1/35 Aerosani Vertolet (Aerosan helicopter)

[Old Wombat]

The big screen looks much better!

[frank2056]

Thanks for all the comments. @Tophe - you build Unicraft kits, so something like modifying clear windows should be easy for you!

I've made progress today. The cabin floor has raised plugs for the passenger chairs (which seem to be child sized). Since I'm only adding two adult sized seats, I had to do something about the extra chair positions. I cut a rectangle of lined styrene and gave it a distressed wood finish, with some old stains. I also made some lap belts for the pilot and passenger, added some hold-down straps to the wall and dirtied up the cabin floor:



The two remaining chair plugs will be covered either by a small fuel tank or a beer/vodka bottle crate.

I found a wooden box from Value Gear that would fit perfectly in the "cargo area" - I painted it red, gave it some extensive weathering and strapped it in place:





I don't know if this aerosan was very small or if this is another example of a Trumpeter scaling issue; there are few Trumpeter kits without at least one major screw-up on their part. I couldn't find dimensions for this particular aerosan, but the passengers would have been crammed in like sardines. Here's the driver from the Tamiya Quad for a size comparison. He doesn't hit his head on the cabin roof in place but getting in (or out) of the cabin would require some contortions:



Next is putting the windows in, then the upper components.

[PR19_Kit]

That looks wonderful. 

There's no hint of what scale it is from the pics, could be anything from 1/144 to 1/24! 

[frank2056]

This project (both helicopters) are dragging. I spent a couple of days cutting out and installing the vacuformed windows for this project and the kit windows for the NKL-6 project. The KM-4 kit windows are just unusable. The NKL-6 windows have a plastic frame that I removed.

I used liquid mask for the windows and sealed everything up. I used the Microsol masking liquid for the front windscreen and the Gunze masking liquid for everything else. It does look kinda cool:



I decided to use the old H-13 tail boom as Phill suggested. It looks ugly, but in a good way. One advantage is that the open boom reduces the weight past the CG, so it sits firmly on all three wheels with the main rotor fore and aft. I used the kit's ski mounts for the main landing gear - I just extended them with a white styrene tube. The wheels and the front landing gear strut are from an old ESCI 1/48 HS-129. The main rotor and tail look droopy here, but they're just held in place. I can (and will) adjust the tail boom droop to level everything out. It's starting to look like a helicopter. Maybe for children or midgets, though. the figure is 1/35 scale:



Hopefully I can start priming - and maybe even painting - tomorrow.

[Tophe]

Wonderful model! Congratulations!

@Tophe - you build Unicraft kits, so something like modifying clear windows should be easy for you!

Uh, I have destroyed thermoformed canopies trying to use them so now I paint canopies as black (no clear parts) on resin or plastic (I buy every year a P-51D Heller 1/72 with 2 injected canopies so 1 extra part for a Unicraft receiver kit) or on putty as did TsrJoe that gave me this idea, thanks to him. No need of cockpit interior moreover, this way, focusing on the general layout, which I prefer since I was a kid.

[Dizzyfugu]

That's looking very good. 

[NARSES2]

That's looking very good. 

It is indeed 

The bottom photo with the figures almost has the feel of an "animation" to it. 

[frank2056]

Thanks, guys. It does have a cartoonish (sorry, anime) look to it. I think it's the big main wheels and the general droop.

[Wardukw]

Very strange looking thing that is mate..and as you can guess..i think its looking prefect 
Now this is me being annoying  but i would covered the tail boom just so it matches with everything else but dont get me wrong Franky mate..it still looks terrible but in a great way ..love bittsters 
Heres a GB for ya...the bittster GB..for aircraft..you cant buy a donor..its has to be built from only the parts box ..then i think we'ed see some weird and wonderful stuff.

[Tophe]

(uh, sorry... "bittster", what is the meaning of it? Google Translate says this is "amer" in French but in German, while the French amer is bitter in English, so... is bittster = bitter ? a bitter aircraft??)

[Wardukw]

Bittster ..a model built from anything that comes ro hand..like the Destoryer i built Tophe mate..made from crap bits and pieces ...can also be called a bitser 

[Tophe]

Thanks, English teacher!

[Wardukw]

Hahaha your most welcome matey   

[frank2056]

Phill - I was thinking of covering some or all of the boom; how much will depend on esthetics (or the distinct lack of) and weight distribution.

This model is quite a collection of parts - Trumpeter,  Revell, ESCI, Miniart, 3D printed parts that I designed and I think the nose wheel is from either an ancient Airfix or Lindberg 1/72 HS-129 from the 1960s.

I'm at the hardest part of the build now - what color to paint it. It's currently all white - I may paint it in red and white, but still haven't decided. I'm open to suggestions.

[Wardukw]

White and medium blue..always a attractive looking combo when done right.
Easiest way to find out about the esthetics bud is masking tape..stuff on and see what it looks like..dont like..then remove 
And yup your bird is a super bittster