**** DONE: GB-35 1/72 UH-1 B ‘Huey” - Vietnam French/American War 1950-1975

[parsifal]

Sorry haven't posted photos as yet, but have made slow but steady progress. Currently applying the PE interior augmentation kit by Eduard that Ive purchased. looks better than the original, but colourisation is still causing me a small amount of grief. The Eduard kit is unpainted, and I'm choosing for the kit to pre-paint the bits as I attach them. not ideal I know, but some of the parts are too tiny for me to effectively paint them once attached. 1/72 can be frustrating from that perspective and is certainly much slower.

I will try and get to posting progress photos soon guys. photo

 

[parsifal]

Sorry guys, no photos again. Had a crisis last night. lost a part out of the airbrush as I was cleaning it, after some further prepainting. lost so much time looking for the part, didn't have time for the photo shoot and was just frustrated that I had done such a stupid thing. $60 bucks down the drain basically. Still, Ive used that airbrush for nearly 10 years, which works out to $6 per annum. It doesn't owe me much really. .

Still, before all the drama I had pre-painted the side panels just behind the pilots seats. I have ground off the superfluous harness moldings on the seats and prepared the harness for attachment. ceiling console and roof twill finishes are done. Pre-painted the two control sticks ready for attachment. Dry brushed both the centre floor consoles and the roof mounted one as well, finished in a dark charcoal finish. Attached the control thingy column next to the pilot a painted it .

Coming along, but losing the airbrush part really upset me. stupid mistake.

 

[mikewint]

Michael, don't know what part you lost but two things occur to me.
I keep a rare earth magnet on my work bench to "look" for metallic parts
Plastic and non-ferrous are another story. I keep a narrow beam flash light to shine along the floor and a small vacuum that is ONLY for "looking" for parts. I clean it out after every use and have found quite a few vanished parts/screws/nuts/springs/etc. this way.
Ebay often has broken "parts only" stuff for sale, worth a look

 

[parsifal]

I lost the nozzle........works with the needle to atomise the paint.

Have since bought a replacement, but it was frustrating.

Currently am fabricating the canvas and tubing seating in the rear bay. Wasn't happy with the kit rendition. Here are some photos of the interior. I will have to repaint the forward pary of the roof over the pilot and co-pilots stations. Didn't know they were black

.

 

[Wurger]

 

[mikewint]

Michael, try the "Parts Vacuum". I picked up a small battery powered rechargeable vacuum cleaner for about $12. Looks like a "Dust Buster" but has hose attachments. If I can't find the part by looking I'll just start vacuuming and check the collection can every few minutes. sometimes you can even hear the part being sucked up. As a bonus it cleans my work area

 

[Airframes]

A piece of old nylon stocking over the end of the hose will catch small parts before they get sucked into the cylinder.

 

[Wurger]

Yep... agree..

 

[mikewint]

It's just a small battery powered hand-held vacuum and the hose might be .5m long. Everything gets sucked into a clear plastic bin so it's pretty easy to tell if you've "found" a small part. The suction is pretty mild to begin with so I'd hate to restrict it in any way. I use it to get into those small tight recesses that lead to Neverneverland

 

[parsifal]

The way I lost it was emabarrassing. Had just finished painting for the night, and had stripped the airbrush down for cleaning I had placed the small parts in some solvent to clean them . Was cleaning the main body and the needle. got a phone call and answered it. Came back to the workshop and removed what I thought were all the small parts from the solvent bath. Didn't check properly as I normally do.. I threw out out the solvent cleaner because I thought it was empty. Came back to reassemble the airbrush, and only then did I realise that I had thrown the nozzle out. UUgh!!!!

Just the same, your suggestions are good and I will use them in future. Just not idiot proof I'm afraid. There is only so much you can do to combat stupidity.....

 

[mikewint]

Michael, been down that particular road soooo many times, it's now paved with a center stripe.

 

[Wayne Little]

Did that not too long ago myself....a simple lapse.....boy was i p!ssed at myself.....

 

[mikewint]

Experience is directly proportional to equipment ruined

 

[parsifal]

did some further work last night. in fact ive just about finished the entire insides of the kit. Has gone together very nicely and I'm happy with the results thus far. I will soon have photos of something meaningful to show guys.

 

[Crimea_River]

Photos would be good, yessiree.

 

[parsifal]

Yes, I should. will try and post tonite or tomorrow night.

 

[parsifal]

Okay, so Andy spurred me on to posting some photos ......


Cockpit stern view

Cockpit front view

IP detail

Roof interior. The ceiling insulation I made myself from puncture repair kit foil

cockpit forequarter dry fit

cockpit port side view

shell port side

 

[Wurger]

 

[mikewint]

Michael that is VERY impressive and in 1/72 yet!!! You must have a set of micro-Waldoes

 

[fubar57]

Nice innards, 1/72 PE gives me the willies