James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle **FINISHED**
- JamesPerrin
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James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle **FINISHED**
For such charismatic little helicopter (I think it looks like a tadpole) as far I'm aware there is only this Airfix kit and a Fujimi one in 1/48. The kit is borderline being a GEM. Fine surface detail of finesse of some parts ( a beautiful collective, but only one!? ) is let down by the chunkiness of others such as the rotor head. The clear parts on my kit show some distortion but worse ejector pins marks in the tip of the windscreen.
The biggest issue to overcome is take I believe this is notorious tailsitter with little space for nose weight, though this is not really Airfix's fault.
It's on a tray as I'm in bed with a grotty cold.
The biggest issue to overcome is take I believe this is notorious tailsitter with little space for nose weight, though this is not really Airfix's fault.
It's on a tray as I'm in bed with a grotty cold.
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
This is a nice little kit. Have you decided on the version yet?
Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Heads up, James.
1 - You could use a piece of lead sheet for the floor, instead of the plastic item.
2 - Before you add the transparencies, be sure to paint over that red plastic, even where you'll be applying glue. It stands out something fierce, otherwise.
Regards,
Bruce
1 - You could use a piece of lead sheet for the floor, instead of the plastic item.
2 - Before you add the transparencies, be sure to paint over that red plastic, even where you'll be applying glue. It stands out something fierce, otherwise.
Regards,
Bruce
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Glad to see you on board with the Gazelle James (get well soon, good dedication there!) and it is a great little kit. Bruce's idea with the lead sheet sounds workable (depends if you've got any though) re the tail sitting issue. As you say there isn't really much in the way of space for lead shot in the front and I'll bet the space behind the cabin will not be far enough forward.
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Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
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- JamesPerrin
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
I've removed the front location pin under the floor which provides some space. I will also drill out the back of the console and add a few bits of shot in there. The rear bulkhead ~1cm forward of the rear of the skies, so I'm confident it won't tail sit even if doesn't have much downward pressure at the nose.
As to the red plastic, it'll get a shot off primer before I go near it with any other paint.
I plan to do an early helo green and black HC1. Most obvious addition will be the H aerial on the nose. At the moment I'm frottering the interior to be more accurate. Pics later.
As to the red plastic, it'll get a shot off primer before I go near it with any other paint.
I plan to do an early helo green and black HC1. Most obvious addition will be the H aerial on the nose. At the moment I'm frottering the interior to be more accurate. Pics later.
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- martin hale
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Hope the cold improves soon James it couldn't have been worse timed.
Martin
Martin
Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
If it's not too late, this might be useful:
http://www.helicomontagne.fr/QTVR/Spher ... /1024.html;
bestest,
M.
http://www.helicomontagne.fr/QTVR/Spher ... /1024.html;
bestest,
M.
- JamesPerrin
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Cheers Matt, the Army cockpit is a little different especially in colours. I've got some of my own pics from Doncaster Aeroadventure, but they don't show clearly if there are two collectives. This pic solved the mystery though.
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1179809/;
Therefore parts 1 and 7 should look the same. 7 is beautifully fine, even have the concertina of the rubber seal. However part 1 looks more like Thor's Hammer, the control box on the end being grossly out of scale. Since part 7 will be barely visible I've used it to replace part one with the addition of a more petite control box.
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1179809/;
Therefore parts 1 and 7 should look the same. 7 is beautifully fine, even have the concertina of the rubber seal. However part 1 looks more like Thor's Hammer, the control box on the end being grossly out of scale. Since part 7 will be barely visible I've used it to replace part one with the addition of a more petite control box.
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- JamesPerrin
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
This was my first attempt with the cockpit. I've ended up sanding half of the console rear so that the nose will fit. The instructions have you stick it at the end of a bit that sticks out from the floor panel. After going back to the pics, it should butt up against the step in front of the seats.
I therefore positioned it correct and rebuilt the rear of the console, incorporating a big metal box that is quite evident. There seems to be some extraneous plastic on the inside of the nose which I'm going to try and drill out to get a better fit. You can see evidence of me swapping the collective about and adding the missing cyclics from wire. I've made some spectacle rudder peddles which I've forgotten to add. Extra bulkhead to retain weight when added later.
The fenestron, seems to have an extra ring at the base of the blades that make them look webbed. Images show this is far too chunky. Cutting out the extra ring and thinning down the blades made it look a lot better. Left before, right after.
I therefore positioned it correct and rebuilt the rear of the console, incorporating a big metal box that is quite evident. There seems to be some extraneous plastic on the inside of the nose which I'm going to try and drill out to get a better fit. You can see evidence of me swapping the collective about and adding the missing cyclics from wire. I've made some spectacle rudder peddles which I've forgotten to add. Extra bulkhead to retain weight when added later.
The fenestron, seems to have an extra ring at the base of the blades that make them look webbed. Images show this is far too chunky. Cutting out the extra ring and thinning down the blades made it look a lot better. Left before, right after.
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Very nice work James. God I hate red plastic though, almost as much as white!
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
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- AndrewR
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Nice work James. I thought red plastic was reserved for The Red Baron's aircraft, or Ferraris...
I hope you get over the cold quickly!
Cheers
Andrew
I hope you get over the cold quickly!
Cheers
Andrew
Up in the Great White North
- martin hale
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Coming along well James.
Martin
Martin
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Great progress, you'll be finished in no time if the bot sticks about
- JamesPerrin
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Still at home shaking off the last of the old. At least managed to catch up on the loss sleep from the previous night, but means a late modelling start
I got the fuselage together last night, I've dry fitted the undercarriage and it looks like we've avoided the sit on the tail. Didn't need as much weight as I thought. I used shot under the floor and against the rear bulkhead. Though this morning a couple of the little so-and-sos had found there way to the tip of the tail.
The rotor head is unfortunately a little crude in it's detail. The outermost sticky out bits are not quite really they but I've used them to act as the brackets for some braces that are evident. The blade pin stick up proud as well. These are noticeable because each set of rotor components is colour coded so that during maintenance the parts are put back into the same location to keep the rotor's balance.
Sorry for the variation in photo quality, sometimes if I use the flash the red saturates and you can't see any details.
I got the fuselage together last night, I've dry fitted the undercarriage and it looks like we've avoided the sit on the tail. Didn't need as much weight as I thought. I used shot under the floor and against the rear bulkhead. Though this morning a couple of the little so-and-sos had found there way to the tip of the tail.
The rotor head is unfortunately a little crude in it's detail. The outermost sticky out bits are not quite really they but I've used them to act as the brackets for some braces that are evident. The blade pin stick up proud as well. These are noticeable because each set of rotor components is colour coded so that during maintenance the parts are put back into the same location to keep the rotor's balance.
Sorry for the variation in photo quality, sometimes if I use the flash the red saturates and you can't see any details.
Classic British Kits SIG Leader Better to fettle than to fill
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Re: James' Airfix 1/72 Gazelle
Nice work, James. Cleaning up very well.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale