**** DONE: GB-37 1/48 Hughes 500D - Helicopters / Military a/c of BoB 1940

[T Bolt]

Hughes 500D from Magnum P.I.

User Name: T Bolt
Name: Glenn
Category: Advanced
Kit: Academy 500D Police Helicopter
Scale: 1/48th
Accessories: Scratch built modification to the landing skids

If you don't recognize this one you must have been living in a cave through the 1980s. It's the Hughes 500D helicopter seen in the TV series Magnum P.I 1980-88

Surprisingly the flashy paint scheme was not custom but is one of several standard factory designs available in the 500 series.

Many different 500 series choppers were used during the series including several 500Ds with T-tails, and a 500C the Y-tail. Some with high skids, some with short skids, and one with float skids. By far the most common configuration was a 500C T-Tail with short skids.

I will probably be making one of the 500D short ski birds but the final decision will have to wait until I get my hands on the model which is being shiped from South Korea. I do not have decals or painting instructions for this bird so it will be all mask & paint and looking at pictures

 

[parsifal]

Did the West German armed forces ever utilize this type?

In any event, this will be an interesting project.

 

[Crimea_River]

 

[Wayne Little]

Very Cool Glenn.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Glenn !

 

[destrozas]

excellent

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Nice Glenn, could be a fun build.

 

[Donivanp]

Did not know it was a standard paint scheme. I always thought it had to do with the Hawaii theme. That's cool info.

 

[T Bolt]

The kit was there when I got home late last night. I opened the box and had a quick look at it with out opening the plastic bags and it looked pretty good. I'll have a closer look and post some pictures tonight.

 

[mikewint]

colorful little bird

 

[T Bolt]

Got to put up a better picture of Tom than Andy did.

 

[T Bolt]

Here's the kit Box

And the parts. I wont be using anything from the third sprue, its for the Police version including a motorcycle I might build later

This picture shows the relative size of this helicopter when compaired to a Bf109 in the same scale

 

[Crimea_River]

I wanted one with a thumbs up and that was the only one.

 

[T Bolt]

I've decided to do at least some modifications to the model. As I said in the first post several Hughes 500D's were used through out the series but at least one of them had a long ski modification with emergency inflatable floats attached. this chopper is the one seen in the opening credits and occasionally in the first couple of seasons. The extended skies I can do with some aluminum tubing but I'll have to give the emergency float packets some thought. I've never used Muliput but this might be a good opportunity to get some and give it a try.

A couple of shots of the chopper with the extended skis and emergency float packs

The type seen most often in the show with the standard skids

After a long search in the internet the only other Hughes 500Ds I could find with the same type of emergency float packs were these Taiwanese birds. The pictures give a much more detailed look at the float packs.

 

[fubar57]

A kit is made of that Taiwanese helo but you might want to shop around, $60 seems a tad steep

 

[Donivanp]

Could this be of help?

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

This is going to be very cool...!

 

[Crimea_River]

Maybe shoe laces? I've see them used for rolled up torpedo nets on ship models.