Subject: [Fwd: HYPERSCALE: AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER - PART THREE - RODNEY WILLIAMS]
From: Rodney Williams <[email-masked]>
To: STEVE BAMFORD <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:45:41 -0800

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	HYPERSCALE: AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER - PART THREE - RODNEY 
WILLIAMS
Date: 	Sun, 27 Apr 2003 09:42:55 -0700
From: 	Rodney Williams <[email-masked]>
To: 	HYPERSCALE <[email-masked]>

                        AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER

                               PART THREE

                          BY:  RODNEY WILLIAMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes indeed, more metal parts.  When I build models for clients I always
use two kits.  These photos show how I revised the kits "chain gun."  I
made the spring by tightly wrapping fine diameter brass wire around a
"hard" round diameter metal rod.  (You can use copper wire, if
desired).  I compress the wire coils together as I wrap the wire around
the rod.  When I have enough so called "wraps,"  I hold one end of the
coiled wire, while it's still on the rod, then gently pull on the other
end.  It will start to separate, as you pull on it.  When I have the
proper separation, I remove it from the rod.  I attach one end to the
new kit rod, then cut the rest of the surplus coiled wire off the other
end, and attach it.  I use super glue for this application.  I used
either .004" diameter, and/or .006" diameter wire.  I buy the .006"
diameter wire at my local hobby shop.  Years ago, I took apart one of my
grandson's broken "slot cars."  The tiny motor in these cars have very
fine copper wire.  I have some .003" and .004" diameter wire.  GO FOR
IT!

The gun barrel was had crafted, using copper and stainless steel
tubing.  I just drilled in tiny holes in the end of the muzzle section,
then elongated them into an oval shape.  To acquire the oval shape, I
ground off the back side of a pointed  #11 blade, until it would fit in
the tiny holes.  I just cut some copper off of each side of the holes.
I then used my "Jewelers" four inch long #4 and #6 cut needle files to
finish the job. Please don't email me and ask?:  "How big were the holes
you drilled into the muzzle?"  I don't remember, and I can't measure
them, as I do not have the model.  I could say that the holes were about
.010" to .016" in diameter.

( You can see these files when you access "Lsp" web site.  Just look for
"My Tools" under Tips & Techniques category).

I use round styrene tubing for the rocket tubes, and revised the
pylons.  I drilled out the holes on both ends of the kit rocket tubes,
and attached them to my new styrene tubes. I made all the rockets, and
painted the front ends gloss blue.

When I fit the windscreen to the fuselage, I noted that it was a bit to
wide.  I checked my second kit, and it had the same problem.  I selected
to add styrene to the fuselage, rather than thin down the clear
plastic.   Other revisions were made to the front section of the model.

Please take note when looking at this side fuselage photo.  Since it is
not an extreme "close-up" shot, it represents how fine the screen is,
which I attached to the thinned down plastic on the inside of the oval
frame work.

I hand crafted the clear, red and blue navigation lights.  The pitot
tubes were made using stainless steel tubing.

I have no idea what this "gold" looking round thing is.  I used very
thin flat brass sheet stock, (maybe .004" to .010" thick) and scribed in
the cross sections.  It was wet sanded down to 2000 grit, then polished
with "Blue Magic" metal polishing cream, then dipped into "Future Floor
Wax" a few times.   The last photos shows it installed on the model.

Part four, which concludes this story, will show several close up photos
of the finished model.

Rodney