UH-1C HUEY 1/35 Academy

[L-GREECO]

Hi friends,

7 years have passed since the last post on my previous protracted project http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/201224-building-of-mi-24v-hind-135-trumpeter/

Then I put aside my Mi-24 1/35 byTrumpeter into a long box due to lack of information and started UH-1C 1/35 by Academy.

From the beginning everything went wrong. I ordered the wrong modification. "Gunship" wanted, ordered "Frog". In this configuration there was neither the necessary rocket launchers, nor miniguns, nor  ammunition box.

At first I thought about ordering a new model, but decided to work with what i have.

And I had: the model itself, a large set of etching from Eduard, and the minigun barrels from the RB model.

The assembly began in 2012, then abandoned.

I've rebuild this model several times, repainted, broke, made again, painted, and broke again.

As a result, I realized that since I was so seriously tuned in to the ideal model, then it is impossible to move away from this path.

In the end, what was done:

1. I chose a prototype for a long time, I studied a lot of information. Stopped at the UH-1C 66-15193 nicknamed Miss Mini. There is not enough information on this bird, but I hope enough for my construction.

2. Fully threw the decals out of the box. Shoveled thousands of photos and made a set of my own decals. Made all the technical data that can only be on the UH-1. About 50 groups of technical data. More than 100 decals in total.

3. Fully sawed pilot's and gunner's seats. Approximately 55 scratchbuilded parts and 3 etched parts from Eduard went to each seat.

4. Fully made ammunition boxes and machine gun load systems for minigun M-134. 110 parts only for the ammunition boxes.

5. Fully made a folding bench, which is in the cargo hold above the ammo boxes. 37 details.

6. Modeled and printed in 3d - miniguns gear and mount system of miniguns and rocket launcher XM-21 (M-21).

This is a list of what can be seen in this post. I did a lot of things, but I will show you when I finish these elements.

Look what i got.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[midnightprowler]

The pics that show up look great.

[Rotorman]

any update on this build?

 

[L-GREECO]

11 hours ago, Rotorman said:

any update on this build?

Glad to see you here Oliver. I was working on the crew figures. Trying to make real looking clothes with paper and PVA. Almost have finished co-pilot. But two days ago my 7yo son broke his arm and I'm in the hospital with him now, after surgery. I'll try to post some pics today. Also decided to repaint instrument panel, mini guns and some other parts, don't like it flat look.

[L-GREECO]

Here is some update...

This is my first ever try of making/painting any figures.

 

Why i decided to to this mess?
Becouse i've made fully scratchbuilded seats and custom figures won't fit to it. Aslo i don't like positioning of legs and arms, they don't fit pedals and control lever.

 

1. Sanding out almost everithing from body.

 

As you can see there is no way to make perfect putty-work...

 

2. Laying first sleeve.

 

3. Pants and sleeves are ready + pre-paint.

 

4. Jacket in progress.

 

 

 

5. Vest in progress.

 

 

 

6. Finish paint and fitting. Old buddies in the cab...

 

 

Hope you guys will show me my mistakes. Only honest opinion are wellcome. So i can inprove my result.

 

Edited April 18, 2019 by L-GREECO

[Nikolay Polyakov]

On 4/19/2019 at 2:28 AM, L-GREECO said:

So i can inprove my result.

Improve?! Your scratch building skills is amazed me, especially the seats! The work on the jacket is also superb. The only thing I noticed is the very olive uniform color, but it’s a very obvious on some photos - I never saw it before.

 

I found it on a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel page, from the Meg Jones family archive:

 

I thought that the uniform was light green, as on the man on the right side. And I was wrong - so you’re done it beautiful! Interesting... Keep up the good work! 👍

 

Cheers!

Edited April 20, 2019 by Nikolay Polyakov

[L-GREECO]

7 minutes ago, Nikolay Polyakov said:

Improve?! Your scratch building skills is amazed me, especially the seats! The work on the jacket is also superb. The only thing I noticed is the very olive uniform color, but it’s a very obvious on some photos - I never saw it before.

 

I found it on a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel page, from the Meg Jones family archive:

 

I thought that the uniform was light green, as on the man on the right side. And I was wrong - so you’re done it beautiful! Interesting... Keep up the good work! 👍

 

Cheers!

Hi Nikolay! Привет, земляк :)))

Thanks for your advice obout colors. Uniform colors and details looks better in real life then on photo. I tried to make a good photo, but every time it too sharp, too bright or too dark. I think i should make a rotating video with direct light, so you can see actual details (deep multiple folds of uniform fabric) and actual colors. This paper-method allows you to make numerous microscopic folds like on real fabric. Using a dry brush, these micro folds can be made very realistic. I think i sould work a little bit on colors correction, to make more contrast shadows and lights. Also there is a lot of work with uniform details...

[L-GREECO]

Update. Ia was affraid that pilot's head will broke the upper window, so decided to make a fitting.

 

Rebuilded swashplate. Sawing, sandind, scratching. Want to make realistic look when rotorblades are in takeoff angle position.

 

Crew is ready to takeoff.

 

Doors. Not finished yet.

 

Pilot's uniform update.

 

 

Cokpit in progress.

[UH-1Mad]

very nice work on this!

[snake36bravo]

Nice detailing on the pilot, 3D print, and scratch work. Too bad the initial images dont all show up. Following like a moth that saw a flame.

 

I always preferred Bandit-6 'Pappy's Pooper' from the 118th AHC myself but it's killer either way.

[L-GREECO]

Thanks for your interest guys! I planing to make "Miss Mini" 66-15193 from 118th ahc, 15193 tailnumber. Custom decals are ready. But i still not shure about paint scheme. I have couple photos, but it isn't anought (((  If someone could help me with photo references it will be great!

[LyIgor]

Interesting build! What is the fabric on the pilots' seats?

[snake36bravo]

23 hours ago, L-GREECO said:

Thanks for your interest guys! I planing to make "Miss Mini" 66-15193 from 118th ahc, 15193 tailnumber. Custom decals are ready. But i still not shure about paint scheme. I have couple photos, but it isn't anought (((  If someone could help me with photo references it will be great!

 

You've probably got the same 3 in-country images as I do for 1969.

 

Miss Mini in 69 is interesting. Its carrying some of the older markings like the colored roof top recognition band which is early. Roof top bands were supposed to be replaced by the geometric shapes on the tail boom and sync elevators which she's also got. The geometric shapes were then replaced by tail boom bands in different colors with buzz numbers on the sync elevators.

 

Main color is FS 34087 OD

The rooftop recognition band is International Orange FS 12197

MISS MINI is in insignia yellow

The skids are not black as was more common

Tail boom has the 145th CAB Rhombus on it, white with a small insignia red inner Rhombus

The sync elevators are also not International Orange as was more common but they have the 145th CAB Rhombus on the tops and of course each side of the tail boom after United States Army. Rhombus is not present on the bottom of the sync elevators

The improved particle separator is still in Chromium Green and isn't painted FS 34087

The crew placard is black with insignia yellow lettering

The 118th Bandit door logos are in insignia yellow with black lettering and black bandit mask, no black border as on others (Note, in nearly all the 69 images available the Bandits are flying doors off. One of those calls you can make)

The Hawk-Thunderbird on the nose is flat white with a international orange 3 (note in 69 there is no additional hawk on the rear quarter panels)

The vertical spar still has the early call sign tail markings; insignia yellow horizontal band with a black 3 on it to identify as Bandit-3

All the other stencil and markings are low-visibility markings

Rotor blade tops had the 3' middle section centered painted white for visibility from above

OD Top of main rotor, black underneath and OD tail rotor with yellow tips

 

Also you can see the standard load-out in the last picture, M21 armament subsystem with M134 mini-guns and M158 7 shot tubes. The M60s were pintle mounted to the support assembly cross beam of the external stores support.

 

All images 118th AHC 3rd Platoon - Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman

 

 

,

 

Original pocket patch from the unit I own

Edited April 26, 2019 by snake36bravo
photo credit

[L-GREECO]

On 4/26/2019 at 3:19 PM, LyIgor said:

Interesting build! What is the fabric on the pilots' seats?

Thanks! For seats i used my wife's socks, clean socks ofcourse :)))

Like this one

 

Inner side of socks goes to outer side of seats. Because there is more tiny fabric texture in the inner side.

But! i can recommend you to use clothes labels for that purpose, as a friend of mine recommeded me (actualy i didn't try this method), but the texture of label are pretty much better thean on socks.

Just take a look 

[L-GREECO]

On 4/26/2019 at 6:21 PM, snake36bravo said:

 

You've probably got the same 3 in-country images as I do for 1969.

 

Miss Mini in 69 is interesting. Its carrying some of the older markings like the colored roof top recognition band which is early. Roof top bands were supposed to be replaced by the geometric shapes on the tail boom and sync elevators which she's also got. The geometric shapes were then replaced by tail boom bands in different colors with buzz numbers on the sync elevators.

 

Main color is FS 34087 OD

The rooftop recognition band is International Orange FS 12197

MISS MINI is in insignia yellow

The skids are not black as was more common

Tail boom has the 145th CAB Rhombus on it, white with a small insignia red inner Rhombus

The sync elevators are also not International Orange as was more common but they have the 145th CAB Rhombus on the tops and of course each side of the tail boom after United States Army. Rhombus is not present on the bottom of the sync elevators

The improved particle separator is still in Chromium Green and isn't painted FS 34087

The crew placard is black with insignia yellow lettering

The 118th Bandit door logos are in insignia yellow with black lettering and black bandit mask, no black border as on others (Note, in nearly all the 69 images available the Bandits are flying doors off. One of those calls you can make)

The Hawk-Thunderbird on the nose is flat white with a international orange 3 (note in 69 there is no additional hawk on the rear quarter panels)

The vertical spar still has the early call sign tail markings; insignia yellow horizontal band with a black 3 on it to identify as Bandit-3

All the other stencil and markings are low-visibility markings

Rotor blade tops had the 3' middle section centered painted white for visibility from above

OD Top of main rotor, black underneath and OD tail rotor with yellow tips

 

Also you can see the standard load-out in the last picture, M21 armament subsystem with M134 mini-guns and M158 7 shot tubes. The M60s were pintle mounted to the support assembly cross beam of the external stores support.

 

All images 118th AHC 3rd Platoon - Dick "Teeny Bopper" Rissman

 

 

,

 

Original pocket patch from the unit I own

 

 

Thanks alot for that! Can i ask for a favor? If i make a colorful drawing of all marks and sights for this helo, can you tell me is everything is right or not? Before i started to paint work on helo. Don't want to make any mistakes.

Edited April 28, 2019 by L-GREECO

[snake36bravo]

On 4/27/2019 at 7:29 PM, L-GREECO said:

 

 

Thanks alot for that! Can i ask for a favor? If i make a colorful drawing of all marks and sights for this helo, can you tell me is everything is right or not? Before i started to paint work on helo. Don't want to make any mistakes.

 

I already had a profile for Miss Mini that I did.

[Rotorman]

Are you doing  seatbelts on the pilots seats and back seating area?

Edited May 5, 2019 by Rotorman

[L-GREECO]

6 hours ago, Rotorman said:

Are you doing  seatbelts on the pilots seats and back seating area?

Hi Oliver,

Yes, i've made seatbelts from Eduard photoetch, but i don't like them. I want to remake them with Tamiya tape or with clothes labels.

[L-GREECO]

Guys, i need your advice. I messed up with that pilots figures. Nothing goes right. I wanted to make a action diorama, like "rescuing trooper" in the Vietnam field. But now i realise that it going to be a crazy sized dio. And that figures don't want to take their places. Pilot is ok. But the co-pilot/gunner is the real mess. It is not possible to make his hands fits the aiming stick. Especially it unreal to make co-pilot's hands position before i assembled and glued all the interior. But it will not be possible to place co-pilot after interior is done. That is the real paradox.

So now i thinking about to make a staic dio "Miss Mini on the rest", something like on this photo.

A small sized dio with no figures. Or maybe only pilot siting on the cargo floor and drinking a can of Coke after a hard ride.

What do you think abot it?
Maybe someone can help with a photos of US landing pads like on photo above? I have a couple but it isn't anough. Need more details.

[Rotorman]

31 minutes ago, L-GREECO said:

Guys, i need your advice. I messed up with that pilots figures. Nothing goes right. I wanted to make a action diorama, like "rescuing trooper" in the Vietnam field. But now i realise that it going to be a crazy sized dio. And that figures don't want to take their places. Pilot is ok. But the co-pilot/gunner is the real mess. It is not possible to make his hands fits the aiming stick. Especially it unreal to make co-pilot's hands position before i assembled and glued all the interior. But it will not be possible to place co-pilot after interior is done. That is the real paradox.

So now i thinking about to make a staic dio "Miss Mini on the rest", something like on this photo.

A small sized dio with no figures. Or maybe only pilot siting on the cargo floor and drinking a can of Coke after a hard ride.

What do you think abot it?
Maybe someone can help with a photos of US landing pads like on photo above? I have a couple but it isn't anough. Need more details.

do what now. Why cant u put pilot gunner inside again.  not sure i understand

[L-GREECO]

1 hour ago, Rotorman said:

do what now. Why cant u put pilot gunner inside again.  not sure i understand

I mean this

There is too much space between sight grip and gunners hand.

[L-GREECO]

And one more question. Did the Huey crew ever flight with 3 crew members (pilot, copilot, door gunner) or only 4 (pilot, copilot, door gunner, crew chief)? Because i have only 3 figures :facepalm

[Rotorman]

2 hours ago, L-GREECO said:

I mean this

There is too much space between sight grip and gunners hand.

reposition the sight grip control on the other side of the overhead panel so  it fits in pilots hand.

[snake36bravo]

The flex sight could be elevated and adjusted in many ways. You could move it laterally left and right and vertically up and down. I have Bravo-6 pilots for mine and am modifying their M-60 tank crew for door gunners. Much more dynamic IMO. And yes Academy/MRC shorted us all 1 door gunner in their kit and as you pointed out have short comings.

 

The answer on the crew is 4. You had two have to gunners to cover on each side and the break coming out of a gun run and 2 pilots in the event one was incapacitated.  Your typical flight crew consisted of the AC, Aircraft Commander and senior pilot, the Peter Pilot which is what the Co-pilot was called who had lower hours than the senior and was still proving himself to rate an AC slot, your CE Crew Chief/Door Gunner who was in charge of the maintenance and another Door Gunner who was cutting their teeth for their own CE slot once they also proved themselves worthy.

 

Here are some images of the reflex sight from USAAM (US Army Aviation Museum) courtesy of Ray. You can see it in different positions throughout these images.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2019 by snake36bravo

[L-GREECO]

46 minutes ago, snake36bravo said:

The flex sight could be elevated and adjusted in many ways. You could move it laterally left and right and vertically up and down. I have Bravo-6 pilots for mine and am modifying their M-60 tank crew for door gunners. Much more dynamic IMO. And yes Academy/MRC shorted us all 1 door gunner in their kit and as you pointed out have short comings.

 

The answer on the crew is 4. You had two have to gunners to cover on each side and the break coming out of a gun run and 2 pilots in the event one was incapacitated.  Your typical flight crew consisted of the AC, Aircraft Commander and senior pilot, the Peter Pilot which is what the Co-pilot was called who had lower hours than the senior and was still proving himself to rate an AC slot, your CE Crew Chief/Door Gunner who was in charge of the maintenance and another Door Gunner who was cutting their teeth for their own CE slot once they also proved themselves worthy.

 

Here are some images of the reflex sight from USAAM (US Army Aviation Museum) courtesy of Ray. You can see it in different positions throughout these images.

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for such a valuable information! Can I ask you, is it worth to buy bravo6 crew? Thinking about buying it (crew and gunners), but it costs 40$ here in Russia. Is it better than mine paper maded pilot?