome.

Thank you for watching

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Maw1963

[chuck540z3]

Looking great Giovanni!  All those new printed parts look so realistic, just like your Hellcat parts.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[Coneheadff]

Giovanni...I received your Wessex sets a couple of days ago and was more than concerned if I can assemble them, but your WIP is a great help!!

Thanks for taking your time!

 

The parts look great!!!!

[Maw1963]

Ciao Coneheadff and thank you,

I really hope it will be helpful for all of you.

 

[Maw1963]

Ciao to everybody.

A litle update.

I have to apologize for my previous post where I measured the MRRB rods, quoting the length as 25mm and 27mm. Watching pictures I was not convinced of overall appearance of the whole so I chanced the length of rods to 27mm and 29mm and things seems to be better. Sorry for inconvenience, and I will correct my previous post.

I modified the axle of MGRB too with another one thinner.

 

 

"new" and "old" MGRBs compared. Rods are only 2mm longer but they are  indespensable, note the thinner axle too.

I prepared the main rotor as well, and for this part there is not a big work to do. The only task is to careful remove supports and to clean the parts.

My suggestion is to give a light pass with sandpaper over all the parts. It is helpful to see what you have in your hands and how to treat it.

 

 

Part wit supports removed on the right. You can have a nice result with careful removing of supports, already visibile somewhere.

 

Parts cleaned and ready for assembly.

 

 

Apart from cleaning rotor comes without any problem.

 

This will be an unconventional WIP because at this point I should dive into detailing all these stuffs with plumbing, wiring, rivets and more and more, but I will do all later. As I am using brand new parts, just released and never used before, and as the project of converting a Wessex into a HSS1- / H-34 may sound ambitious if not pretentious, I am very curious to see how other parts have been done and how they work.

 

Which is the main part that can be the reason of failure or success? Yes Sirs, the nose.

32001, or 32002 as well, provides the nose, the firewall bulkhead, the landing gears supports, and three parts to add inside the nose. The cabin bulkhead comes from 32032 set.

Before testing the nose, it is necessary to continue the construction of fuselage, placing the rear cabin bulkhead and the details behind it, a triangular piece of floor and the last bulkhead before tail, all included in 32032 set. I am not sure of how much of them will be visible, but I feel safe with them in place. All parts have been glued with epoxy glue, and a little putting and sanding as required.

 

 

 

I glued the 32032 bulkhead in position too, juts to have a reference point. Notice that some details have been done (redone) with plastic card, an indispensable stuff anyway, specially if you cut parts too short as someone I well know does .

Everything is ready for a dry test, and from what I see, it should work fine, some work to do but it is a good start in my opinion.

 

 

 

I prepared the MGRB deck too, gluing 0.30 card on it and shaping to conform with fulages

The slot is for MGRB axle.

And now some pictures "live from the bench"

 

 

 

 

As I said this is a little updated, just to correct the mistake I made and to see how this thread evolves, thank you for watching and stay tuned.

Maw1963

 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Maw1963

[shark64]

Spectacular results.

Looks amazing.

Oliver

[Maw1963]

Ciao to everybody.

Just a little update, dealing mostly with painting.

This is the base for further detailing as wiring, tubing, sonar and its hardware.

 

 

 

I used a total black base for paintind and hair spray for chipping. I am quite satisfied with the result, I like weathering models but I still prefer a clean weathering not liking it heavy. Any suggestion is very welcome.

 

 

 

 

... and at the end a picture live from the bench

 

HSS-1 is actually on hold because I am working on HU-5 and I hope to show you something for the next weekend.

That's all for now, thank yor for watching and stay tuned

Maw1963

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Maw1963

[Kagemusha]

Looks great.

[Youngtiger1]

Nice work. It is nice to see a these new design AM details begin used into a build which many wants to purchase or so eager to use for those that purchased but are bit reluctant to try because not sure of the “how to.”
 

It is especially encouraging to see the same AM company come out and build a model using their own product. If there are any pit falls we as consumers will be in good hands as the producer can find a viable solution and make it work for us to follow the lead.

[brahman104]

Awesome thread! Loving the descriptions and photos so far.

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

[Out2gtcha]

Awesome! 

That really looks good

[Flight Line Media]

Nice results. Great work indeed!

[shark64]

Spectacular work.

Weathering is just right in my opinion

[Maw1963]

On 9/23/2021 at 9:32 PM, Youngtiger1 said:

Nice work. It is nice to see a these new design AM details begin used into a build which many wants to purchase or so eager to use for those that purchased but are bit reluctant to try because not sure of the “how to.”
 

It is especially encouraging to see the same AM company come out and build a model using their own product. If there are any pit falls we as consumers will be in good hands as the producer can find a viable solution and make it work for us to follow the lead.

Thank you Youngtiger1,

what you say is EXACTLY what we want to do, we don't consider ourselves a business company but a modellers company, who want to do something good and new for our hobby and possibily to share with other enthusiastic modellers.

This is the reason why we are improving our parts both using them and receiving feed-backs from modellers, and this is the reason why we will send any update available to buyers including it for free, in the every order received.

Your words are a very strong encoraugement.

Edited October 6, 2021 by Maw1963