Aggressor Supporter Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Interesting looking chopper. Watching with interest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Long sessions of filling, sanding, spray primer. check that the joint line is gone, add more filler, sand some more etc etc..... It now looks OK - as far as I can tell - but I don't like those windows.......... I have re-scribed the sanded-off panel lines and masked the windows with Tamiya tape - no Eduard masks on this one...... The V-12 always looks odd to me - with that navigator's cockpit perched on top. It looks like the main cockpit, but it isn't..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ResinBuilder Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 On the intakes you are looking for on the engines. How about if you took bomb halfs and cut off most of the front and what is left is the small end that kinda looks like a little air scoop. With the taper you might need. Build looks good, ready for paint yet? Resin Builder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loftycomfort Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Ken, I remember the Bounder kit you built fit reasonably well for a short run kit. Is it true that the part fits of the v-12 has regressed since the Bounder? Regardless of part fit, I seriously thought about buying this kit. But since the only place big enough to put the finished model is in the pantry (guess how much the wife welcomes that idea?), I'd take a pass on it this time. It's fun watching you build it, though. Cheers, Terry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 (edited) Ken,I remember the Bounder kit you built fit reasonably well for a short run kit. Is it true that the part fits of the v-12 has regressed since the Bounder? Terry, The Bounder fuselage was circular, with just a small injection-moulded nose section. The Homer is much bigger in cross-section and is square with rounded corners - so the mis-match is more pronounced. In other words, you can't just pop the cockpit section onto the fuselage and expect a Tamigawa fit - you have to 'fix' the join. I had the same problem with the Il-76 I made.... but that was resin-to-resin..... The fit of the rest of the parts on both kits is about the same (at least so far!) - except for the windows. The arrangement of just push-fitting them into recesses is a bit poor - Amodel should at least have provided a 'ledge' on the inside for the glazing to rest on or, better yet, made the whole windscreen as one part. Ho-hum....... Ken Edited October 2, 2008 by Flankerman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 On the intakes you are looking for on the engines. How about if you took bomb halfs and cut off most of the front and what is left is the small end that kinda looks like a little air scoop. With the taper you might need. That's what I am thinking of doing. Looking at my pics of the engines (it's difficult to see the intakes when you are stood on the ground 15ft below!) - Amodels shape looks a bit off - there seems to be a raised ridge at the front top going down from the rotor housing to the front intakes. Amodel just have a flat top section - but I ain't going to touch it - no-one will ever know..... Build looks good, ready for paint yet? :D Resin Builder I was just about to put a coat of primer (Halfords White Plastic Primer automotive rattle-can) onto the front fuselage to see if my join and windows looked OK - when I discovered I am right out...... I'll have to take a trip into town tomorrow... Cheers Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Impressive Ken! I admire your tenacity in the PSR phase. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 Injection-moulded flaps (2 part + 4 brackets) added to fibreglass-resin 'wings'.... The undercarriage legs are in two halves, with pivotting twin-wheel axle and compression strut. The location looks a bit weak, so I drilled out the axle joint and used brass rod for strength.... ....resulting in this..... Parts plus assembled fuel tank and heat exchanger - there are two sets of these... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 Amodel's instruction sheet would have you adding the 'wings', then all the struts (14 each side!), undercarriage, fuel tanks etc. I reasoned that doing it like that would make it almost impossible to paint the fuselage with all the struts in the way, so I am adding the strut mounting brackets, the heat exchangers, the fuel tank brackets (but not the tanks) - so that I have an assembled fuselage, wings, tailplanes, fin and all the brackets on the fuselage, so I can then paint & decal it. I will then add the struts, undercarriage & tanks later..... This is the fuselage - with the fin and heat exchanger in place - plus some of the many brackets..... Each tiny bracket has to be indentified on the sprue from the layout silhouette, then removed from the sprue, cleaned up (they are tiny! :lol: ) and attached in turn. I am doing them one-at-a-time so I don't mix them up - some of the struts need to have tiny brackets attached at each end - and a corresponding bracket added to the fuselage...... this one attaches to the undercarriage leg at the bottom end... I haven't lost a tiny bracket to the carpet monster yet ........ Building this model is like going from butchery at one extreme to micro-surgery at the other...... But I am getting lots of bangs for my bucks...... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 5, 2008 Author Share Posted October 5, 2008 (edited) Do not mock the Carpet Monster !!!! For it is quick to anger.......... No sooner had I written in my last post..... I haven't lost a tiny bracket to the carpet monster yet ........ .....when I was adding another tiny bracket - and PING! - off it went out of the tweezers and onto the floor somewhere. I made several offerings to the Carpet Monster crawling on my hands and knees muttering 'I am sorry!' - but to no avail. I searched for ages, but I can't find the part I had commited the unforgiveable sin of taking the Monster for granted. I have now had to pay due penance - scratch-building a tiny, tiny replacement bracket from plastic card. I am now going to don sackcloth and ashes (no I don't know what it means either??) and repeat a hundred times...... I must not take the Carpet Monster for granted...... Ken Edited October 5, 2008 by Flankerman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Great work, Ken! What a beast! Seems you underestimated the power of the Carpet Monster. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Ken i know those position on carpet, you are not alone.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loftycomfort Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Ken i know those position on carpet, you are not alone.... Same here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 All the major components are assembled - apart from the myriad of trusses and the rotors...... As soon as I temporarily fit in place the rear ramp and doors, it is ready for the first coat of Halfords White Plastic Primer..... Does it remind you of anything ??? It looks to me like the 'Drop Ship' from Alien...... .....just pivot those engine nacelles..... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Does it remind you of anything ???It looks to me like the 'Drop Ship' from Alien...... In some degree, yes! Ken, now that you've built quite many of these Amonsters, which one would you recommend as the first kit for someone who has never laid his hand on them? Let's imagine that the ease of build would be the main decisive factor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berkut Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 In some degree, yes!Ken, now that you've built quite many of these Amonsters, which one would you recommend as the first kit for someone who has never laid his hand on them? Let's imagine that the ease of build would be the main decisive factor. I am guessing M-50... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 I am guessing M-50... That's the one I was going to choose. It was the simplest of all the ones I have done, so far.... The fit of parts was easiest, least amount of filling, simplest colour scheme etc...... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 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! I have just got around to taking in the measurements..... Rotor diameter is 35m / 114ft 10in Double it - 70m / 229ft 8in Subtract a 3m / 9ft 10in overlap..... That gives a 'span' for the V-12 of 67m or 219ft 10in The wingspan of a B-36 is 230ft ! Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rafael Winter Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 This is really an amazing build... I love those russian monsters... If is it possible, could you take a picture with this beast in your hands ? ;) thank you very much Rafael Winter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 This is really an amazing build... I love those russian monsters... If is it possible, could you take a picture with this beast in your hands ? thank you very much Rafael Winter Ah! the wonders of modern digital photography.......... Set the camera up, put it on self-timer, change the T-shirt, step in front of the camera - bingo!!! Ken PS - I forgot to breathe in !!! ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rafael Winter Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Thanks Ken... WOW MAN THIS THING IS HUGE... ;) I CAN´T IMAGINE WITH THE ROTOR BLADES... WOW Rafael Winter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JackMan Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 My God! That thing is HUGE! That picture of you holding that kit definitely puts things in perspective :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 For a 1/72 aeroplane it would be BIG, but for a 1/72 helicopter it's just HUUUGE! Just think about the overall width when the rotors are installed... (or can you talk about wingspan on this case since it has wings) although they end well before the rotortips). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted October 7, 2008 Author Share Posted October 7, 2008 Whilst waiting for the white primer coat to dry, I made a start on the rotor hubs. On the real thing they are taken from the Mi-6, although they are 'handed' - they rotate in opposite directions... This photo shows the parts (left) and the made-up hub (right)..... I am making (throwing together quickly!) a Mi-2 to go next to the V-12 - as seen in publicity photos. It shows the scale of things...... Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Which Mi-2 kit is that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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