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OK, anyone else out there building the Kitty Hawk SH-2F start gluing stuff to the wrong side of the cabin floor...no? Just me?

On another note, I'm real good at filling ejector pins marks but if you don't have a Waldron punch and die set I feel sorry for you.

Edited by 82Whitey51
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Just remember to always never forget to keep in mind that the floor goes shiny side down.

Ahhh...there in lies the issue. In this kit, the underside of the floor is "diamond tread" in the aft cabin section. While the "right side up" is pocked with ejector pin marks (that are thankfully the exact same size as your #5 Waldron Punch...) and shiny. The positional holes for the aft bench seat and cabin gear are also present among the pin marks.

The first thing I did with the floor was attach the aft cabin bulkhead, which is "keyed" with the same size keys...i.e. it could go either way up or down and I logically went with the diamond tread...it wasn't until I went to install the collectives (good having an aviation background...) that I realized something was not right.

Edited by 82Whitey51
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Does this helo even have diamond plate on the floor? Seems a bit industrial for a helo, thought most of them just had a rough, non-slip finish. If it does have it, some aftermarket folks sell PE diamond plate (mostly used for armor kits). Might make life easier to just buy a sheet of it and cut it to fit.

Can't believe KH screwed this one up....

Edited by 11bee
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I'm happy to see that Kitty Hawk releases subjects that are long forgotten...but yes, so far the experience building this has shown some questionable engineering/parts breakdown. What could be simple...is made more complex. The wheel wells are a good example; could have been done like most any other kit, a box shaped molded part, instead, 3 sides that you must precariously hold together while gluing. The collective, attaches to a spindly support that then gets glued to the floor. Just kind of odd, there's a metric butt ton of parts in this kit.

The surface detail is pretty nice and from references I have it all looks legitimate.

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  • 2 months later...

OK, been a few months since I've posted on this kit. I'm moving right along on it, about at the phase of "fiddly bits".

I used the Cobra Company interior set, designed for the old Matchbox kit but I made a few mods here and there to get it to work. Notably, I combined the instrument panel of the CC set with the instrument coming of the KH kit to get it attached to the cockpit assembly. Here are pics of the interior:

sh-2b_zps56837b14.jpg

SH-2a_zps1080da02.jpg

sh-2c_zpsb7f6aad1.jpg

sh-2e_zps86865f10.jpg

sh-2d_zps0b5806c7.jpg

I also used the Cobra Company SH-2F correction set:

sh-2f_zps4e302ba5.jpg

sh-2g_zpscf287706.jpg

sh-2h_zps06b49972.jpg

Next up, painting and getting into the decaling...my favorite aspect of modeling!

Edited by 82Whitey51
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I painted the helo (that's Navy speak for "helicopter") Model Master "Navy Gloss Gray" FS16081...this was the color used by the USN on the SH-2, CH-46, and UH-1Ns back in the 70s/80s. Not Gloss Sea Blue.

It is often referred to as "Engine Gray" but don't confuse that with what Model Master calls "Engine Gray", FS36076...that is a much lighter gray.

sh-2j_zpse89dbb17.jpg

Test fit of the rotors:

sh-2k_zpsc01c9575.jpg

Masking the walkways:

sh-2i_zps4b77168c.jpg

I used the excellent Caracal Models decal sheet (CD48053) for the markings. I used the markings for HSL-74, a Navy Reserve squadron based out of NAS South Weymouth, MA back in the 70s and 80s. Most of us have seen Kursad's brilliant decal art work here at ARC. This sheet is another home run and I extend personal thanks to Kursad for adding HSL-74 to this sheet! The decals went down very nicely. I boogered up the engine intake warning chevrons from the sheet and had to resort to the kit decals for that area. That being said, the Kittyhawk decals are very thin and also went down nice.

sh-2l_zps2a75ac80.jpg

sh-2m_zps0813ed66.jpg

Next, it's on to the external details and some light weathering.

Edited by 82Whitey51
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Nice! Is that a replacement doghouse? If it is, whose and did it take much work to fit it?

Regards,

Yes, it's made by "Cobra Company" and it is pretty much a drop fit replacement...in fact, close examination of the part shows that the kit part itself was used to make it.

You will need to fill in the forward most slot on the top of the cabin as this "dog house" is obviously shorter. I used the tabs from the kit part and some putty to take care of that.

http://www.cobracompany.com/48062.htm

Edited by 82Whitey51
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  • 2 years later...
On 10/6/2014 at 9:53 PM, 82Whitey51 said:

Next, it's on to the external details and some light weathering.

 

Howzit coming along?  Any updates to share?

 

The more I look at the SH-2F, the more it grows on me.  

 

Floyd - any chance you could work your magic and get KH to consider a 1/35 version?   

 

Edited by 11bee
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1 hour ago, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

 

I'll try but no promises.  I want to see their AH-1Z and UH-1Y to be in 1/35th scale too

Floyd

 

I assume it's quite a bit easier to scale up an existing kit vrs a completely new design?   Regardless, I'm guessing the SH-2F is a bit of a long shot, I'd be real curious to know how well the 1/48th version is selling.  Not sure it's something that has world-wide appeal.

 

 

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