Shawn M Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) Hello again! After completing my AH-1W I've started another helicopter for a Group Build over on Aeroscale. I built this kit when I was a kid and loved it because it was so damn big! Still is big although Im far less in love with it now. To say there are fitment issues is an understatement adding to the strife is the raised detail you obliterate when fixing the poor fit...endless circle ensues. I wanted to wait until I was at the interesting part before making a WIP thread,so here ya go with pics! First off, its big..here it is infront of the 1/35 AH-1W: At this point I'd already fought the engine nacelles and the horrific seams in the exhaust heat suppressors. I've attached the pods and started the cockpit. Now we skip ahead to the fuse halves together and the almost finished cockpit: you can see styrene stock CA'd into the gap for filler here: Edited August 10, 2011 by Shawn M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 get used the the sight of filler: My first concession to OOB: sanding, filing, filling, swearing distraction with drybrushing, the kits details are quite nice: a sign of things to come, the color of choice contrasted against the kit color: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 more work and then....I got this this nightmare of poorly thought out kit design: ignored it, fixed the nose.. made a shim filler to make the canopy snug up: building OOB is tough i tell ya... after 2 days of work, I conceeded to the model, it can have its crappy fit here.. a first for me, masked and painted the canopy interior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 painted the horizontal, and added the rocket blast boots: another OOB exception, I made a map: and another, I added a first aid kit: Fuse is all painted now...in the base color (Tamiya TS-2) Since Im doing a desert bird, Im modeling an apache that is worn, patched and weathered. They seem to get this great mottled, modulated look to them. So Im attempting it, mind you I do not have an airbrush (although this build may make me change that) Tell me what you tink of it?! This is base of TS-2 Tamiya, drybrushed and splotched with MM Olive drab, dark highlights and painted repairs in Tamiya TS-6, with a final drybrush of MM SAC Bomber Green. Im not done with it either, I still have to add the dust from the desert...but thats later. Rotor head and blade grips: Tail rotor assembly (ignore the glue hairs) Before any of you have a coniption that Im not painting it in Army Helo Drab, please note Im building this with the supplies I have as I dont need or want to buy another green to add to my paints. Stay tuned if you want, more to come when I tackle the main fuse paintwork! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I very much like the weathering on your "wings" Looks good to go. Over all a very good build. The rotor assem. is shaping up nicely also....Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Nice work indeed. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROM Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hi! Nice work!! Very inspiring! I have this beast to build too... But i will ad eduard PE sets. Keep it up!! bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allok Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 You're a brave man, Shawn. I built one of these many years ago too. It was terrible but I still loved it. I recon Revell should give it a bit of a revamp... new sprues n markings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 I'd love to see a "D" model or a British WAH-64 release in this scale. My biggest gripe overall is the "belly pan" and its shape that does not match the fuse at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 weathering is in full swing now: Added some grey on a suggestion from CobraHistorian, glad I did. Once I add the sand and abit more geens this will look right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) Thanks for giving me the heads up on this Shawn. Looks great. Can you post a closer shot of the wings, they look really good, especially as you've done it without an airbrush. Matt Edited August 3, 2011 by mattlow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 The weathering on the wings sure is effective, And the fit is, well, lets just say, not of the best. Nice progress as you clean up the gaps and seams. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Matt, I'll get you a shot this week. Peter, the fit is a bummer for sure but Im confident it will turn out ok when Im done...at least I haven't dropped this one yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattlow Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I did get one of these and wonder if you felt that the whole fuselage was subtly warped - nothing serious but definitely slightly 'out of kilter' when the halves brought together..? Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn M Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 YES! The aft portion (from the rear cockpit bulkhead aft) was fine, however the nose was askew for sure. Even gluing small sections at a time you can see it had issues. That damn belly pan was moulded wrong or, the section of fuse that meets it from the rear needs to be re-curved to match it. I could have sculpted a filler for it to be honest, but Im not that dedicated to this build. Its really a painting experiment to see what I can do OOB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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