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OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. 1/35 scale MRC Kit


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Hi guys,

It's time for some updates.

After I had done with the tail cone and all that stuff, I put my hands on the 'pit.

Since my motto is 'Complicating as much as possible', I managed to improve cockpit's flooring.

I used thin aluminum sheet and engraved lines on it with the use of Tamiya's fine saw. I just held the saw

with my fingers and run it crisscross the sheet pressing the saw against the sheet.

Since I used nothing to guide the saw, the lines turned out a bit curved. But I think it's OK.

Well, this is how it looked like:

1. Aluminum sheet leveled with small wooden bar wrapped with fine sandpaper.

51947--50959384-400-u41e85.jpg

2. This is how I was holding the saw:

51947--50959388-400-u97618.jpg

3. The engraved lines.

51947--50959387-m549x500-ua30cf.jpg

4. Cockpit flooring now engraved:

51947--50959391-m549x500-u9cc3a.jpg

Then I cobbled up all that pedals stuff and fixed it with CA and Tamiya cement.

This is how the flooring looks like with all the stuff added:

51947--51036468-400-ua3b83.jpg51947--51036475-400-uce2ad.jpg

I don't think I discovered America here but I just share my way of making engraved flooring and I hope it helps. :)

Critique, comments are welcomed.

Well, now I would like to appeal to all KW experts and who deal with the whirlybird. If some of you have got a couple of images of the inst. panel located between the pilot seats, please share.

BTW, some images where the panel is partially visible say that there are at least four different panels. Some panels have switches and tumblers on their fore portion, on some of them all those switches and tumblers are deleted. Some panels have turning knobs on the fore portion, some have them almost amid. So I need an advice: which panel should I use on my Kiowa?

Thank you in advance.

Cheers and happy modeling!

Alexander

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Well, now I would like to appeal to all KW experts and who deal with the whirlybird. If some of you have got a couple of images of the inst. panel located between the pilot seats, please share.

BTW, some images where the panel is partially visible say that there are at least four different panels. Some panels have switches and tumblers on their fore portion, on some of them all those switches and tumblers are deleted. Some panels have turning knobs on the fore portion, some have them almost amid. So I need an advice: which panel should I use on my Kiowa?

Try these:

DSCN8535-1.jpg

DSCN7955.jpg

ExternalStoresJettison-1.jpg

DSCN8661.jpg

Floyd

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Hi guys,

Thank you much for your interest and encouragement. :rolleyes:

I just cobbled up some cockpit stuff and still looking for images to cover the cockpit left side wall. I have no nice photos

of the in-question area. :crying2: If you have got any, please, share.

Well, some images to show my progress so far:

51947--51307159-m750x740-u89ff3.jpg

51947--51307160-m750x740-u2d7af.jpg

Thanks for looking!

And thank you in advance for images of the left side wall.

Cheers!

Alexander

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Hi guys,

Now I want to share with you my way of simulating quilts (or what a words stands for it).

Firstly I made a sort of tool. I used thin still tape and removed excessive material with the help of needle files. :)

Then I used the tool as a scriber to make parallel grooves on a thin sheet of polystyrene just like shown below:

51947--51363373-m549x500-u5ca55.jpg

After all the grooves had been done I treated the surface with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement so that the cement would melt the grooves slightly.

After such a treatment the surface looked more life-like. :)

51947--51363375-m549x500-u35cbf.jpg

Now it's time to cut a piece to the size...

51947--51363381-m549x500-u8593b.jpg

...and glue it onto the place.

51947--51307162-m549x500-u7dfc7.jpg

That's it!

Warning! If you are up to repeat my trick, use the cement on the open air or at least in well-ventilated area because the

cement vapors hazardous and irritative and may cause allergy. :wacko:

Take care!

Alexander

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you are really doing a fine job here, alexander! amazing to watch.

Hi Karl,

Thank you, my friend, for encouragement.

As I can see, you are in the home stretch with your Fulcrum build. ;)

Can't wait to see her completed.

Cheers and happy modeling!

Alexander

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Hi guys,

So as requested images of the cockpit left side wall are yet to come, I managed to wave aside my cockpit deals and switch over to some small

improvements here and where the body.

I found that ammo can pedestal (or how to call it) looks a bit "slipshod". So I hardly resist to remove it and replace with the new one.

It was not quite an issue what material to use to simulate a new "pedestal". It would be copper sheet. Since I'm not up for home photo-etching yet

and have no mill, I managed to use soldering iron to make the thingy.

First I cut four geometrically similar pieces from the copper sheet, leveled them and then soldered them together. After that I removed some material from that soldered "monolith" with the use of needle files to obtain something looking like that:

51947--51579829-m549x500-u009a2.jpg

After that I separated the pieces:

51947--51579831-m549x500-u5ce68.jpg

Then I cut six more shorter pieces, inserted them between the bigger ones and gave them soldering iron. :)

This is how it turned out:

51947--51579835-m549x500-ud88bd.jpg

After that I cut suitable piece from a thin brass sheet to be a flange after all the pieces are soldered together.

I fixed the brass piece or tape, if you want, and the "monolith" on a piece of wood, like that:

51947--51579838-m750x740-u8e0d2.jpg

Of course, I used soldering acid (be careful while using the stuff and wear eye-protecting means).

When all the parts had been bonded together...

51947--51579842-m549x500-ub81c0.jpg

...I cut the brass piece so that to leave 1.5 mm from each side and removed a piece of the monolith from the "pedestal" top:

51947--51579845-m549x500-u04d45.jpg

Well, then I rounded the brass piece to give it a true shape and drilled out four holes so that then to fix the pedestal on the fuselage.

51947--51579850-m549x500-u25d10.jpg

After that I gave the pedestal a true shape and released it from the "monolith". Then I CA'ed bits of plastic to the top and this is how

it turned out:

51947--51579859-m549x500-uc77e9.jpg51947--51602397-m549x500-u8102c.jpg

And this is a dry-fit try:

51947--51602399-m549x500-u27306.jpg

I think it looks pretty nice. ;)

I hope my "trade secret" will help you to solve some likely issues.

Cheers and happy modeling!

Alexander

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Hi guys,

Merry Christmas and very Happy New Year to everyone! :santa:

Thank you for looking and encouraging.

Hey Floyd, eagerly waiting for the images to arrive. ;)

Well, some more updates before leaving for Christmas holidays.

I found that the left side brackets are on wrong position and I couldn't resist to help the situation.

This is a comparison of the in-kit brackets with their true position on the real thing:

51947--51674222-m750x740-u6f8c2.jpg

And this is how the brackets look being repositioned:

51947--51652639-m750x740-ue0c7c.jpg

Then I finally attached ammo can "pedestal" with the use of CA and copper wire "rivets".

51947--51652637-m750x740-u042bd.jpg

And this is how the "rivets" look from inside:

51947--51652638-m549x500-u7ff58.jpg

Cheers and very happy modeling in new 2012!

And enjoy your Christmas holidays!

Alexander

:beer4:

Edited by Eastern
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