[A-10 "The Early Years"?]

Hey Tracy, of course I am! 🙂

 

 

HAJO

[Ooops, Sorry About That!]

If I put down some sheets of newspaper in my garden, can I call that an "heli-pad", too? 😉

 

No, seriously, that doesn´t look like it would stand any helicopter at all.

 

 

HAJO

[Help about getting on two websites]

www.modellversium.de seems to be alive again!

 

 

HAJO

[CH-46 markings]

Isn´t that some sort of copyright-violation by the US Navy then?? 😉

 

 

HAJO

[Help about getting on two websites]

I´m not sure what the status is of Scale Rotors (they haven´t updated their content for years, or did they...???), but I´m in contact with one of the modellversium.de guys. He wrote that they have trouble re-booting their server, but they are trying to get it back online. I have no idea what that means technically...

 

Looking also forward to have modellversium online again, I just sent them a couple of gallery-entries!

 

 

HAJO

[A-10 "The Early Years"?]

Sounds great!

 

 

HAJO

[A-10 "The Early Years"?]

On 10/12/2020 at 10:10 PM, KursadA said:

OK, folks - I will go ahead and do this. first prototype with 20mm M61, JAWS aircraft (not looking forward to drawing those painting instructions), early in-service jets with gray stencilling etc. Coming sometime in early 2021, some time later than the major projects like P-3 and B-52s that are taking up so much of my design time now.

 

It is early 2021, isn´t it? 😉

 

 

HAJO

[SU-25 Frogfoot currently in russian service]

My guess why they use dumb ammunition: It´s cheaper than guided ammunition and they don´t care much if they conflict collateral damage. Russia is not that rich, they are involved in several conflicts and I could think that sparing money is an issue.

 

 

HAJO

[CH-46 markings]

This is a nice ship, looks like a sort of Gunship:

 

 

 

HAJO

[1/72 Revell B-1B]

Wooow! Awesome!

 

 

HAJO

[CH-46 markings]

What scale are you looking at? In 1/72 there is a relatively nice Hobbyboss-kit, which has some serious flaws unfortunately. 

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

I have to say I wondered as well, since I have a drawn picture with a size comparison of the Cheyenne to the Cobra and the Apache.

 

Ah, there it is...:

 

 

Also thought the Cobra must be "smaller", especially since I had the feeling that the Cheyenne is slightly bigger than 1/72 - the pilots are quite big.

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

Yeah, the rotorhead on the model looks like it has more drag than a barn-door...

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

Yeah, that would be a first step to do some improvement!

 

The Cheyenne is ready and on the war path!

 

 

I armed it with the later "classic" 4-tube TOW-launcher and a rocket pod on each side.

 

 

 

Decals are - except the 1st Cavalry patch - out of the box and went on quite smoothly.

 

 

The typical slick front-profile of an Attack Helicopter, but with much larger wings!

 

 

 

 

The anti-torque and the push-rotor:

 

 

Apparently the push-rotor did not only help to accelerate and slow the Cheyenne, it did so without making the aircraft tilt. For tactical maneouvering quite a plus!

 

 

The big canopy could benefit from a workover, indeed! The mini-gun is from my spare box and a former Italeri mini-gun.

 

 

The 30mm below the belly came from an AH-64 Apache, I thought this more than appropiate for the Cheyenne.

 

 

And finally some size comparison:

 

 

With the Special Hobby AH-1G Cobra.

 

 

And with a Super Hornet:

 

 

So you can see the Cheyenne is quite a big warrior!

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

I owe you some update-pictures:

 

 

I think a bit less of the white stripes would have been better, but I´m still quite pleased.

 

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

You get 500 points! Exactly, I´m doing a MERDC.

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

Really? I was thinking of doing another one maybe and paint it in original OD with the prototype-markings...

 

Speaking of painting...:

 

 

First layer was Khaki (Revell 86), followed by a lightened up Bronzegreen (Revell 65).

 

 

 

It looks quite like a russian camoscheme, but I´m not finished yet!

 

 

I hope you´ll get the idea of what I´m doing here... 😉

 

 

...because there is still one colour missing.

 

 

HAJO

 

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

jstar, thanks a lot! I willhave to declare my Cheyenne as "post-prototype" with some changes. That way of boarding the aircraft is waaaaaay too long, you nearly start the process at the aft prop! 😉

 

So, the ARMY asked for a short-cut and got it, as can be seen on my model.

 

 

HAJO

 

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

Thank you!

 

I finished to scratch the second gun-station:

 

 

Parts used: End of a central aux tank of a F-16, a part of a scalpell-blade-container and the "front end" of the aft rotor-turret of a Chinook.

 

 

The small PE-part is a simulation of an opening for spent casings.

 

 

The whole thing is protruding a bit too much below the belly, but does look like the real one - except there is not much "real one" since all flying Cheyenne were only prototypes. 😉

 

 

After that I glued the canopy on and added some small parts. Antennas for example, and PE-parts that simulate Ccaff/Flare-launcher.

 

 

My PE-spare box also provided the steps to get into the cockpit.

 

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

I just looked through the pictures I have yet, but couldn´t make out any built in steps. I think I will just "freestyle" them, I do have some PE-parts left over from previous projects.

 

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

I wondered - and maybe someone here can help me out - how the crew boarded this helicopter? I don´t see any ladders or retracting steps or similar to get in this thing, although the cockpit is pretty much up from the ground.

 

HAJO

[AH-56A Cheyenne in 1:72 by Atlantis]

Wings and fuselage are on:

 

 

 

I also mounted the main gear struts, and kept them movable. It´s a bit toyish, but hopefully they will stay flexible and allow for a nice "look how smooth I am"-look when retracted.

 

And here with the gear extended:

 

 

It looks a bit like an eagle doing push-ups...

 

 

 

HAJO

[72nd Scale Details Rant!]

Maybe 3D-printing will fill the gap here for parts? When I look at the list above - I´d love to have some parts for the Bo-105, but I don´t think there is more need for such a set than maybe a dozen worldwide. 3D-printing DOES require some work, when it comes to engineering the parts, but at least there is no need to stock these items, but do print on demand instead.

 

I feel different on items that are not specified for certain kits. I always have a need for nice detailled Mini-guns or other crew-served weapons. What I´d really dig are pilot figures and sitting troops for the cargo compartment! Best would be if those figures would be made up of 5 different parts: (sitting) legs, torso, two arms and head. This way you can vary their positions and sizes to fit into cargo rooms or else.

 

Until now I always had to use Preiser figures or similar to do sitting troops, and I have been watching for literally years now for a "new" set of sitting GIs in 1/72 scale by Preiser to be released. For some reason this company simply isn´t interested in serving "their" market and sell things - weird...

 

 

HAJO

[Frankfurt, Germany: Any good hobby shops in the neighborhood?]

Have you tried scalemates.com? They do have a shop-locator function, a quick look brought up three shops in the city. Can´t tell if they are "good"...

 

 

HAJO

[What if? AS532 Cougar Luftwaffe "CSAR" in 1/72 by Italeri.]

A collegue of mine came up with the idea that the German Luftwaffe - if (!) they choose the CH-53K as their new cargo helo - may (!) come up with the idea to procure a number of smaller, medium sized helicopters for CSAR and SOF-support. I liked the idea and quickly got the thing done.

 

 

This is the Italeri AS532 Cougar, but with a lot of stuff added.

 

 

Miniguns and gunner, a "Kampfretter" (our versions of "PJ"s) and some other stuff to give this a bit more life. I loved how the Kampfretters "Flecktarn"-camoflage came ot, really proud of that:

 

 

Modifications for the helicopter included a new set-up for the cargo doors (divided into two doors each, sliding back resp. forth), aerial-refueling probe, FLIR-sensor, search-light, lots of antennas...

 

 

 

 

 

As usual I gave it a nice three-tone-camo and some markings from my spare box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The camoflage is quite effective, I´d say!

 

 

 

HAJO