Flankerman Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I have just started the big Amodel kit of the Mil V-12.... ;) Double-deck crew compartment..... More photos here. Enjoy Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ResinBuilder Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I just got this kit also, plus while in St Louis I picked up a resin Russian x-helicopter by Unicraft which is tiny tiny to go with this monster. Looks good soo far........Resin Builder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Wow. That looks to be a very interesting build. Good luck, and keep us posted! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I just got this kit also, plus while in St Louis I picked up a resin Russian x-helicopter by Unicraft which is tiny tiny to go with this monster.Looks good soo far........Resin Builder Which one is that - the Mil V-7 ????? I thought I might make a Mil Mi-1 to go next to the Homer - or maybe the Kamov Ka-15 that I have already built..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ResinBuilder Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 (edited) Which one is that - the Mil V-7 ?????I thought I might make a Mil Mi-1 to go next to the Homer - or maybe the Kamov Ka-15 that I have already built..... Ken Ken, That would be the one..... Mil V-7 1957 jet helicopter MIL V-7 LINK HERE Lets see the instructions say Experimental 4-seat light helicopter with egg-shaped fuselage, skid u/c, thin triangular tail boom structure, powered by two AI-7 tip-mounted ramjets. Single protype built in 1957, first flight in 1959. Be watching your build......Resin Builder Edited September 24, 2008 by ResinBuilder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChernayaAkula Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Was just waiting for you to tackle this behemoth! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragan_mig31 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 this is huge.where will u keep this beast Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HomagerMan Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Cool subject. I've never seen this before. Can't wait to see more pics. James Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 Oooops..... I have just realised that the table on which I have put the map is actually the flight engineers station - the navigator sits upstairs in the 'balcony'... Still, you can't see it when it's installed inside the cockpit section..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 While waiting for the glue and filler to dry on the crew compartment (photos later), I decided to tackle the engine nacelles. The V-12 uses the complete engine pairs, drive trains and rotors from TWO Mil Mi-6 Hooks !!! Amodels nacelles are injection-moulded and are made up from no less than nineteen parts per nacelle (not including the grab handles).... The instruction sheet is just an series of exploded diagrams - so I worked out a build sequence in order to get the parts together - it is quite fiddly. Having painted the insides of the two-part jetpipes and intakes, they were glued together, then the rotor hub 'platform' inside the nacelles was painted grey and glued in place - together with the rotor shaft housing.... The made-up jetpipes are then push-fitted into their bulkheads - but not glued in place - because they have to line up with the apertures in the bottom section and there is no positive location. The position of the jetpipes was then adjusted with the bottom section temporarily held in place.... the jetpipes were then fixed in place and the bottom section glued on.... I then added the nacelle front top section and the two-part intakes plus fan were glued to the intake front part..... The finished nacelle shows how the fit of the parts isn't brilliant - so it is out with the filler before I do it all over again for the other nacelle.... . Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Yowza Ken!! You don't do things by half do you? This thing looks huge. Ah, the number of times I won with this thing in Helicopter "Top trumps" :lol: remember though, less than two months until Telford :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 It will be long time with filler and sand paper! I will follow this build very closely! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 (edited) I have been cracking on with the crew compartment. This is in two halves - and you first have to add a total of SEVENTEEN separate glazed windows. There are no 'ledges' on which to fit them - and I had to trim the glazing AND the window apertures on every one to get them to fit. If they are too small for the opening, they just pop straight through, too big and you have to force-fit them - its a nightmare! It would have been better if Amodel had supplied them as a single part - at least for the front window section. Or - better yet, moulded the whole front end in clear plastic!! Anyway, once the windows were cemented in place (trying not to get any glue on them), I added some curtains to the bubble windows - as seen in photos of the real thing at Paris... The two cabin halves are supposed to be cemented together, then upper deck is supposed to be cemented to the lower and the whole assembly just slides inside - at least that's what the instructions say! In the above and below photos, I am test fitting the parts - but because of fit problems, I cemented the lower deck in place first - then cemented both halves of the crew compartment together - then slid the upper deck into place - after LOTS of 'fettling' to get it to fit! Here is the upper deck in place - showing the navigators seat in the upper 'balcony' - a clear cover goes on later. Note the poor fit of the windows and joints. The crew compartment from the rear - note I have added plastic strip to strengthen the joints. All that interior detail is wasted though....... because once the rear bulkhead is added, you can't see it anyway! Ken Edited September 26, 2008 by Flankerman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 How big is the V-12??? I hear you ask... Well, the cargo hold dimensions are 28.15m long by 4.4m wide by 4.4m high (92ft x 14.5ft x 14.5ft). For comparison, a C-5 Galaxy hold is 121ft x 19ft x 13.5ft. I don't have a C-130 for comparison (I suspect it would fit inside the Homer) - but here is a Chinook at top, Mil-26 Halo (the world's largest helicopter currently in service) - then the V-12 fuselage. V-12 (with 'wings' temporarily attached) next the the Mi-26.... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lucien Harpress Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Absolutely beautiful, sir! If only I wasn't so poor as it was, I would definitely pick this one up. Ah, well. I guess your ongoing build will have to suffice for now. I will be watching this thread closely. Good luck! (Not that you really need it at this point...) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChernayaAkula Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Yeah! That size comparison photo is awesome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 Geez....Huge isn't it....It looks so pristine and clinical inside, by which I mean that it does not look fussy. I am sure it will turn out BEAUTIFUL!!! MY homage to "Homer" and look forward to the finished Model. Are you making this to take it Telford ....? A curious HOLMES. :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 More fantastic work Ken! As for the size - for those who don't know, the Homer was originally built to carry Scud missiles and their mobile launcher internally. If my premium bonds ever come up, I'm getting one of these for sure and painting it up in Soviet camo. Look forward to seeing it at Telford Ken. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 Great progress so far!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 Geez....Huge isn't it....It looks so pristine and clinical inside, by which I mean that it does not look fussy. I think the interior has been simplified - there aren't many pics around of it, so I guess that Amodel just did the basics. You can't see much of it anyway.... Are you making this to take it Telford ....? I am hoping to - that's why I am rushing it......... The joint between the injection-moulded crew compartment and the fibreglass-resin fuselage isn't brilliant - the cross-sections differ slightly. So, plently of filler and rubbing down is what will take the time.... Although it is huge, it is quite simple - the only complicated 'construction' bits are the cockpit and the engine nacelles. The rest are just 'add ons' - I musn't tempt fate though, the rotors might be a bit complicated - as will all that spiders-web of struts. I took LOADS of photos of the real thing at Monino - I'll try to find some time to put them up on my 'walkrounds' pages (who needs sleep - sleep is for wimps!) I plan to make the rotor blades removable for transporting...otherwise the transport box will be HUGE. Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lucien Harpress Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 I think I measured it out once, but if you measure it from rotor disk to rotor disk, at its widest point it's only a touch smaller that a B-36. My kind of chopper! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ResinBuilder Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 Your making me jealous, I wanna build mine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 Bit more progress...... The interior is a sheet of moulded vacform - which just fits inside the fuselage. I added some rails for the travelling crane, plus some pipework - just enough to add a bit of detail..... After spraying it light grey, it was 'force' fed into the fuselage - the contours of the fibreglass-resin fuselage give it its shape, no gluring required... There is an injection-moulded rear frame and edging strips that go in place to complete the job...... Amodel provide a length of thick plastic card for the floor - plus a set of framework and seats to go inside. I left the seats out (I plan to have a vehicular cargo), trimmed a few mm off the width, scored some grooves on the top surface and added a length of square-section plastic to give the floor some rigidity, before painting the top surface dark grey and sliding it into place inside the fuselage..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted September 29, 2008 Author Share Posted September 29, 2008 Meanwhile, back to the engine nacelles..... After filling all the joint lines, the nacelle was sanded smooth, the panel lines were re-instated and the grab handles added.... My photos of the real thing show that Amodel's arrangement of a row of four handles is incorrect - there are two small ones plus a longer 'towel rail' handles - which I scratch-built from plastic rod. Amodel provide eight small grab handles - but four of them are not shown on the instruction sheet. They actually fit along the sides of the nacelle - above the access panels...... There should also be a couple of small intakes on top - just behind the main intakes, I haven't found anything suitable yet. I have superglued the injection-moulded front section to the main fuselage - but there is a slight mis-match in the cross-sections - so lots of filling, sanding, more filling - before the contours match up..... More filler is need to blend in the tail cone and those edging strips..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
modelmax Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Absolutely beautiful, sir! If only I wasn't so poor as it was, I would definitely pick this one up. Ah, well. I guess your ongoing build will have to suffice for now.I will be watching this thread closely. Good luck! (Not that you really need it at this point...) Stunning work as always Ken. as my fellow ARC'er above put it, those of us finacially challenged, take plaeasure in admiring your work on such exotic aircraft. Will follow your work closely as always. Ernie A. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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