Subject: Re: HASEGAWA HUGHES 300 CALYPSO CHOPPER EGG PLANE
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Keith Chambers" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 11:15:27 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Keith Chambers 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 11:16 AM
  Subject: HASEGAWA HUGHES 300 CALYPSO CHOPPER EGG PLANE

                    Gallery Article Template

                    "HASEGAWA HUGHES 300 CALYPSO EGG CHOPPER EGG PLANE" 

                    by "KEITH CHAMBERS"
                    -------------------- 

                          Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

                    This is my modified version of the Hasegawa Hughes 300 Egg Plane helicopter.  I have always admired Couesteau's Calypse exploration ship and the little Hughes 300 they flew for observation.  The similarities between the prototype and the Hasegawa kit looked feasable and I jumped into building it.  I gathered as many photos as I could find on the 300 and got started.  I bashed several kits in the process of making this one.  I made pontoons from the drop tanks of two 1/72 F-16 kits.  After a few modifications, I had the pontoons done. Next I found a set of decals from the old Revell Calypso kit for the helicopter, except the decal on the nose which I had to print larger to look closer to scale.  The engine is plain on this kit so I used solder to form intake and extaust pipes.  I built a small intake box below the cab with PE screen for the intake. The muffler was also a scratch build from plastic tubing.  

                          Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

                    I removed the head rests from the kit seats and ordered some old WWII PE seatbelts to use inside the cockpit.  Those are tricky wickets.  I wanted the doors to be open the same as the prototype and had to figure out how to do that.  After messing up my first model and scrapping it, I figured out how to do it;  I completed the interior and set it aside after painting.  After masking off the canopy and painting it, I used my Dremel and sanding files to open the doors.  The interior was then inserted without any trouble. By the way, to avoid marring the clear canopy, I used Future Floor Polish to attach the interior and other parts on the model. It works as good as glue!  I used a spot light from an old police cruiser for a landing light and stretched clear red sprue for the light on the tail boom. After adding scrap plastic details here and there, I used a piece of brass wire to form a guard for the tail rotor, applied the decals, coated them, and it was done.  The Hasegawa Egg Planes are suitable for some extra detailing and a lot of fun to build when you need a break from those tedious scale builds.  I hope this inspires you to take a crack at these fun kits.  They're fun and relaxing too.
                    Keith Chambers

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

                            

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