Bluesteels Bombsite

[bluesteel]

I've decided to make a diorama for my Bird Dog of Major Buang-Ly (see my thread in the Bird Dog GB - http://www.uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=106&t=261 ), showing it at the point of touchdown on USS Midway 29 April 1975. This means I'll have to make a deck segment, but also add a Huey in the background. So I'm now building an Italeri Huey.





Starting with the cockpit as always:

[Dirkpitt289]

Very cool

[bluesteel]

Sealed the fuselage. There's quite a seam on the underside to deal with, I don't think Tippex on its own will be enough. No matter how I distort the fuselage halves there's still about 1/2 mm difference on the underside. A lot of sanding and filling is needed:

[bluesteel]

Undercoats going on:





Then the first of the Olive Drab coats:





The cockpit and cabin roof isn't glued on yet as I have to insert the glass roof panels. Now there are supposed to be green tinted and I haven't tried tinting glazing yet, so I've mixed some Klear and a Revell Aqua Green and applied to the glazing, so I'll see if it's OK when it's dry.

[bluesteel]

The green Klear glazing seems to have worked. Now up on it's skids. Where I discover it's a tail sitter! There's no space for a nose weight anyway, so if nose glazing and doors when fitted don't sort it, it'll have to be a tail stand.

[Dirkpitt289]

WOW, is this a Blitz build? You're cruising

[bluesteel]

WOW, is this a Blitz build? You're cruising

It's a very easy build and the Revell Matt Acrylic dry really quickly. But I know if I tried a Blitz Build, I'd never finish in the 24hrs. If I set myself deadlines, something always crops up to prevent it...

[JamesPerrin]

Blimey Julian are you and Bruce drinking the same water or summat?

Looks to be a lovely kit of the Huey anyway.

[PaulBradley]

I might use white glue to glue the skids to the diorama.

[bluesteel]

I might use white glue to glue the skids to the diorama.

That's a good idea.

[bluesteel]

Finished the Huey. The only changes from OOB were omission of the Stars and Bars on the roof, as that was for a 1965 Huey and the ones on USS Midway, on deck or being shoved off deck didn't seem to have them. Also in the one photo of the Bird Dog landing that was clear enough, the Huey in the background didn't have 'ARMY', 'MARINES' or even 'NAVY' after the fuselage Stars and Bars, but the number 2, then another number I can make out as it's cut off, could be a 6 or a 0. SO I've made a guess and could do 207 from the decals that came with it. As it has a number and not letters it makes me think it could have been a South Vietnam Huey, in which case I think the bars of the Stars and Bars should be yellow and blue rather than white. But as the photos are B&W I can't tell.
















USS Midway dec section to build next.

[PaulBradley]

Nice! Looking at the photos, it's very hard to say if this should have SVAF or US insignia, but I'd be inclined to go with SVAF given that number presentation - I don't recall seeing US a/c with numbers like that.

Ooh, see this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... on1970.jpg;

[Dirkpitt289]

Sweet build! I think you made Bruce blush on your speed of this build.

[bluesteel]

Nice! Looking at the photos, it's very hard to say if this should have SVAF or US insignia, but I'd be inclined to go with SVAF given that number presentation - I don't recall seeing US a/c with numbers like that.

Ooh, see this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... on1970.jpg;

Good find. So it might not be far out after all.

[splash]

That is looking good.

Regards
Splash