Belvedere Gunship, finished

[sandiego89]

Insurgents in Borneo started to cause problems on the early morning supply runs.  Some clever engineers from No. 66 Squadron came across some surplus materials and undertook a field modification to give them a surprise.....

The kit:  1/72.  Ancient mold (1958?) Airfix Belvedere.  Up-armored with some goodies.

[Rheged]

 WHAT A GOOD IDEA!!! This could turn out to be absolutely fascinating!! 

I've always felt that a Belvedere looked like a London Underground carriage that had inadvertantly become airborne.  I await your paint scheme with eager anticipation.

[Weaver]

Interesting idea! 

Not that it matters for a whiff, but are aware that the Airfix kit represents a prototype and not the actual production machines that went to Borneo? Main differences are that the latter had anhedral outer wing sections instead of tip fins and different air intake screens. Loads of references on line.

[Captain Canada]

....the production ones didn't have a half sized rear rotor either 

Great idea ! Look forward to seeing more !

[Weaver]

....the production ones didn't have a half sized rear rotor either  

Great idea ! Look forward to seeing more !

LOL - fortunately, that's the artwork, not the kit.

Just remembered another difference: the kit has an upward-hinged door with a bulge for a winch, whereas the production ones had a sliding door.

There's a thread listing some of the issues here: http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=8821

[sandiego89]

....the production ones didn't have a half sized rear rotor either  

Great idea ! Look forward to seeing more !

LOL - fortunately, that's the artwork, not the kit.

Just remembered another difference: the kit has an upward-hinged door with a bulge for a winch, whereas the production ones had a sliding door.

There's a thread listing some of the issues here: http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=8821

Excellent link Weaver, thank you. Thank you for the tips on the mods that need to be done.  Yes I realize the kit will have some challenges, but I think the options for a Belevedere kit are rather limited....

Will have the sliding door, and modified stabilizer, and guns, etc.

[Captain Canada]

That's alot of mods to bring her up to production standard....but if those are the results in that pic ? Wow ! I think the life rafts are a really nice touch to add realism.

I hadn't noticed before how small the tires were on the prototype ! Looks crazy small

[kerick]

I'm interested to see your plans for weaponry. A few CH-47s carried cannon and rocket pods in a forward firing position. "Guns a go go" was the name of one as I recall. Careful with the caliber of any side firing guns, don't want to break that chopper in half! AC-130s would develop fuselage cracks from firing the 105mm.

[McColm]

Great idea, I think there's one on display at the RAF museum Hendon.
A flying tube train carrige, now that's an idea!

[PR19_Kit]

There was a Maintrack upgrade kit for the Belvedere with resin, vacform and other bits that's well worth looking out, but a) they're pretty rare and b) VERY expensive when they do surface. And no, mine's not going to surface anywhere, anywhen.....

There's a team re-building a Belvedere at the Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare, well worth looking at if you're in the area. When I saw it last about 9 months ago they had the skin removed around the forward engine, very interesting to see how it was crammed in there.

As for the kit being low on possible options, take a look at OGL's AEW version for the FAA.... 

[sandiego89]

I'm interested to see your plans for weaponry. A few CH-47s carried cannon and rocket pods in a forward firing position. "Guns a go go" was the name of one as I recall. Careful with the caliber of any side firing guns, don't want to break that chopper in half! AC-130s would develop fuselage cracks from firing the 105mm.

Thanks- the CH-47 "Guns a' Go Go" is an inspirational real world version.  I will go easy with the weapons, nothing TOO over the top.  Yes the B-24 in the picture will be involved.....

There was a Maintrack upgrade kit for the Belvedere with resin, vacform and other bits that's well worth looking out, but a) they're pretty rare and b) VERY expensive when they do surface. And no, mine's not going to surface anywhere, anywhen.....

I'm sure the maintrack bits are impressive, but in keeping up with my usual tradition of only using what came in the kit, styrene, my spares bin and my imagination- no aftermarket bits for this old girl. Besides I'm too cheap- that would cut into the beer and stash fund!     

[Gondor]

There was a Maintrack upgrade kit for the Belvedere with resin, vacform and other bits that's well worth looking out, but a) they're pretty rare and b) VERY expensive when they do surface. And no, mine's not going to surface anywhere, anywhen.....

Mine is not going anywhere either unless someone produces a production Belvedere kit in 1/72 at a reasonable price.

Gondor

[Captain Canada]

The good news is you're whiffing it up anyway, so you don't have to get too carried away with making it 'right'.

[Weaver]

There's a team re-building a Belvedere at the Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare, well worth looking at if you're in the area. When I saw it last about 9 months ago they had the skin removed around the forward engine, very interesting to see how it was crammed in there.

There's one in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry too, although it's not easy to get close to it for a real in-depth nosey. On the upside, they have got a platform up to the cockpit so you can go and peer into that end to your heart's content.

[Weaver]

The good news is you're whiffing it up anyway, so you don't have to get too carried away with making it 'right'.

Aboslutely: anything that's too much of a pain to fix can always be "whifjitsu-ed" into being right by careful adjustment of the back story....