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Been itching to start this one and got the final parts I needed today.

List of what's to do includes

  • Academy AH-64A kit
  • Eduard AH-64A Apache pe
  • Eduard AH-64D Apache express mask (Anyone know if the windshields are the same for the A and D or can I not use this?)
  • ArmyCast AH-64A/D Detail Set
  • ArmyCast AH-64 Apache engine set
  • ArmyCast AH-64 Apache accessories (weapons n such)
  • Donor decals from the Mirage AH-64A IFOR/Bosnia kit.

Opened up everything and the ArmyCast stuff looks just incredible. But there's a whole ton of cutting I need to do which makes me a little nervous.

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Sorry for glare it's the overhead light in my dining room where I do my work.

Might get to cutting here tonight.

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Forgot to mention this is my first legit helicopter in nobody knows when. So basically it's my first legit helicopter. I don't count the 1/144th one I made a couple years ago.

Should be exciting.

I've heard good things about this kit and it was killer cheap so that made it better. The ArmyCast stuff wasn't killer cheap though so I better not f them up.

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Nice one Kris. I've got that kit too, I just need to get the Armycast stuff. Was it easy to get? I always get nervous ordering stuff from overseas the first time.

-Dave

Couldn't have been easier. Only took about two weeks to get to me and was registered mail I had to sign for. I was totally happy with every aspect of the sale. The parts look incredible so much detail it's amazing.

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Pre-op

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Ninja-chop!

Not a very good job on the fire extinguisher door so I'll have to clean that up.

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Chain-gun mag opened up.

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Transmission opened up. Got to close so pic is blurry but you get the idea.

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Sadly the two beautiful bays on the port side are for a D model and don't conform to this kit at all. So Aside from the engines that's it for panel openings. Engines already come open so that's the last major cutting. There's lots of little stuff to remove but I'll do that as time goes on.

Tons of PE work as well especially in the cockpit so I'll get started on that soon. Had my wife print out the instructions so they would be bigger (thank you eduard) so I'll have those later tonight.

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Started on some cockpit work. This is the smallest or I've use and amazingly I'm having the most success with it as well. Pretty impressed with how the pit is turning out regardless of if it's accurate or not.

Let's see if I can figure out how to post pics while on my phone.

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There's more by its too small to photo.

K

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Man re-looking at those seats in picture form they look terrible. I think I'm going to change them to a dark grey since the belts look almost bluish. Only pic I found online showed them as a khaki green/tan but whatever.

Lots more pics later I've got a lot done.

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Almost ready to close it up...

Removed kit locators for engine parts to receive the resin engines.

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Still some filling to do but getting there.

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Cockpit tub and all other parts in prior to close-up.

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Transmission helped along with a couple resin blocks.

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The transmission was tricky to get to fit properly. I think I've got it where it should be now. Everything else fit quite nicely.

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Tailwheel actually hasn't been a concern at all.

Fuse is together. Went together well with no filler needed. Been sanding a little and getting things ready. Also removed and attached the resin wing pylons. They fit perfectly in place of the kit parts.

I noticed that I screwed up the fit of the transmission shaft to where it would be off center so I broke off round mounts for the shaft and will replace them with wire or something when I put the shaft in. Not a big deal. Also been working on the mounts to hang the chain gun since the resin parts give you a replacement but no pin for it to rotate. Cut the kit part and glued them together. It will be a little thicker than it should be but I can live with that to get a movable gun.

Pics to follow either tonight or tomorrow. I have to get some new primer and other stuff at hobbyshop but otherwise I'm getting close to paint.

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Here's where she stands...

Wings with resin pylons.

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The resin engine surrounds cut free getting ready to be mounted.

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Just glued on the lower portion where the wheels and gun are. Need some sanding here.

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Overall view of the fuse. Some sanding done primer will show any spots that need more.

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Side view. The canopy is basically a snap fit. Which I love. I didn't bother painting the inside or adding all the pe pieces cause frankly you won't see it.

Plus that nice cockpit is now hidden forever.

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onward

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The fight goes on!

Been adding various pe pieces to the exterior.

Fit the engine compartments. Done some of the pe antenna. I'm not going to replace the kit antenna with the pe parts due to the KISS method. Only adding some things that aren't resent on the kit. I don't want to go overboard on pe because it never turns out right for me.

Not really checking any reference to see what's right or not for the bird I'm doing. I don't care about any of that. I'll just make it as close to the generalization as I can.

Both engines will be open to give it more color and flare.

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Dropped some dough at the LHS and got some more primer and other things. Also got the chromate paint!

May have primer on it in a day or two.

K

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if that's your camera... how do you take pictures? haha

sorry, that just caught my eye...

It's coming together well! How is the general fit?

Magic!

No that was the camera I used to use. Now I use my new i phone. It takes much clearer pictures and I can upload them to pbucket almost immediately.

This Academy kit is really nice. A lot of the pe detail that I'm adding is already there, the pe is just a little nicer or crisper. Fit of everything is perfect so far.

This would definitely be a nice oob kit to build and is very cheap. I got this one from Squadron I think for 6$.

For example the canopy has no glue whatsoever. It slides in and basically snaps into place and there isn't a gap anywhere!

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