Academy MH-60S HSC-9 "Tridents" 1/35 scale

Post by **jmurphy18** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 4:17 pm

This is my first helicopter build or aircraft build. I am mainly a car builder.
I was enamored with this helicopter and I was impressed with the MH-60 as they are great work horses. I am doing this one up as the Navy Trident.
Here is the kit box

Here are a few of the sprue parts

Shots of the instructions

I hope to get started sometime this week

Post by **Tomcat64** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 4:29 pm

Welcome on board Murph - great to have you along for this one, especially as you're venturing out of your comfort zone

I love the box art on this kit and really looking to seeing how it builds up in 1/35

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:30 pm

Ya Murph, I love this one
You guys are getting my modelling mojo juiced up with these choppers

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:59 pm

Great looking kit

good luck with the build Murph

Post by **jmurphy18** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:36 pm

Thank you Neil!!

Thanks Scott

Thanks Kev.

Post by **digger303** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:34 pm

These have simply been around for ages in there various guises doing whatever was required of them. A real work horse...

Post by **Stokesy44** » Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:53 am

Ooh, someone's building a Seahawk!

Love this aircraft. Ever since I read Blackhawk Down on holiday 20 years ago. Are you going for the version on the box?

Post by **jmurphy18** » Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:40 pm

Stokes44. Yes I did like this version the Trident model and bought the paint and decals for such

Post by **TommyKillander** » Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:52 pm

Cool subject!

Good luck with the build!

Tommy

Post by **jmurphy18** » Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:34 pm

Thanks Tommy!

Post by **jmurphy18** » Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:21 pm

I got a chance to make a start today on building the model. So this is a small update. I worked on the rotor head. I did hand fit all the small parts and prime all these. Next I will paint the parts and the Rotor blades so I will have the main rotor assemble ready

Rotor blades are not shown but are done.

Post by **Tomcat64** » Fri Dec 13, 2019 10:50 am

Great to see you've made a start on this one Murph - looking forward to seeing it develop

Post by **jmurphy18** » Fri Dec 13, 2019 7:58 pm

Thanks Neil. I should have the completed main rotor to show tomorrow. I did the airbrushing today, paint is still wet right now

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 9:19 pm

update: I got the main rotor built this AM. I now know what Scott meant by these are Large.... WOW this is bigger that I thought

Main rotor assemble

Close up of the top and bottom

Going to build the tail rotor next and looks like the floor of the body next
Thanks for looking

Post by **digger303** » Sat Dec 14, 2019 11:08 pm

Nice job on the rotor

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sun Dec 15, 2019 6:26 pm

Thanks Digger!

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:37 am

Nicely detailed rotor head

Post by **Tomcat64** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:37 am

Kevthemodeller wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:37 am Nicely detailed rotor head

That's some very tidy work there!

Post by **jmurphy18** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 6:38 pm

Thanks Neil
Thanks Kev!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:03 pm

That is a really impressive rotor set up right OOB

Looks to be a pretty sweet kit

Post by **jmurphy18** » Tue Dec 17, 2019 7:16 pm

Thanks Scott! My detail stuff was in today's mail

.

Post by **digger303** » Tue Dec 17, 2019 11:33 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 8:03 pm That is a really impressive rotor set up right OOB
Looks to be a pretty sweet kit

It does, I look at it every day and I keep thinking wish my rotors looked as nice....

Post by **jmurphy18** » Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:17 pm

Thank you both very kindly!!

Post by **jmurphy18** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:44 pm

Update: I have built some more parts for the interior of the helicopter. The build order of this kit is goofy to me as I am use to building cars. Right now all I actually have built is the main rotor and this goes on the kit in the last steps. I have built some more of the interior. Primer, & painted. I have some more exterior parts and guns ready to primer later today. I am discovering that a 1/35 scale is huge, requires 2-3 times as much paint and twice as much work to get the job done.......

Cannot understand why I am running out of time to build with "Honey Do's, Christmas must do's and prepping for company........
Just been informed I put up some more Christmas light ....

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:37 pm

I get to post an Update:
I have had time now that the holidays have come and gone and my company has left. I have had some tome to work on the small parts that go on the inside, missiles, machine guns, canons, seats, tail rotor and correct some mistakes.

1st. Suffered some damage over the holiday to the seats

Not sure what happened but the framework was broken and the seats were scratched. I left them on a table and I think something might have got dropped on them. I sanded down both pilot seats, repaired the frames and repainted over the last two days. I added some wear derails on the seats but after I painted they do not shot

Try harder next time. The rear "Jump" seats I added some weather to and I will add some to the front also. These jump seats, those tiny braces on the bottom fall off if you look at them crosseyed

Not impressed with this mount. Not quite sure how this mounts as the instructions are vague on this. I detailed the tail rotor, missiles, guns, mounts, center console (wow was this tiny) & some other unit in the back. I had to redo the front mount you see on the far right as a glue seam showed and I got a spot I did not like. 2nd time was a charm. That is all for now. Working the floors today.

Post by **Hawkmoon** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:37 pm

All looking good and nice work John

Post by **smokeriderdon** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:27 pm

Great work so far!

Its always interesting to see how someone else goes about a build. What I do last, others do first etc etc. And yeah, 1/35 is big. Its not much different than doing a 1/32 plane. Which is hefty indeed.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 9:24 pm

Superb man, just superb

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 5:33 pm

Hawkmoon, thanks very much!
smokeriderdon, thanks so much
Scott, thanks for the kind words

Thanks much everyone

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:37 pm

Good save on the seats John

Post by **Tomcat64** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 3:36 pm

Missed a couple of updates here but that's coming along really nicely mate - the ordnance and console all look really clean and tidy!

Post by **jmurphy18** » Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:47 pm

Thanks much Kev! Will see if I have to do some "Yankee" engineering to make them fit now.

HAGD Folks

Post by **jmurphy18** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 4:32 pm

Update: I took advantage of the warm weather that rolled through here and skipped some steps in the instructions . Temps jumped from 30 to 65 in a day. So I did some painting on some parts.

Top left I painted the floor in Kaki & black. The parts in flat black and the support parts in black. Note the support parts need to be drilled and they are just marked with a location and not the size. I had to figure this out myself..... I did paint all the all odd parts flat black
on the right is the engine but only the left side. For some reason they only include the left side engine. You get the inake and exhaust for the right side. Both are primiered right now. Next I fit, sanded and primiered the body. Primering I also managed to primer myself as the body is so big. I am hoping to have time to this week to paint the body of he chopper that grey. It looks just like the primer of the body now.

Post by **jmurphy18** » Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:36 pm

Update: I have had some time to do some assembly of the interior of the chopper.
I assembled all the interior parts and the supports parts. Detailed the upper console and added the seats

glued the parts and pained all the engine parts and finally assembled all the interior parts. Today I am going to paint the body

Temps are still warm today ~ 55 right now but falling. should be 35 by 4PM

Oh well back to winter. Going to paint what I can today and temps of=ver the next day really fall

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 3:07 pm

Update: I have been out of paint for at least 8 days

. Postal folks have made a delivery of 7 different paint for me. So I jumped right on laying down my remaining strip so I could continue the step. Here is a shot of the painted body. I will assemble the body later today

Post by **alextheblue** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:03 pm

Great progress Jim. Love the interior!

Post by **digger303** » Sun Jan 26, 2020 11:33 pm

Love it

Post by **jmurphy18** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 3:39 pm

Thanks Alex & Digger.
I can give all folks something to laugh about. I got in a hurry and glued the frame together and looked down. I realized the interior was still on my bench ARGH. I had to undo the glue bond and do again..........Darn that "Murphy's law". My last name came to visit again........

Post by **Quax** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 3:52 pm

the interior is a beautiful job but it will look better in the chopper!

Paul

Post by **Kevthemodeller** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 4:08 pm

Looking good

Post by **Hawkmoon** » Mon Jan 27, 2020 6:43 pm

I think at one point or another we have all done the same

but looking good and nice work

Post by **jmurphy18** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:08 pm

Thanks so much Paul...... Yes that wall and my head........

. It is in now

I did assemble the interior to the body

thanks Kev
Thanks Hawkmoon

Post by **digger303** » Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:27 pm

Neat and clean....

Post by **jmurphy18** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:06 pm

thanks so very much Digger

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:16 pm

Looking good both inside and out!

Post by **RangerNeil** » Wed Jan 29, 2020 3:20 pm

Now that is looking very impressive!!! Well done sir.

Post by **jmurphy18** » Thu Jan 30, 2020 3:51 pm

thanks Scott
Thank you Neil

Post by **jmurphy18** » Sun Feb 09, 2020 2:50 pm

Update: I have had some time to do some building and made some progress that I am happy with

I cut and fit a bunch of parts yesterday and will primer them today . Hope to get to paint some during the week between appointments.
Using the missile rack as a prop as there are small bits mounted under the body that might come off.

Post by **jmurphy18** » Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:45 pm

Final Update: I have finally finished this chopper. really getting pissed off here at the end as all the little tiny parts keep breaking off as I try to finish the final process of this job......
I now have this displayed in my office and man is it large. Had to find and clear a special location for this.

Post by **alextheblue** » Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:05 pm

jmurphy18 wrote: Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:45 pm Final Update: I have finally finished this chopper. really getting pissed off here at the end as all the little tiny parts keep breaking off as I try to finish the final process of this job......
I now have this displayed in my office and man is it large. Had to find and clear a special location for this.

Like that a lot Jim, you've done a superb job there.

Know what you mean about the final stage and trying to get all the "bits" on without knocking anything off. Gets me every time!