AH-56C Cheyenne

Gondor · November 06, 2021, 07:17:46 AM

So here is a marker for my entry to the Gunship's Group Build. It is something I was thinking about after I got my copy of the Atlantis re-pop of the old Aurora AH-56A Cheyenne. Far easier to update/convert a plastic kit rather than the Anigrand version I also have, as that's resin and I prefer plastic as my whiff medium.
Additional parts will be scratch built and from an AH-1W as well.

Gondor

kerick · November 06, 2021, 01:00:51 PM

I have two of those kits in the stash. I'll be checking you build to see how this works out. One of the things I'd like to improve is the canopy. It should be bulged out at the sides. The kit one is straight on the sides. I might try to vac form one when I build this kit one of these days.

DogfighterZen · November 06, 2021, 01:09:31 PM

I'll be watching this closely as i've been thinking of getting one of those kits.

Gondor · November 06, 2021, 02:03:34 PM

Quote from: kerick on November 06, 2021, 01:00:51 PM
I have two of those kits in the stash. I'll be checking you build to see how this works out. One of the things I'd like to improve is the canopy. It should be bulged out at the sides. The kit one is straight on the sides. I might try to vac form one when I build this kit one of these days.

Didn't know about the canopy and I am rubbish at plunge moulding nor do I have any clear plastic to use for a canopy so that will stay as it is. I also have had a quick look on Scalemates and there are no after market canopies or anything for the kit so it is what it is unfortunately.

Gondor

The Wooksta! · November 06, 2021, 02:30:51 PM

Isn't there a spare in your Anigrand kit? Fill it with resin and get someone to vacform over the resulting plug.

Gondor · November 06, 2021, 03:05:54 PM

Quote from: The Wooksta! on November 06, 2021, 02:30:51 PM
Isn't there a spare in your Anigrand kit? Fill it with resin and get someone to vacform over the resulting plug.

Great Idea Lee

However what is in the Anigrand kit is injection plastic and simmilar to what is in the Aurora/Atlantic kit

Gondor

kerick · November 06, 2021, 05:55:12 PM

I was thinking of going as you suggested and then filling out the sides of the Atlantis kit canopy to create the bulged look. Then plunge mold a new one. One of these days.

The Wooksta! · November 06, 2021, 08:37:07 PM

Or take a female rubber mould from the canopy, cast a plug and modify that. May be a bit more work, but if you knack it, you just cast another. Modifying the kit piece? You've got the one, break or ruin it and you have to buy a whole new kit and start again.

I chose the former after creating a new fin for the Bristol Buccaneer last year, as I didn't want to ruin the master.

Gondor · November 07, 2021, 03:55:39 AM

Another option is to carefully cut and pose the windows open, that way the mising bulge is not visible. I'm slightly tempted to try a variation of thes, very, very carefully cut along the centreline side of the frame then replace the frame at the top which makes the top wider with plastic strip, remove the frame lines from the doors, repositioning the parts and bingo..... one mesed up canopy.
Theoreticaly is could work, very careful work with the replacement frame might mean all the parts attach ok and might even look right. Me, I'm just going to leave it as it is.

Gondor

Gondor · November 25, 2021, 08:22:31 AM

So I decided to actually do something rather than sitting around not feeling very well due to a cold.

Out with the disc cutter

and I even assembled part of the replacement

The black sort of vertical lines are references for where parts are to go. I could possibly get away with moving the engine pack slightly forward as the helicopter now has a bit more weight behind the gearbox than there was before but I will probably keep it where it was as everything else such as the stub wings would have to be moved as well which is too much. The nose from the 56 will get replaced with that from the AH-1 as well. Not much done but it's a start.

Gondor

AndrewF · November 25, 2021, 11:23:40 AM

Good start!

Gondor · November 26, 2021, 03:38:09 PM

Not much to show today as a lot of what I have been doing to tweaking cuts and preparation stuff such as putting some etch onto plastic card backing so I can make up panels and consoles.

Also finding that helicopter gunship turrets are a pain. They have to be virtually complete before you can fit them.

Might have something to photograph tomorrow.

Gondor

nighthunter · November 26, 2021, 05:15:48 PM

Following this

kerick · November 26, 2021, 10:41:31 PM

Very interesting! The nose job is a very reasonable upgrade to the original.

Gondor · November 29, 2021, 01:48:19 PM

Work has been a little slow so far. As the build develops the problems mount.
I found that I had an Academy AH-64A (box code 12488) that I could use for several upgrades to the base kit. The cockpit interior has been shoe horned into the forward fuselage and this means that the forward fuselage from the AH-64 also has to be transplanted to allow it all to fit in, however this brings it's own problems as how I was going to mount the main gun is having to change as well as some of the forward cockpit area.

Gondor