Kamov Ka-239 "Haggard"

[John Howling Mouse]

In addition to the cockpit seats, I have to make some fold-down combat troop bench seats for the back complete with wrinkles, etc.

So, using sandpaper/knife/scriber/files, I'm basically sculpting seat cushions for some drop-seat benches when it suddenly occurs to me that I could have used canvas-and-frame seats from any 1:35 armour kit.  They would have looked better and taken virtually no time at all.

But, now that I've spent as much time as I have, I feel like it would be a waste to quit.    :dum:  :dum:  :dum:

Man, I sure hope a viewer can actually SEE these details from the back when the clamshell doors are open.  Pics later...  

[Eddie M.]

This is a joy to watch come together. If I had your skills, I could do some real damage. You are truly gifted in modeling. Me, I'm a shotgun hack. Thanks for the detailed documentation of this build.  B)
   Eddie

[John Howling Mouse]

Thanks, Eddie.  I wish I had half your vision to see concepts the way you do.

My six-year-old comes up to me today, sees that I'm working on multiple sets of seats and says, "Daddy, you could make ONE seat the way you want and then mold it to make lots of seats, right?"

:dum:  :dum:  :dum:

So, here are some of the seat cushions.  The pilot seats are padded more than the others, which are the fold-down canvas seats for the poor grunts in the back.

Very hard to see in these pics but all the seats are rounded, textured, and filled with hand-scraped "fabric" wrinkles, etc.  I look like I have acute dandruff now, my shirt/shorts are so covered in flecks of styrene!

[John Howling Mouse]

At high-rez close-up, you can see a bit more of the texture, wrinkles and the depressed areas a la derriere.

Not the most productive use of time when you consider that I could have pulled the equivalent from any number of Tamiya 1:35 kits...

I'm not feeling too bright today.   :dum:  :dum:  :dum:

But, what the heck------beats sitting there watching TV!

[Eddie M.]

Very well done. B)
   Eddie

[John Howling Mouse]

I think you hit on another way to enhance the ugliness - exposed engines!

Did I just treble your workload with that suggestion?  Hope so! 

I think Nev's trying to kill me....

[John Howling Mouse]

Phew, they don't look like much but, man, this took awhile.

Since the canopy/windscreen on this helicopter is so wide, I'm hoping the final cockpit interior will be worth the extra work.

[John Howling Mouse]

Parts madness.  Pretty much everything you see here has been modified to some degree or other.  

[cthulhu77]

Looking good, dude !!!

      re: the dandruff...
               as long as it isn't moving, you are o.k. !!!

[retro_seventies]

mouth wateringly complex endeavour that you've got yourself into here barry - can't wait to see how things turn out.

can't wait to see how YOU turn out...lol

oh hey - that cd should be on it's way this week, btw - sorry about the wait.

[nev]

How do you remember which piece of scrap goes where???    

I do recognise the F-15 burner cans though  ^_^  

[John Howling Mouse]

How do you remember which piece of scrap goes where???   

I do recognise the F-15 burner cans though  ^_^

Which piece of junk goes where?  That's a good question.
I seem to be able to retain the plan in my head for a very short while.  Then it turns to mush.  So I'll draw it out if I get delayed.

For the Nevensky BT-101 "exposed" engines, just getting a little expansion chamber on the main pipe took about 7 cutting steps of some fueltanks from a 1:48 F-15 Eagle.  And, yep, the bits from the F-15 engine (are those the "turkey feathers"?) will actually form the background for the interiors of the access panel I've cut out in each engine nacelle.  Then I'll build up a tangle of pipes and wiring, etc. from various pieces of plastic rod, wiring, beading wire, solder, aluminum tubing, etc.   I look at photos of ground crew working on the exposed engines of helos and turboprops and I cannot begin to imagine how they can make sense of it all.

Luckily, the forward intake lips from a 1:48 Harrier fit that nacelle quite nicely (but will now be on the aft end of the nacelle).  Now, actually mounting the nacelle to the fuselage, well, haven't figured that out yet.  Likely some rods and shroud-cladding to hold it in place.  Has to be very, very ugly, of course.

I've used fuel-tank halves from a 1:72 Corsair to fill two of the tear-shaped voids on the top of the engine housing.

Say, does anyone know what the apparently hinged panel-baffle-waffle-makers (?) are used for on the Westland Wasp?  It doesn't appear to be something that can "close" all the way but I cannot figure out what possible purpose it would have.  A downdraft deflector???   Positionable armour-plating?   :dum:  :dum:

[John Howling Mouse]

Another view of those hinged, inverted waffle-makers.  Note that they seem to be double-skinned like thick landing gear doors are on other aircraft. None of my sources explain these.   And, yes, I did notice what was parked just behind this ugly little helo.  Talk about "Beauty And The Beast,"  eh?

[Eddie M.]

Say, does anyone know what the apparently hinged panel-baffle-waffle-makers (?) are used for on the Westland Wasp?  It doesn't appear to be something that can "close" all the way but I cannot figure out what possible purpose it would have.  A downdraft deflector???   Positionable armour-plating?   :dum:  :dum:

Surfboard carriers? Maybe it's to protect the crew when the rotors and rotorhead disintergrate.    
  Eddie

[John Howling Mouse]

Seat "cushions" (some are just fold-down fabric seats) and some flooring painted up.
The cushions actually look better in person.
You'll have to take my word for it!