Don's was gonna be a Buffalo but landed on CH-47...

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:06 am

OK, so to start, I wont be diving into this immediately. I have two 1/72 RF-101s to finish off, THEN this. I was kind of torn. I bought the Bronco 1/35 Buffalo because that vehicle just interests the hell out of me. But it would also be good for the out of the comfort zone build. Which I was thinking I would do my Whippet. Not a tank guy except the WWI tanks interest me. I have built a total of TWO tanks in my life, both when I was like 12. So either would work.

Then my brain actually kicked in. I have a Desert Storm CH-47 project I have been wanting to get to. Just got the Italeri kit and had got the set of decals for this particular bird a couple months ago. That was an adventure in and of itself. Soooo, Chinook for now, Buffalo for later. And the old Aurora C-141A for the heavy lift.

Got it laid out! LOL

So here is the copter I plan on replicating...

Here is the kit and the decal set...

Let me say that the decal sheet that comes with the kit looks OUTSTANDING. I dont think I will need to use any of them though because, as you can see, the other set is also looking very nice and has plenty of stencils with it. I have a game plan to accomplish the look there. I dont plan on doing anything beyond the kit on the interior as it is detailed enough for this purpose.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:23 am

OK, I lied. I just ordered the cockpit PE and seatbelts. I dont want to paint all of them. LOL

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:48 am

Very cool. I like this a lot

Post by **digger303** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:42 am

Go choooky

Post by **Tomcat64** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:09 am

Awesome choice - are you intending to properly beat it up like the one in the reference photo?

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:11 pm

Tomcat64 wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:09 am Awesome choice - are you intending to properly beat it up like the one in the reference photo?

Absolutely!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:59 am

smokeriderdon wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:23 am OK, I lied. I just ordered the cockpit PE and seatbelts. I dont want to paint all of them. LOL

I was thinking Don....
You are one of the very few who came over from FB for the bomber sig and have totally jumped into the Forum and stuck it out here
Good photo habits, participates and comments as you built along with everyone
Wanted to say thank you and give you a nod of appreciation

Bud, wishing you well in the Desert GB

Post by **Stokesy44** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:28 am

smokeriderdon wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:11 pm
Tomcat64 wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:09 am Awesome choice - are you intending to properly beat it up like the one in the reference photo?
Absolutely!

Yeah! Sandblast that thing!

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:33 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:59 am
smokeriderdon wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:23 am OK, I lied. I just ordered the cockpit PE and seatbelts. I dont want to paint all of them. LOL

I was thinking Don....
You are one of the very few who came over from FB for the bomber sig and have totally jumped into the Forum and stuck it out here
Good photo habits, participates and comments as you built along with everyone
Wanted to say thank you and give you a nod of appreciation
Bud, wishing you well in the Desert GB

Decent group of folks here. I absolutely would be silly not to participate.

Thank you again for pulling me over.

Stokesy44 wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 8:28 am
smokeriderdon wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:11 pm
Tomcat64 wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:09 am Awesome choice - are you intending to properly beat it up like the one in the reference photo?
Absolutely!
Yeah! Sandblast that thing!

LOL Not sandblast, but I do have a game plan to try to get that look.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 3:03 am

OK, I have not forgotten about this. I have been making the seats between steps on my RF-101s. BUT, this is gonna be a close one. Why do i say that??Well...

After 20 years of literal 24-7 pain, I am finally getting my right knee replaced on Apr 26. Pretty sure thats gonna kill me being able to sit at the bench for any length of time. At least for a month or so. So I am gonna push to get this done by then. We shall see.

Post by **digger303** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 5:48 am

smokeriderdon wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 3:03 am OK, I have not forgotten about this. I have been making the seats between steps on my RF-101s. BUT, this is gonna be a close one. Why do i say that??Well...

After 20 years of literal 24-7 pain, I am finally getting my right knee replaced on Apr 26. Pretty sure thats gonna kill me being able to sit at the bench for any length of time. At least for a month or so. So I am gonna push to get this done by then. We shall see.

rooting for ya to have a easy time of it. Pain ain't fun and sucking it up just sucks.

Post by **RangerNeil** » Tue Mar 23, 2021 1:44 pm

Yay - another heavy lift helicopter bod!! Shame its not Soviet but we can't have everything!!

Commiserations on the knee - I know the feeling having fooked mine - funnily enough also the right one - in an RTA in 2007. All's well if I sit with feet up but sitting at the bench leaves me doubled up when I stand. I hope the knee operation goes well for you. Do you have the space to be able to sit side on to the bench with your foot up and supported??

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:03 am

Thank you gentlemen.

Neil, I have the space. Its a matter of having something to do that with. AND getting down stairs that dont have a hand rail.

Post by **Quax** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:10 am

Good luck with the op Don and with the Chinook too

Paul

Post by **RangerNeil** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:27 am

smokeriderdon wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:03 am Thank you gentlemen.

Neil, I have the space. Its a matter of having something to do that with. AND getting down stairs that dont have a hand rail.

Oh yes - stairs - bane of my life. This place isn't too bad, got a hand rail one side and wall the other. New place we are about to move to has neither on the main staircase AND a circular set of stairs into the loft space that I've been ordered to use as the armoury..

We won't go into the stairs at work - suffice it to say Amazon get miffed at me using the lifts these days as they are rabid about COVID.
You should be OK after the Op though. One of the guys in my local tyre shop had both knees done and was working normally within 3 months.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 4:04 pm

Just reading about this...good luck with your knee
Rooting for ya from over here

Post by **Stokesy44** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:24 pm

Yep, hope it goes well and a speedy recovery ensues

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:13 pm

Thank you gentlemen for the well wishes.

They are MUCH appreciated.

Post by **digger303** » Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:19 pm

RangerNeil wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:27 am
smokeriderdon wrote: Thu Mar 25, 2021 11:03 am Thank you gentlemen.

Neil, I have the space. Its a matter of having something to do that with. AND getting down stairs that dont have a hand rail.
Oh yes - stairs - bane of my life. This place isn't too bad, got a hand rail one side and wall the other. New place we are about to move to has neither on the main staircase AND a circular set of stairs into the loft space that I've been ordered to use as the armoury.. We won't go into the stairs at work - suffice it to say Amazon get miffed at me using the lifts these days as they are rabid about COVID.
You should be OK after the Op though. One of the guys in my local tyre shop had both knees done and was working normally within 3 months.

Getting moving again as soon as possible seems to be the key to a speedy recovery although a bit painful achieving that at first, but day by day it gets better I'm told. Those that don't have awful trouble and can end up back at surgery. Hip replacements the same sort of thing. Whens the big day for you Don ?

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:20 am

Digger, surgery is 26 Apr. I have a month to wrap up the 101s (which should be done in the next day or two) then hurry this one up.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Wed Apr 07, 2021 3:10 am

OK, so finally finished up the 101s and did a little initial work. The seats are PE. Have to make the frame for them. 6 more to go.

Post by **Donkeywalloper** » Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:38 am

Very nice work so far, pulling up the

for a long and inspiring build.

DW

Post by **Tomcat64** » Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:57 am

Great to see this underway - and very best wishes for your op later this month

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:35 pm

And should anyone be interested, I just posted pics of the 101s over in members portfolios.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:23 am

Got some more progress done. Not a lot, but some.

And my surgery got canceled because my blood sugar is too high. So one thing after another.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:50 am

Hang in there bud, things get better
Chopper is coming along

Post by **Tomcat64** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 7:49 am

That's a real shame about the postponed op but as Scott said - hang in there.

Great to see the build making progress though - cockpit detail looks great

Post by **Stokesy44** » Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:10 am

Sorry to hear that mate. Hang in there

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:16 am

Thanks guys.

The seats are coming along. Tedious though and not quite as good as I would have liked. But they will do.

Post by **digger303** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:32 pm

look pretty good to me

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:26 pm

Absolutely...looks great!!

Post by **Stokesy44** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:09 pm

Those seats look the business. Nice work Sir

Post by **BigWall** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:21 am

Like everyone has said, the seats look really good!

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:42 pm

Have been actually having a life, so not a ton of work done, BUT I did finish one side of the troop seats. Though I screwed the pooch on that side and lined the seats up wrong and didnt realize it until too late. So that side will not have the single jump seat on the end. Ah well.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Thu May 06, 2021 2:14 am

FINALLY done with the seats. However, my dumb arse forgot to take a pic before I sealed it up. So this what you get. LOL

Post by **digger303** » Thu May 06, 2021 11:06 am

Never mind it looks the bee's knee's to me.

Post by **Quax** » Thu May 06, 2021 5:57 pm

Agree with digger, super job!

Paul

Post by **ForeverPlasticKits** » Thu May 06, 2021 8:21 pm

Superb, your interior is great!

Post by **BigWall** » Fri May 07, 2021 12:08 am

Yes, it's looking very nice!

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri May 07, 2021 4:57 am

OK, so the rotors. Oh Italeri, you let me down. Such a nice kit with pretty good details. Except one minor problem. The rotors are OK for a Viet Nam bird or the like, but NOT for a Brit bird after about 1984. Turns out the Brits changed to composite rotors, and they do NOT look the same. The difference is enough that I cant just let it slide. So I had to modify them. My efforts are not perfect, but it looks far closer to the right thing.

Kit on the left, my correction on the right

Like I said, not exact, but closer.

I am going to tweak that one. The others are setting out drying. I will sand them and all that tomorrow.

Oh, and waiting on another cockpit PE set to come in. I didn't notice that the one I got didn't have seatbelts for the pilots seats in it. *sigh*

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri May 07, 2021 4:58 am

Oh, and thank you for the kind words gentlemen! Much appreciated.

Post by **Parker** » Fri May 07, 2021 5:58 am

Your level of attention to detail is phenomenal.
Great work.

Post by **Donkeywalloper** » Fri May 07, 2021 2:39 pm

Don't be hard on yourself, I think the seats are very good, and once installed and buttoned up, they'll be perfect.
DW

Post by **Tomcat64** » Fri May 07, 2021 2:42 pm

Lovely work on the interior Don, it looks superb from any angle!

And great attention to detail in fixing up those rotors too - definitely not something everyone would have spotted & sorted

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Fri May 07, 2021 4:29 pm

Tomcat64 wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 2:42 pm Lovely work on the interior Don, it looks superb from any angle!

And great attention to detail in fixing up those rotors too - definitely not something everyone would have spotted & sorted

To be fair, I was asked if they were correct by a gentleman in my club. I may or may not have caught it otherwise. To answer him I had to start looking hard and discovered that they were indeed wrong. And once I knew they were and that it was a noticeable difference IF you knew about it, I had to do something. It absolutely would drive me nuts otherwise.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Tue May 11, 2021 1:53 pm

Got another interior set as the other one I got did not have the belts for the pilots seats. So an entire set purchased for just the belts. *sigh* But they DO look good.

After studying the pic of the real chopper, it became obvious the kit is WRONG when it comes to the antennae running down the side. The kit has only one row and too many in that row. So I sanded down the ones I marked in black and filled them in. Next I will have to drill holes for the second row. They wont have the raised area around them, but such is life.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Thu May 13, 2021 2:59 am

OK, got the body halves on. It looks like a Chinook now! LOL You can see the dark gray plugs where I filled in the wrong antennae holes and the newly drilled holes for the second row.

Post by **Tomcat64** » Thu May 13, 2021 10:16 am

Nice progress - the cockpit details look great

Post by **BigWall** » Fri May 14, 2021 12:54 am

Very nice! It makes me want to build one. Now I'm understanding how one's stash can get out of control.

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Tue May 18, 2021 9:50 pm

BigWall wrote: Fri May 14, 2021 12:54 am Very nice! It makes me want to build one. Now I'm understanding how one's stash can get out of control.

LOL Yep! I am at around 300 kits.

So, I HAVE been working on it. Fuselage is all together. Gotta do some seam work on the bottom. Ramp is on. Glas iss almost ready to glue in. Painted the armored portion and need to let that dry before I mask it. Then I will glue it in.

So, I bought a Bondic pen a while ago. Figured this would be as good a time to try it as any. I LIKE it! Glued the nose piece into the glas with it. Works great and is absolutely clear. I will be using it to attach the glass to the fuselage.