1/35 Academy/MRC UH 60 L Blackhawk

Gallery Article by Shaun "Vapour Trail" Naude on Sept 10 2009

 

Hello once again fellow modellers! I would like to share with you today a couple of pictures of a model that was supposed to be on display at the South African Nats earlier this year but which I could not attend due to unforeseen reasons. The Model in question is the 1/35th scale Academy/MRC UH 60 L. The model is well thought out and engineered, but I felt that it needed a little something extra, hence the product you see in front of you.

I used almost no aftermarket parts save for the resin backpacks and a M1 rifle that was modified to resemble a newer type of sniper rifle and some 00 scale rail modelling resin crates. Numerous parts were scratch built to add detail.

All paints that were used are from Academy and were airbrushed using a GAV airbrush.

Weathering was done by using a variety of methods including washes and watercolours amongst others as will be discussed.

The decals depict a prison transporter as was used during Desert Storm, but I have no concrete proof that it ever flew in the configuration that I depicted it in. 

Below is a photo of the cockpit and cargo bay with a number of scratch built items.

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

The build commenced as is usual with the cargo bay and cockpit with all the main parts airbrushed in the colours as seen in the squadron walk around. The instrument panels were airbrushed flat black and then drybrushed white to accentuate the instrument panels and a wiring harness made out of telephone wire. I then built the ribs on the reinforcing arches with strips of plastic sheet as is seen on the photos in the squadron walk around. The arches were then glued to the floor section and work commenced on the pilot and co pilot seats.

I noticed that there is bins and some first aid bags mounted on the seats and set out to build the bins out of plastic card, then having glued these onto the rear of the seats I decided that the best course of action would be to cast a set of the first aid bags I did so and then after giving the bags colour CA’d it to the rear side of the seats and also onto the bins. Next I made seat belts out of very thin tin strips and glued these onto the seats. Going back to my reference photos in the walk around I then noticed two very distinct things not present on the Academy seats the first being that the pilot and co pilot armour plates were the wrong shape I decided to leave them as is with the exception of adding two almost triangular pieces of plastic sheet with the missing 3 holes drilled into them the shape was now correct. The second problem was that the cable running from the side to the rear of the seat along with what looks to be a solenoid and the release handles on the armour plates was also not to be found on the kit seats I decided that these had to be built and did so.

After completing the pilot and co-pilots seats it was time to move on to the two gunner’s seats I noticed once again that there are stowage bags of sorts behind these and decided once again to cast a set of these and then to make the seatbelts out of tin strips I then coloured these and set them aside. After having a look at the passenger seats I decided that it would constitute a boring subject if I used them and then decided that I would rather depict a bird that was used to convey ”captured enemy equipment”. In order to accurately depict the above mentioned I would have to have crates and did not have any handy. Luckily I have a very good wife and seeing my dilemma she decided that she would buy me a set of rail crates which I then put to use in my helicopter along with some more tin straps to “secure” the cargo. Next I saw that there is a fire extinguisher present in all of the birds shown in the squadron walk around and decided that mine must also have at least one: I built the extinguisher out of a piece of scrap sprue and copper wire painted it and glued it onto the right hand side support beam.

The end of the interior work was now in sight save for detailing of the cargo compartment roof which I did once again from reference photos from squadron walk around. I also decided that the helo needed a bit of character and that the two gunners would have to be two “special forces types that hitched a ride to the AOO and at the time of emplaning left their kit inside the helo and was busy catching a quick smoke nearby before maintenance on the bird ended and the journey began”. In order to depict this I modified an old Tamiya M1 carbine to a more sniper looking rifle and stuck it into the left corner behind the pilots seat I also added two resin backpacks for good measure. Lastly I decided to also add a LED light to the roof with the battery box crafted into the bottom of the bird and the switch into one of the exhausts a bit later on. Lastly I applied the decals in the interior with some future and left those to dry along with the now glued on roof section. This concluded the interior work and the sub assembly were now put aside.      

After completion of the interior I now decided that it was time to move on and have a look at the fuselage halves and then decided that it was good but not right for what I wanted!

I decided that the Blackhawk had to have open doors and cut out both of the front doors. Only after cutting them out did I start to think about the fact that they had no detail. Once again I referred to my references and then scratch built the door detail and was very pleased with what I achieved in a relative short time. I then looked towards the tail section and decided that I wanted real see through type mesh this was built again by using styrene strips after blanking the gaping hole that was cut into the bubble on the left hand side of the tail. The 2 halves were now airbrushed sand and some of it removed after drying next came some heli drab patches and blocks and lastly as preparation some black on the panel lines and some silver in places that would later serve as wear and tear on the water based desert yellow. The halves were now left to dry while I paged through the walk around deciding what was to follow..........

After the paint dried, I decided that the best course of action would be to build the battery box into the bottom of the fuselage and place the micro switch into the left hand side of what looks to me to be an exhaust port of sorts I did this and then glued the interior bay into one of the halves the other half was then glued and left to dry.

I then noticed that there was a gap between the one door sill and the cargo bay floor which I filled with Tamiya putty and sanded flat. The gaps left in front of the instrument panel and the nose of the aircraft and the fuselage and cockpit floor (this was done using plastic card and modelling putty and sanded flat later on).

Next the time came for me to cut open the nose lid and then build the avionics bay, I did so by using plastic sheet and various parts from the spares bin over a period of a week. After this was finished the fitting of all the various other small parts was done as per the instruction sheet.

After fitting almost all of the parts, I decided that I would also try my hand at building the hydraulics bay on the roof and then leave it open for display. I built the hydraulics bay out of .......yes you guessed it plastic rod and sheet and various pieces of sprue and spares from the bin. After completion it was once again painted and left to dry. The silver areas were masked off in some spots to simulate chips and also some of the previously heli drab and sand areas were also masked to illustrate wear and sun bleaching of the water based desert paint scheme. The interiors were also masked off with wet tissue paper.

The time for the coat of desert yellow was now upon me and I misted it on layer over layer to build it up to a presentable level. The painting was now complete and it was sealed in with floor polish in preparation for decaling.

The decals came straight from the box and went on without any problems and afterwards sealed with the local equivalent of future. Lastly the sealing of the paintjob was done with a matt clear cote in preparation for final weathering and pin washing.             

 All photos of helo’s that I have show them as being filthy for most part while operating in desert circumstances and I wanted to try and capture this look.

For the weathering I used pastel chalk to simulate dust on the hawk. I applied chalk liberally to all places where dust might be expected to accumulate in the desert and sealed it in with future. Next I used artists oils undiluted to simulate grease on all the shafts of the helicopter and waited for it to dry. Lastly I used watercolours to try and simulate hydraulic oil leaks; this is however the part of the build that I am least pleased with due to obvious reasons. Lastly a pin wash was applied to the panel lines to highlight them and sealed in with future and once again dull coated.

Lastly I glued the doors and the rotor blades onto the project. From start to end this project took me in the vicinity of three months.

I hope that you all enjoyed viewing my little project and happy modelling.

I would like to thank my friend Charley Deale for his constant help during the project, my dear wife for always encouraging me and last but not least Mr. Bamford for the superb site.   

Shaun ”Vapour Trail” Naude

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

  

Photos and text © by Shaun ”Vapour Trail” Naude