MAGNUM PI Chopper

[JackMan]

Hi Guys,

I'm wondering if any of you have T.C's Chopper as a kit? I know Revell kitted them in 1/32 scale. I recently received a 1/48 Academy Hughes 500 kit and would like to make & paint it as T.C's chopper. If you have the kit, can somebody scan & e-mail me the decal sheet + painting instructions ?

Much obliged :unsure:

[A6BSTARM]

Ebay has one for sale,

Magnum p.i. T.C.'S chopper 1/32 scale model

[AirMedical]

Back in the 80's I had the kit. I tell ya, there were a lot of kits I had before everything came crashing to the floor.

In my opinion, You're better off painting it on your own. The decals can save some work but depending on the decaling and your experiance, you might get away with it or you might make even more of a headache.

I would recommend using the Tamiya masking tapes and painting it on.

To try and scale decals from a 1/32 OH-6A/500-C down to a 1/48 500-D, to nail it right on the head is no 100%.

You'll be slightly off one way or the other. Not to mention the differences between to C and D.

Just my opinion/$0.02 To each their own.

John

[Jay Chladek]

Plus, from my experience in making decals, yellow and red are two colors that are not the greatest when done with printers (even the ALPS, although it can be tricked into printing good red shades). Paint would get you the best results and with a paintjob like that, if it could be pulled off properly it would look great.

Researching the colors might be tough, but they should be off the shelf Imron shades since Magnum seemed to utilize several 500s painted in TC's colors over the years. As such, the paint wouldn't be custom mixed as that would cost too much to do for a TV production. At least one of the 500s ended up in private hands in Hawaii and it unfortunately ended its days when it had an engine runaway event. Thankfully nobody got killed when it crashed (and there is video footage of the incident too).

Edited January 9, 2007 by Jay Chladek

[JackMan]

Thanks, gents!

However, I'm still on the lookout for the painting instructions and a scan of the decals. At least, with the instructions, I'd have a better knowledge of what I'm up against. :D

[BMH]

The Hasegawa ASW version of the 500 has the high rise landing skids like TC's did as well as the regular ones you get in the Academy kit.

The Hasegawa CHiPs kit and Academy kit are pretty much identical. The parts look identical but are arranged differently on the sprues, and the Hasegawa left fuse half fits the Academy right fuse half perfectly, so one company copied the other.

The ASW kit has an extra sprue with the high skids, ASW gear and military looking pilots, and I think they omit the motorcycle & officer.

TC's chopper is a later 5 bladed 500 with a T tail, but the Revell 1/32 kit is the earlier 4 bladed one with the original V tail with the short skids like the Vietnam Loach (which is what Revell orginally issued it as).

The ASW kit is the best way to get to TC's bird if you want it to look authentic, but you're limited to 1/48.

As far as I know, no 1/32 or 1/35 500 kit has anything but the short skids.

The high skids look really cool--remember the pair that hunted James Brolin, OJ and Sam Waterston in Capricorn One, but were done in by Telly Savalas' Stearman?

[AirMedical]

I've actually noticed various 500's of TC's on MPI. All which include a high skided 500-C. As for the D's, I 've seen the high skids and real high skids and the high skids w/ popout floats.

Hover at www.helispot.com, theres a picture or two of a TC painted 500. I'll look for it and drop it in as an edit.

And look, it's a 500-C. The front yellow is a bit wider.

Edited January 10, 2007 by AirMedical

[BMH]

I've actually noticed various 500's of TC's on MPI. All which include a high skided 500-C. As for the D's, I 've seen the high skids and real high skids and the high skids w/ popout floats.

Hover at www.helispot.com, theres a picture or two of a TC painted 500. I'll look for it and drop it in as an edit.

And look, it's a 500-C. The front yellow is a bit wider.

I was going by the shots I've seen on the web (until the one you posted)--they were all of the 5 bladed, high skids.

Revell used one of these shots for the box art, but what you get is the 4 blade, short skid OH-6A with small passenger door windows (a Vietnam Loach), not what's shown in the picture on the box.

Been a long time since I've seen the show, but it figures they'd have used more than one 500, figuring most viewers wouldn't notice--just like the Corsairs the Blacksheep flew. Remember on Hawaii Five O when a United 747 would be shown on approach, then we'd see B-52 landing gear biting the pavement? Good enough for TV.

For 1/32, you'd need to fix the skids and windows on the Revell kit to get to one version of TC's chopper.

Wish Hasegawa had done an OH-6A too. The Tamiya one is probably 1/50 and dates from the early 70s, and is pretty hard to find these days.

The ASW kit has the real high skids--hadn't noticed the difference before, but they're taller than the ones in your web shot.

[AirMedical]

Only the odd bunches notice things like that.

Like myself ! :lol:

I saw the 500Cs used on some fill in shots. Of course, there I am on the sofa going, "nice try guys!"

A good example is, on the TV show ER. There was a scean with the late Dr. Mark who was in a high skided Bell Long Ranger transporting a patiant when the Bell experianced mechanical difficulty, forcing the pilot to do an autorotation into a junkyard.

When they exited the helicopter, it was then a low skided long ranger with a different paint job. "Nice try guys!"

By the way, the Tamiya 1/48 OH-6A does not need the rear door changed. It reminds me of the Hasagawa 500's. Looks like a very nice kit. Here.

[Archangel]

Well I have the kit here some place but I'm going to need time to see if the instruction sheet is still around. I can scan it in and send it if I find it. Also if you have one testors made a huges 500/OH-6 kit with tow missiles in 1/48th scale. you could use that and also make the 500's from Airwolf with guns and rocket pods.

[Archangel]

I just checked and I found the model but the intruction sheet is missing. All I have is the decal sheet to use. Looks like I'll have to find pictures for referance myself or find a new kit. In the mean time here I'm going to google some pictures.

Thats all I could find that might help. The color call out for the instruction sheet just said to paint it brown and add the decals. There should be a good dark metalic brown in the Testors Model Master paints for cars that comes close. I seem to remember the real helicopter having a metalic brown color for the base.

Edited January 15, 2007 by Archangel

[AirMedical]

Here's more pics from the Magnum P.I. show. Which include the 500-C. Told ya! <_<

Extra high skids.

I'de say they probably used 4-5 different 500's.

[AirMedical]

O0ps!

Edited January 15, 2007 by AirMedical

[Silverback]

Thats all I could find that might help. The color call out for the instruction sheet just said to paint it brown and add the decals. There should be a good dark metalic brown in the Testors Model Master paints for cars that comes close. I seem to remember the real helicopter having a metalic brown color for the base.

Several years ago Humbrol had something called Cannon Bronze. It was a beautiful match for the metallic brown on TC's chopper. Testors 'little bottle" yellow and orange should handle the rest.

SWMBO never missed an episode of Magnum, P.I., and she was real good about dragging me over to the screen whenever the chopper was on. There were definitely several different choppers used because I spotted both T-tailed and Y-tailed versions, tall skids, short skids, skids with floats, gray interiors and tan interiors. Somehwere I may even still have the list of N numbers I compiled. Since the whole thing was a made-for-television fantasy anyway, anything you do that even looks close can be concidered correct.

Somewhere in a long-stashed zip-lok baggie are the remains of the Fujimi/Tamiya cross-kit TC chopper I built for SWMBO. It suffered some major injury at the paws of our attack cat. But, given that I can even find where the carcass is buried (model, not cat), my rendition of TC's chopper may be resurectable.

Phil

Edited January 15, 2007 by Silverback

[Fred Garvin]

I used to work for Hawaii Pacific Helicopter back in the day. The Magnum PI bird was a 500D (N1095A according to my log book). A former USMC Phrog pilot named Steve Kux used to fly her and it was owned by Jetcopters out of California. They used the bird for other films, commercials (mostly Japanese) and other stuff as it was losing money if it just flew for the few Magnum PI slots. Steve crashed 95A (runaway trim) during a sling load and I think the iterim bird was a 500C formerly owned by Menehune Helicopters (I think). ANyway, that's as much as I can remember but I do know that the paint scheme was a standard H-500 scheme albeit in several different color variations. Our 500D (43T) was painted the same way only with orange/green/white. Oh yeah, the pop-out floats were only on the bird for a couple seasons.

Edited January 16, 2007 by Fred Garvin

[JackMan]

I'm liking this thread very much! Lots of very good info! Great pics too! Thanks chaps B)

I have the ASW version of the Academy kit as well as the Israeli (IDF) attack version of the kit. Like BMH posted above, the ASW kit does come with the high skids and I was hoping to use that for the metalic blue Taiwanese bird that's depicted on the boxtop. I was planning to use the IDF one for T.C's chopper. The ASW kit comes in dark blue which might be a hinderance while painting the yellow of TC's bird (worried about see-thru effect). The IDF kit is molded in tan colour so it's easier.

I gather from the posts here that different versions were used for the TV series. So I guess I can't really go wrong if I use either the high skids or the low skids. I'm thinking I'd rather use the short skids so that it won't look too odd sitting next to my Revell Magnum's red Ferrari. Because of the different scales, a high skid chopper might look too odd next to the low, ground-hugging car. Then again, the high skids are attractive. Hmmm...decisions, decisions. B)

Speaking of all things Magnum, does anyone have the Island Hopper Vanagon?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...mMakeTrack=true

I've seen that thing go up to about $60 on Ebay :o . I'd like to have one but there's no way I'm paying that amount for it. Anyone have that kit and can send me a scan of the decal sheet? I'd rather get a cheapo Vanagon & make my own decals.

Archangel, I'd appreciate it very much if you could send me a scan of the chopper's decal sheet. My e-mail's : jega_cis@yahoo.com.

There's no hurry so please take your time.

Anyone else have the instruction sheet?

[Archangel]

I'm liking this thread very much! Lots of very good info! Great pics too! Thanks chaps <_<

I have the ASW version of the Academy kit as well as the Israeli (IDF) attack version of the kit. Like BMH posted above, the ASW kit does come with the high skids and I was hoping to use that for the metalic blue Taiwanese bird that's depicted on the boxtop. I was planning to use the IDF one for T.C's chopper. The ASW kit comes in dark blue which might be a hinderance while painting the yellow of TC's bird (worried about see-thru effect). The IDF kit is molded in tan colour so it's easier.

I gather from the posts here that different versions were used for the TV series. So I guess I can't really go wrong if I use either the high skids or the low skids. I'm thinking I'd rather use the short skids so that it won't look too odd sitting next to my Revell Magnum's red Ferrari. Because of the different scales, a high skid chopper might look too odd next to the low, ground-hugging car. Then again, the high skids are attractive. Hmmm...decisions, decisions. B)

Speaking of all things Magnum, does anyone have the Island Hopper Vanagon?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...mMakeTrack=true

I've seen that thing go up to about $60 on Ebay :o . I'd like to have one but there's no way I'm paying that amount for it. Anyone have that kit and can send me a scan of the decal sheet? I'd rather get a cheapo Vanagon & make my own decals.

Archangel, I'd appreciate it very much if you could send me a scan of the chopper's decal sheet. My e-mail's : jega_cis@yahoo.com.

There's no hurry so please take your time.

Anyone else have the instruction sheet?

There are 3 attachments to the email on its way to you. Let me know if this works out.

[JackMan]

There are 3 attachments to the email on its way to you. Let me know if this works out.

Replied to your e-mail

[AirMedical]

Yo Jackman! Glad to be of help.

I just picked up a mint 1/48 5000-D CHP myself with TCs scheme in mind. $8 out the door.

Have seen the kit go for over $25 on ebay.

Hope you guys will post some pics of your work.

;)

[Tony P]

Looks like they didn't know what side a chopper captain usually sits!

[av8shunmodels]

Not to mention the fact that Tom Sellic (Sp) has his FINGER on the TRIGGER or dangerously close to it and is about to put TC's helo into the shop for some UZI induced Perspex repair. What a dork.

Paul

[Hajo L.]

LOL, and if you know the UZI you know that even a lock set on safety is no guarantee for not spraying the whole magazin out... ;)

HAJO

[AirMedical]

The 500 (600 also) is one helicopter that is captained from the left side. Not sure why.

Edited January 21, 2007 by AirMedical

[Tony P]

I stand corrected. I did not know that. Cheers AM.

[Jay Chladek]

Looks like the picture was done for dramatic effect more then anything. The MPI team as I recall seemed to know which side a chopper captain sit on in the majority of episodes. It looked to be the same with Airwolf as well (another Bellasario show) since Hawke pretty much always sat in the proper right hand seat on that bird.

The bit with the UZI is a bit dumb though, so no wonder why TC was always raggin on him for flying in the chopper.