It's begun!

[tonyb6000]

Thanks for your kind comments.

Had a slow night waiting for the Micro-Sol to work it's magic so I played around with some different weathering techniques I saw on Scale Model Medic on Youtube.

I used a make up sponge to dab some silver onto the rotor blades. I figured they could get pretty mashed up with flying debris close shaves with trees etc. so I put a lot on there. Then I gave it a dark brown wash to tone it down a bit.

I tried the hairspray technique on the skids and it was really simple, again see the Youtube link.

The decals are bedding down but it's taking a lot of coats 'cos of all the rivets, but it's getting there. Looking forward to sealing them all in and getting stuck into some oil paint weathering (another first for me).

Comments welcome, cheers for looking.

Tony B

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[tonyb6000]

Another instalment and I've been experimenting with oil washes. I sealed the decals in Kleer and then applied a pin wash to the panel lines in dark brown oil paint thinned with white spirit. It's amazing to watch the capillary action fill the lines!

Inspired by Scott's (Noble) Watchers Dio I pilfered some faux fur off me dad (model railway). He couldn't get on with it for his grass but I thought it was just fine. Experimented with forming some kind of concentric circles to simulate the rotor wash and was buoyed by my success. Role on the scenic base!

Tony B

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[tonyb6000]

Another night, another coat of Klear.

Applied the rain marks tonight. Think I'm nearly done with the oil paint weathering. Then some rust for the rivets, and some oil stains, and some exhaust stains, and some more chipping, and some bullet holes...

I bravely removed the masking tape that's been on the windows for 8 months. Not too bad. Bit of glue here and there but I was expecting much worse. The books I've read all comment on the plexiglass windows being crazed and scratched up so I don't mind, I ran some rain over it and some white spirit and it cleaned up OK. The right bubble window had a bad glue run on it as it had to be stuck back on after hibernation, and this left a nasty mark. It now has a bullet hole in it.

It was nice to see the pilots again! Turns out when the cat knocked it off the stereo it dislodged the PE of the dash panel. There was no way to stick it back on so the tweezers went in the open window to retrieve the offending item. Never mind. Live to fly another day.

Tony B

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[tonyb6000]

Finished-ish...

I think I'm finished with the weathering... It's hard to leave it alone and taking the photos always shows up more bits that need fettling.

Quick rundown as this has become a personal record so I can remember what been up to:

Added windscreen wipers with chipping and clean section of screen

Sprayed buff and ochre onto lower panels for dust

Added exhaust staining

Added rust (used MIG pigment, another first, lovely stuff)

Re-chipped the skids

If I could have done anything different I would have left the wind shield a bit clearer. I think the effect is realistic but it would have been nice to see their faces!

Next, door gunners...

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[dm73]

Stunning looking 'slick' huey, the weathering is spot on. This is one of my all time favourite military vehicles and such an iconic shape.

 

[Sky Raider]

Great work Tony, looking fantastic so far.

Andy

 

[tr1ckey66]

Superb looking Huey Tony. It's great to see it come together and I'm looking forward to it's guns being manned. I know exactly what you mean about weathering, once you start there's always another spot that needs blending in or needs a bit more or some pigment taking off - you could go on for days just 'tweaking'.

Looks excellent though, great job buddy!

All the best

Paul

 

[tonyb6000]

Thanks for the kind words, I was starting to get a bit lonely down here in Dioramas!

I think I need to modify the sliding doors to open a bit further. The tabs that hold them in the slots are about 8mm long, so scale up to 280mm. It makes the opening in the pocket a bit small. I reckon some fettling could open it up a bit.

The kit comes with some very fine PE windscreen wipers, I cut out the first one and folded it up, then the cat lept onto the table and it disappeared! The second one proved that it would not cover the big ugly whole in the screen intended for the clumsy plastic version anyway, so that is what it got.

Thanks

Tony B

 

[spanner570]

Very nicely painted Huey Tony, coupled with some excellent weathering it's one impressive model.

The Vietnam conflict is my favourite 'cos I was in my early teens when it kicked off and I vividly remember the television constantly showing very harrowing and in your face filming (Sometimes live footage too)

56,000 marines killed and missing in the 10 yrs. or so......For what?

I'ts a pity there are only a few model kits from that era available in any scale, particularily figures. Strange there are more N.V.A. figures available than Marines.

I look forward to the crew being put in place. It has the makings of one great diorama.

Ron

 

[Bunkerbarge]

Great weathering job and a very good example to demonstrate a comon trap that some modellers fall into but which you have avoided perfectly. That is don't add rust to things that would not rust, such as aluminium or wood. You have only rusted the exhaust and the grill so spot on and a great model.

 

[noble]

Love the huey, the weathering is spot on this will look nice in a dio.

scott

 

[tonyb6000]

I hear you Richard, it was hard to resist the rust but I did. The rivets all rusted, and the skids were steel, but they took a lot of traffic. I figured some of the window frames might use steel components and hinges etc. The oil paint weathering gives you a lot of flexibility too, so you can clean the dust off areas after application that would end up clean, like around door handles and door edges.

I still think it looks like a 40 year old Huey but I enjoy the weathering process most of all so there you go!

Tony B

 

[Fenlander]

Looking very nice Tony. Weathering is a very subjective thing and you are right, knowing when to stop is the trick to learn first. A model like this though has to be weathered, it sist well with the character of the bird and our memories of these on TV News. Really coming on great.

 

[tonyb6000]

Got a couple of bonus hours tonight as SWMBO went out on a works do.

Had some fun with a door gunner. Trimmed the locator tabs for the sliding doors so they opened further (snapping them in the process. Doors now glued open).

Put together fixed machine gun assembly. Mixture of PE and plastic, including plastic ammo belt which snapped. Made a new one out of the PE sprue.

Assembled gunner with legs as advised by instructions. Looked like a giant and didn't fit in the pocket. I think he's meant to be modelled leaning over the edge as if shooting down from a Huey in flight. As mine is just landing this would be ridiculous. Used the crouching legs from gunner number two. Feet didn't touch the floor! Propped his feet up on a spare helmet and a spent ammo case bag. I know they wouldn't have loose junk in there but it's better than him swinging his legs around while firing the 7.62mm! Not worried about gunner number two as I have a spare set of crew from local model shop which I bought for a friend who was making a Loach. He didn't have the patience for the canopy and smashed it, so I took the crew back. Guess what? Spare ammo belt in there too! B$%@er. Oh well, I prefer my PE one anyway.

Tony B

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[tonyb6000]

Dragon Huey 1:35

Made the other door gunner tonight. Another nightmare with the plastic ammo, so another ammo belt made from leftover PE sprue. Same problems with the legs too, so another pile of junk under the boots.

If anyone is about to start this kit consider mounting the pocket seats under the baton instead of above. They are obviously too high. The guys feet don't reach the floor and their heads don't fit in the chopper!

Tony B

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[dm73]

Morning Tony, cheers for the heads up on the gunners seats, will be starting this kit in the new year, don't know if you know but his m60 was suspended from the roof by a rubber strap,

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/9484/m60bungee.jpg

Hope this helps

Darren

 

[Richy C]

Top work Tony , this is gonna be a stunna

Richy

 

[tonyb6000]

Cheers Darren. I'm aware of the bungee for the M60. I'm waiting until they are painted and glued in so I can get the tension right. If I think of anything else that will help with the build I'll let you know. The crew seem like an afterthought, and I'd definately recommend getting a spare crew.

Tony B