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1/48 USAF UH-1H trainer


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Well I guess I need to start this baby off if I'm ever going to finish.  I hope i can pull this off.  Trying to turn this:

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into this:

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The first big thing i did was tape the two fuselages together and remove the old vents on the transmission cover:

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I need to clean it up a but, but the Fireball Improved Particle Separator fits pretty darn well:

IPS%20mod%203_zpsbnxp06lw.jpg

 

Next I removed the hook and square antenna on the belly.  I will have to fill in the hole from the antenna (which long bodied Hueys don't have) and figure out if i want to tackle making a hell hole for the hook:

Belly%20mods%201_zpsobm92yhh.jpg

 

Next I carefully removed the jump door, filled in the three small holes in the B pillar behind the pilot, and opened the engine air screen areas to receive the PE screens.  You can see the upper fuselage half has the mods and the lower one does not.  I think I will open the right side doors and leave the left closed.  I really like the look of a closed up Huey but want to show off the inside as well.

fuselage%20mods%201_zpsp8lpdkuv.jpg

 

The last bit I have done so far is to move the pedestal instrument panel form the Italeri UH-1D cockpit floor (top) to the ESCI cockpit floor (bottom):

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I also placed the Cobra Company seats from the UH-1C upgrade kit.  Coming along slowly but surely.

instrument%20panel%20swap%202_zpsahocw5v

 

Onwards and upwards!

   Ray

 

 

 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, scotthldr said:

Great looking subject and looks like an interesting build ahead. The CC seats look undersized though?

Scott,

  Here is the CC set compared to the kit part on the left and the Monogram Huey Hog on the right.  I think the kit part is too big to be honest and the CC part will look bigger once the armor panels are put on.  One thing is for sure, the CC set is a significant upgrade!

    Ray

 

seats_zpsf0bsbpnq.jpg

 

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Thanks for the kind words of encouragement guys.  Here are a few odds and ends i have been working on.  I used a razor saw and transferred the overhead panel from the Italeri kit to the ESCI part.  The ESCI IP and panels are all represented by decals so a upgrade was in order.

 

overhead%20panel_zpsl90mh3pi.jpg

 

 

One of the major errors in the ESCI kit is the cabin door windows.  They should be the same size, but on the ESCI door (top) they clearly are not.  The easiest fix is to use the Italeri part.  I sanded the rivets down on the Italeri door so it will match the rest of the ESCI kit and as you can see from the modified door on the left, I had to sand the height of the door down a but to fit the ESCI kit.  Otherwise it is a very easy replacement and a major upgrade in accuracy.

cabin%20doors_zpsyrxzhiof.jpg

 

The last little thing was adding some PE to the gunner's pocket back wall. It si not entirely accurate to what is really there, but someone once told me modeling isn't necessarily duplication but representation and i think it looks better than nothing.

 

cabin%20wall_zpsismp6dg8.jpg

 

Well that's it for the moment.  Slow and steady I'm afraid.  

    Ray

 

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Thanks for all the kind words guys.  For tonight's installment, the instrument panel.  

I decided to use some Eduard PE I had for the Huey Hog kit.  As an aside the instrument panel PE had a large metal tab I had to cut away.  I'm still not sure what it was for.  Anyway, here you can see the ESCI panel on the right, the Huey Hog panel on the left and the PE panel below.  I decided ot just use the Huey Hog instrument panel that the PE was designed for since it was closer to the actual dimensions of the PE.

Instrument%20panle-1_zps8chd1qdx.jpg

 

Here's what the top of the cowling looks like on the Huey Hog part:

instrument%20panel%202_zps193sw1e7.jpg

 

This is not what a UH-1H cowling looks like.  Luckily i had a handy reference in the garage:

instrument%20panel%209_zpsphaeflev.jpg

 

so I sanded the detail form the kit part and with very thin styrene added my own interpretation of this pattern:

instrument%20panel%206_zps6vmctmge.jpg

 

I melted the styrene to the cowling and after paint, I think it looks pretty decent:

instrument%20panel%207_zpsnbqeiezq.jpg

 

Now for the instrument face.  The first task was to scrape off all the detail and I also added the small lights along the top of the cowling:

instrument%20panel%205_zpsnxdqsqpk.jpg

 

The panel itself is too short for the PE so I extended it with styrene.  the white background meant I didn't have to paint before adding the film with the instrument faces as well.

instrument%20panel%204_zpswzeovwfb.jpg

 

I glued the instrument film to the styrene with Future.

 

instrument%20panel%203_zpspzrd6l6a.jpg

 

Then I painted the PE panel and added a bit of color with some red here and there.  Not totally accurate, but i like the way it looks.  By way, I used black gray and I really like it since true black is hard to find on real world parts.

instrument%20panel%208_zpsuhcpl6kh.jpg

 

Not perfect, but good enough for me.  Now on to the rest of the cokpit!

Ray

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