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DONE +++ US Navy AH-64N Stage 2+ Sea Apache a.k.a. 'Gray Thunder' (@ p.4)

Started by Dizzyfugu, July 20, 2016, 12:13:16 AM

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Dizzyfugu

#30
July 31, 2016, 11:47:35 PM Last Edit: August 01, 2016, 02:42:19 AM by Dizzyfugu
Nah, no experiments - actually, I have come to the conclusion that Academy's new AH-64 is a little over-engineered. It's a very good kit, but in some areas more complicated than necessary - or lacks a conclusive execution.
You have many access panels on the fuselage which can be fitted with different covers, according to the production block. That's cool, but that's it - there's nothing behind, so that this option could also be used for display.
Also, the cockpit interior is highly complex and full of detail. Yet, the canopy comes in a single part. It would not have been too complicated to offer separete doors, so that you can actually see something.
Also the injection points on the sprues have a third dimension, which means a lot of extra care and cleaning - normally, these channels lie level with a seam, but on this kit you have excess material on the seams' surface.

Anyway, the integration of the Italeri canopy works well. It does not fit 100% onto the Academy fuselage, on top of the gap at the rear end, but things look feasible. In the meantime the crew is on board, too, and the canopy glued into the rest of the kit. Now I try to blend it into the surroundings with a little bit of putty and careful sanding...  :angel:

The stub wings and the wing tip pods also make good progress (I'll mount them after the canopy is "safe", engines next), the horizontal stabilizer is already in place, too, and I have found a refuelling probe from an MH-60K in the stash. A pretty massive piece, but I'll use it. I think that most illustrations show a rather diminished piece, looks rather inspired by USN A-7s? The MH-60 piece should fit well, I just have to check how far forward I will have to place it. I do not think that the illustrations' position, even behind the radome and with the base at the stub wings' roots, is correct when you take the rotor and some safety space into account?

The deeper you dig, the more questions turn up. But that's part of the fun. ;D

PR19_Kit

#32
August 01, 2016, 10:17:31 AM
It'll be finished by dinner time.  ;D
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

Dizzyfugu

#33
August 01, 2016, 11:52:24 PM
I'll have to run an image campaign against this time-warp image...?  :o

Anyway, further progress is good. Cockpit is sealed (and everyone on board still in place!), stub wings mounted. Upon testing the fit of the pods I found the span to appear too big, so I cut away 5mm - and not it looks well. Makes also sense since the number of underwing hardpoints was only two on the Stage 2 an 3 concepts.

The landing gear pods were mounted, too, and I started work on the landing gear. The tail wheel will be the reference for the overall height over ground.

Tha launch rails under the fuselage will be different: these will come from an F-15, and probably carry a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAMs; the Penguins under the wings and the wing tip AIM-9s will stay, and their hardpoints are WiP, too.

I also worked on the main and tail rotors - fiddly, but fine, and the kit's construction even allows a decent, free spin of both - good for beauty pics.  ;D

Engine pods have also been started with, these will be built and painted separately, and mounted after completion of the rest.

And, finally, after the model becomes more and more complete and I tried to assess where the refuelling probe is to be placed best, I feel that I have to shorten the nose. I did not expect the putty plug to be necessary in order to blend the resin radome and the rest of the fuselage, and now the nose is a little too long and pointed. I guess I will have to cut out a 5mm plug (with shaking hands and a bleeding heart...) from the resin radome, and re-shape the conical tip.  :-\

The AH-64N Project remains adventurous!  :angel:

Captain Canada

#35
August 02, 2016, 05:39:14 PM
Great work so far but man, how do you make it look so easy !?

:thumbsup:
CANADA KICKS arse !!!!

Long Live the Commonwealth !!!
Vive les Canadiens !
Where's my beer ?

Dizzyfugu

#36
August 02, 2016, 11:37:14 PM
With lack of hesitation, focus on results and not on details nobody will ever recognize or even see, a good saw and lots of putty...  ;)

And the Flux Compensator in the basement, of course, which seems to be running again.  ;D

Finishing touches to the bodywork today, e. g. the refuelling probe, handles, antennae, and some scratched added details.
I also already did basic painting to the white landing gear and the rotor mechanism, the airframe can soon be started with (classic low-viz grey).

PR19_Kit

#37
August 02, 2016, 11:56:29 PM
Quote from: Dizzyfugu on August 02, 2016, 11:37:14 PM

And the Flux Compensator in the basement, of course, which seems to be running again.  ;D


Ahah, that explains EVERYthing!  ;D :mellow:
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

Old Wombat

#40
August 03, 2016, 10:17:22 AM
Looks good! :thumbsup:
Has a life outside of What-If & wishes it would stop interfering!

"The purpose of all War is Peace" - St. Augustine

veritas ad mortus veritas est

nighthunter

#41
August 03, 2016, 11:06:31 PM
Thomas, will it have a cannon?
"Mind that bus." "What bus?" *SPLAT!*

Dizzyfugu

#42
August 03, 2016, 11:54:28 PM
No. Stage 2 and 3 deleted any internal or turret-mounted gun. Makes sense, since the naval AH-64 was rather regarded as a missile platform against ground and aerial targets.
A cannon primarily makes sense againts soft ground targets, and these are rarely encountered over the sea. Besides, I do not think that a dogfight engagement of the huge AH-64 was ever planned, and a gun is heavy and takes up a lot of space, which was rather dedicated to fuel and advanced avionics.

But: I actually considered a single 30mm GPU-5 gun pod under one wing (a from an Italeri F-15E), but found that awkward and stuck to the pair of Penguins. On the fuselage, there's hardly any space to mount a gun. Ground clearance is very low, maybe a fixed gun on the portside of the cockpit?

Dizzyfugu

#43
August 04, 2016, 09:32:35 AM
Painting started! FS 35237 for the upper surfaces...

1:72 McDonnell Douglas AH-64N 'Sea Apache Phase 2+' a.k.a. 'Grey Thunder', US Navy (Whif/Academy AH-64D conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

...and FS 36320 for the flanks. Yes, "real" USN/USMC helis have FS 36375 below and on teh sides, up to the darker tone - but this is a whif!  ;)

1:72 McDonnell Douglas AH-64N 'Sea Apache Phase 2+' a.k.a. 'Grey Thunder', US Navy (Whif/Academy AH-64D conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

zenrat

#44
August 05, 2016, 06:46:28 PM
Quote from: Dizzyfugu on August 03, 2016, 11:54:28 PM
No. Stage 2 and 3 deleted any internal or turret-mounted gun. Makes sense, since the naval AH-64 was rather regarded as a missile platform against ground and aerial targets.
A cannon primarily makes sense againts soft ground targets, and these are rarely encountered over the sea...

Pirates, blockade runners or smugglers in small powerboats?
Fred

- Can't be bothered to do the proper research and get it right.

Another ill conceived, lazily thought out, crudely executed and badly painted piece of half arsed what-if modelling muppetry from zenrat industries.

zenrat industries:  We're everywhere...for your convenience..
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