F.I.G.A.S. Hueycobra - FINISHED (story & pics)

[Captain Canada]

Great work on those details...that is really going to add to the overall look.

[Mossie]

I agree, good work.  It's good to see a machine so geared up to combat pressed into lifting and shifting.

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! You could even revive the chin turret with a camera fairing - normally there's a direct line of sight for the pilot to the carried object, you freqeuntly see bulged windows, and the Mi-10K even had a dedicated workstation under the fuselage for a second, rearward-facing pilot:

http://www.aviastar.org/foto/gallery/mil/mi-10k_1.jpg

A camera for that job would be more up to date, but an appropriate extra?

[Weaver]

Nice! You could even revive the chin turret with a camera fairing - normally there's a direct line of sight for the pilot to the carried object, you freqeuntly see bulged windows, and the Mi-10K even had a dedicated workstation under the fuselage for a second, rearward-facing pilot:

http://www.aviastar.org/foto/gallery/mil/mi-10k_1.jpg

A camera for that job would be more up to date, but an appropriate extra?

I agree, but this is supposed to be a very rough and quick conversion done in the aftermath of the war with limited resources. Where would they get a camera from on the Falklands in 1982? My intention is to fit mirrors on improvised mountings, but I've had to get it into the paintshop first or it'll never make the deadline on BTS due to paint/dry/decal cycles.

[jcf]

The bulged side windows are as much to see the crew on the ground as the load. 

The 61s also have a small auxiliary panel with the important guages mounted on
the side below the window in the pilot's line of sight while looking out and down.

[Dizzyfugu]

I agree, but this is supposed to be a very rough and quick conversion done in the aftermath of the war with limited resources. Where would they get a camera from on the Falklands in 1982? My intention is to fit mirrors on improvised mountings, but I've had to get it into the paintshop first or it'll never make the deadline on BTS due to paint/dry/decal cycles.

Mirror arrangement is cool and will certainly look more interesting than a ball turret. 

[zenrat]

If you are retaining both seats then why not just have an open window so the bloke who isn't flying it can stick his head out and tell the pilot what to do?

[Weaver]

Getting there slowly:



Unfortunately I've made a mistake on the canopies, but it's saveable. The red needs an undercoat of white to make it bright enough, so I gave the canopy frames just that. Unfotunately, I didn't realise until the red went on that the white would show through to the inside. On a canopy this big it matters, but thankfully, the five-piece design now comes to the rescue: I can mask the frames on the inside and paint them green. Lovely job...

On the other downside, it looks like the canopy masks have lifted a little in places, so there maky be some cleanup to do on the outside...

Can't really do much else until the canopy's on: can't set the position of the mirror(s) and don't want ot put the declas on while there's still a lot of handling ahead.

[Weaver]

If you are retaining both seats then why not just have an open window so the bloke who isn't flying it can stick his head out and tell the pilot what to do?

Well the canopies open upwards so I don't imagine that's safe in the rotor downwash: you'd have to take the door completely off. Mind you, that could be done, and since the doors are on opposite sides, it could have both: door removed on the "gunner's" cockpit and a mirror on the other side for the pilot. Be bloody cold in the falklands, but still.... you might be onto something there - cheers!

[KiwiZac]

Something that came to mind when zenrat mentioned the open window is that logging/heavylift choppers have a bubble window for the pilot to lean over and look down: http://www.dartaerospace.com/downloads/videos/dart-s-full-vertical-reference-bubble-window-1 , http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2007/a07p0209/a07p0209.asp (photo 5), http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/259538/hb-zis-heli-bernina-aerospatiale-as350-ecureuil-squirrel/

That may be a bit too well-thought-out for the slapdash, in-the-field thing you're going for, however, but it's something to bear in mind. Given the narrow confines of the Cobra you'd definitely need at least a skid mirror!

[KiwiZac]

For your Cobra pilot's vision, left skid mirror! Super easy to do in 1/72
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y185/RodanAZ/RC/N505MP/DSCN0367.jpg
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2342/2223380089_4fc5f9f996_z.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/220/512979852_16510fcfb1.jpg

[Captain Canada]

Oh that red looks awesome on her !                 

[Weaver]

It's done. Squeaked in under the wire on BTS literally by minutes. Better photos and story tomorrow:

[Weaver]

Need some white strips on the top of the rotor blades.

Where? I didn't notice any on pics: they all seemed to be variations on a plain yellow tip.

[zenrat]

Great work H.