My Huey ...

[Peter Gillson]

Hi

Having shelved my WW1 diorama I am getting back to another stalled build - the Huey. This is the Dragon version with four crew figures. i will use the two pilots but I am going to replace the two gunners for resin s well as have a couple of figures on the ground.



the idea i to base the dio around the crew and one marines heading back to the Huey, but with a twist so I may well chop some of the tai off to keep it a manageable size, fortunately i don't have to make that decision yet so we will wait and see.

peter

 

[Richard48]

Hi Peter.
Chair pulled up for this one.Do like a Huey and helicopters in general.
Stay safe.
Richard.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi Richard

Apart from an Airfix Westland Scout about 40 years ago this is my first helicopter - quite exciting prospect.

peter

 

[homechild]

I’ve got a similar diorama in mind (I’m currently thinking about only having the main body of the Huey and trimming at least one rotor blade) - but that’s a long way down the line. Interested to see yours though.
One small word of warning though, 1:35 figures can vary considerably, so I’d be keen to see if the brands you buy work out or not.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi Drew

i'm going to use the two flight crew but change the gunners for Bravo 6 set.

I am just about to start painting the flight crew. i have had to do a fair bit of modyfying of both of them. Considering the crew come with the helicopter they don't fit very well. Apparently the pilot would have had both feet on the peddles at all times as well as holding the hand controls (apart from when they used to hold one between their knees when rolling ciggies!). When under fire the co-pilot would also hold the controls so that if the first was git then he could take over in an instant. More surgery on him since the figure is designed to be pointing and holding a map.

To be honest to have them both in the same pose looks a bit dull so the co-pilot is pointing which his right hand and holding a control with his left.

Unlike planes, where traditionally the pilot has the left seat and the co-pilot the right seat, in helicopters it is was other way round, sthere were exceptions to this, but it does mean that the pointing pilot is the co-pilot,

i will post some photos when they are painted. Now where is that brush ...

Peter

 

[JR]

Afternoon Peter
I'm in

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Great idea Peter - looking forward to following along. If you haven't already read it, I'd recommend Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. The first part is about his learning to fly helicopters, which is interesting in itself, and the second part is about his experiences flying a Huey in Vietnam.

 

[BigGreg]

AHHHHH it's going to be interesting.. CHAIR PULLED

 

[Peter Gillson]

John & Gregory - welcome aboard.

Peter - not read that book, I can add it to my reading list.

i forgot to take some photos of the flight crew before fitting them in the Huey, not easy to take photos but here are a couple:


the figures aren't the best Dragon figures. The details a little soft. The head were replaced by Hornet heads.

I'm not using the gunners from the kit, instead these from Bravo 6 and Legend.

Peter

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi Guys

first a link to a local news story - a friend of mine runs a business called Wheadon's Gin - not surprisingly making gin - but when the pandemic started and created a shortage of hand sanitiser he decide to use his stock of base alcohol to make sanitiser, he teamed up with a business which collects seaweed to use a product from seaweed as the gelling agent. Link here

now back to modelling. A busy time on the first of the non-pilot figures; one jumping out of the helicopter. The idea is that the whole thing will be supported off the ground by this figure.


using my trusty Dremel I carved a groove up the right leg and into his back, in this was fitted some thick wire. A hole was drilled in the other leg and more wire fitted - this was bent through 90 degrees. the idea was to drill out the kit skid and fit this wire into it. Unfortulately the plastic cross bars are not strong enough to hold the weight so I had to use some metal rod to build a new set of skids.

the first photo shows the figure in place - the red line shows where the second rod fits into the hollow skid.



the next photo shows the rest of the set of skids.


Lots more details to add to the skids, and I need to sculpt a new right foot for the figure.

peter

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Oh yes! Go on my son!

 

[scottie3158]

I'm in.

 

[Richard48]

Looking great Peter.Keep on going.
Rich.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi all

Found time to get back to this one, re-made the skids out of plastic tube. The reason was that the bent metal tube version had some unsightly buckling in it and it since I found a length of plastic tube the right diameter it was easier to make a new one than try to rectify the first version. Just remade his boot and started the brackets on the skids - some way to go.



peter

 

[Deleted member 6559]

Great work on the re-modelled skids Peter, and the figure is looking very convincing.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Peter - yes it was worth the effort.

Here is the figure painted ( the boots need finishing which I will do when the skits are painted and fixed to the chopper body

Peter

 

[yak face]

Fantastic work peter , its going to look great , at the moment though he looks like hes going sledging !

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi Tony - sledging? Hmm I could save a lot of work by changing the design! Next is the second figure, getting out of the other side of the 'copter.

Peter

 

[Richard48]

Coming along nicely Peter.Nice work.
Rich.

 

[Peter Gillson]

Hi Richard - thanks, hope yuo are keeping well.

a productive couple of days. First painting the 'copter and then fixing the skid in place. Then the real test - could the whole thing be supported by the wire through the figure? Hooray! It can!


peter
ps - it you are wondering about my not painting the tail - I'm going to chop it off to make the model a more manageable size.