Vorcha's Builds

[Vorcha]

Hi everyone,
this is going to be my first project on this site, hope you enjoy.

I'm building Italieri's kit of the OH-58D 'Kiowa Warrior' in 1:72, I've bought it maybe 3 years ago, but forgot it later and since then, sadly, almost didn't do any scale modeling. But now I've found my way back to my passion and began to build it

Edit: I've decided to change the background story so thats coming in one of the following posts...

...I really like the form of this aircraft and the kit seemed perfect, until I began building it. The parts are accurate most of the time, but there are some really annoying exceptions. First of all, the parts don't have exact points to match (I don't know if this is correct, as my english isn't as good as I would it like to be...), most of the time you have to find out for yourself how exactly to place them on eachother, which is really chellenging sometimes. Secondly some parts just don't fit. They are either too small or too big and one has to cut off material off one part to make it fit. And finally - the biggest problem: This kit is not in the scale it was declared on the paper. I took the lenght of it (together with the nose) and calculated it back to 1:1 scale - and it was far too small. You can see it on the seats alone, they are 4 mm wide, which would make 28.8 cm in 1:1, which is ridiculously narrow. I calculated that it is not in 1:72 as it was described, but it has a scale of about 1:91.8 . Initially this really upset me, but otherwise the model seems to be fine, on the outside it looks accurate.

So as you see on the picture I've cut out one of the back doors on it off the fuselage - I plan to make the doors openable, so one can see the interior in more detail. The biggest chellenge for me is the painting, I don't have any equipment for that to this moment...

...as english isn't my mother language, I am sorry for any mistakes...

[The Rat]

Sounds like a plan!

...as english isn't my mother language, I am sorry for any mistakes...

Don't worry, for some of the folks here for whom it IS their mother tongue, it still isn't easy! 

[Nick]

Sounds interesting! I like the Kiowa for the shape and style.

Don't worry about your English. It's better than most of the English people here!

[Vorcha]

thank you!   

I've found some more time to work on the Kiowa and basically cut out the second door and put the parts together without glue to just enjoy the model. The first change to the basic model that I made was to the back seat... what ever it was, i removed it to make more space for the passengers.
I guess updates will come every now and then... thank you for your interest 

[DogfighterZen]

Good to know you're back in the hobby!   
I really like the Kiowa so i'll be looking out for this build!

[Captain Canada]

Welcome aboard, and welcome back to modelling ! I thought the Italeri Kiowa looked small, but never really paid much attention to it. I have a copule of the Matchbox Kiowa Warriors, I guess I should look at the two together and see how they match up.

[Vorcha]

Hi everyone, I finally had some time for the Kiowa and did some small progress, which I want to share with you 

... But first about the scale-issue...
I was wrong. The seats are indeed too small and the overall length too, but apart from that the kit is perfectly to scale! The confusion came from the tail hook, that was too short. I guess there was a version of the Kiowa at some point that had that shorter tail hook and from it were taken the measures for the Italieri-kit... the front seats however are still too small, so I removed them. - And I finally managed to install at least two of the doors - functional!

Yes, they can actually be opened.

I am so happy and relieved, it was really a pain, I really need more practice...
Anyway, here they are:

[kerick]

Nice work on those tiny doors. Are you a surgeon to be able to work detail so small?

[PR19_Kit]

  However do you hinge the doors in 1/72 scale???

Awesome work. 

[Captain Canada]

Glad you're still at 'er. Love the Kiowa. And for sure, great job on those swinging doors !

[Vorcha]

Glad you're still at 'er. Love the Kiowa. And for sure, great job on those swinging doors !

Thank you 

Nice work on those tiny doors. Are you a surgeon to be able to work detail so small?

However do you hinge the doors in 1/72 scale???

Awesome work. 

thank you, it's pretty simple actually...


...I used these pieces of wire that come with a package of little plastic bags (0.50 € each) from the supermarket, they come with about 100 of these. It's the finest wire I can imagine, apart from guitar strings and such, but really easy to bend. Then I strip them of their plastic encasement and cut them to the right size, put small paper tubes around them (extreme thin paper, it's called "Butterbrotpapier" in Germany, "butter-bread-paper"), and then glue... and thats it. It's hard enough with my fat fingers and I'm not a surgeon, I'm a student of social sciences.   

[PR19_Kit]

That's a brilliant system, well thought out.

All I need now is find my local "Butterbrotpapier" stockist. 

What is the Butterbrotpapier used for in Germany? I can't recall seeing it when I lived there, or when travelling either.

[Vorcha]

That's a brilliant system, well thought out.

All I need now is find my local "Butterbrotpapier" stockist. 

What is the Butterbrotpapier used for in Germany? I can't recall seeing it when I lived there, or when travelling either.

wrapping your sandwich in it and then throw away what a waste. It's the same stuff they wrap a cheeseburger in McDonalds in, only that you buy it in 50 metre-rolls in the supermarket ^^ 

[NARSES2]

Superb build and the opening doors are just 

[Vorcha]

Superb build and the opening doors are just 

thanks a lot