Wolfman63 Posted April 20 Author Report Share Posted April 20 (edited) Tenth week of the CH-46D was spent adding external details and starting base coat of painting. I built up the lower section and routed the wires (one for each side). The end caps for the landing gear were then modified for the wires. I used the 30 gauge wire to represent the hydraulic lines. These go into the wheel hub and exit thru the middle of the tire. They will later feed thru the base to the power source for the lights. Next I started to add the small external details. One thing I noticed is the kit does not cover the section between the rear door and the crew section. This left the underside of the tail and wiring exposed. I located a reference photo that showed this area covered with the same blanket panels that are above the crew seats. So I used the 3M glass tape on a small frame to fit the area. I then modified the rear landing gear pods and the nose strut to add the tie-down loops. The underside has a couple of antenna’s which are supplied in the kit, however these kit pieces are very thick. The nose small blade antenna was replaced with a photo etch version. The posts for the wire antenna were replaced with gold pins from a scrap computer circuit card. The large blade antenna is the kit part but the thickness was thinned down with sanding sticks. Also on the tail is a small vent tube. The kit piece was plastic with a small hole in it. I replaced this with an aluminum tube. Finally I started the base coat of painting. The overall green is FS34097 with flat black for the exhaust area. This upcoming week I hope to finish up the base coat, final assembly, and start on the decals. You can see more photos and details of this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/ Edited April 20 by Wolfman63 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted April 20 Report Share Posted April 20 As I mentioned earlier, the building details are impressive enough, let alone the wiring ingenuity that you're also incorporating. The more scale antenna details are also a nice touch, though I dare not put things like that on myself before painting and decalling is done or I'll knock them off while handling the model. Carry on! Looking forward to your final steps on this beauty! Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman63 Posted April 27 Author Report Share Posted April 27 After eleven weeks on the CH-46 the helicopter is almost finished! I started off applying the decals. The kit decals worked very well. The tedious part was the 60+ placards/stencils. It took three nights to get all the decals applied. These were then sealed with a clear coat. I began removing the kapton tape masking on all the windows and the Micromask from the navigation lights. The navigation light lenses were then painted with Tamiya clear for the color of the light. I then did a quick light check before moving on to installing the boarding ladder and the cargo ramp. On the boarding ladder I used 38 gauge wire for the support cables. The angle of the steps should look better once the helicopter is on the display base. It sits about 0.1 inches higher in the back due to the wires out the bottom of the tires. I did another light check and all is good. I have some minor touch ups to do and then I need to use some compressed air to clear some dust on the inside of the cockpit and I can then start weathering the fuselage. I will be starting the display base next week as well. The plan is to complete this over the next two weeks. You can see more photos and details of this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted April 27 Report Share Posted April 27 Looks like it's on the ramp in the early evening..... Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted April 27 Report Share Posted April 27 Absolutely incredible build, a beautiful recreation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman63 Posted May 4 Author Report Share Posted May 4 (edited) Week twelve on the CH-46A/D was spent making the display base. I started with 16X12 wooden plaque that I purchased at a local arts and crafts store. I then cut a sheet of .1” styrene for the tarmac. I scribed the tarmac with seams and then sprayed four different grey shades. I measured out the placement of the model and drilled the holes for the wires to pass thru the base. Moving to the wood base I marked the area under the rear part of the model and then cut out a section. This is where the battery and wires will be housed. I also drilled out a hole for mounting a switch to turn on the lights. A channel was made on the topside of the wood base to route the wires from the switch to the battery area. I then used some styrene sheets to make a holder for the battery. The styrene tarmac was then attached using clear epoxy to hold it down to the base. The model was then installed on the base. I hooked all the wires together and performed a quick check to make sure all the lights and switch work. I then added some dirt, stains, and weathering on the tarmac using pastel chalk. I still need to dress the wiring inside the battery area and then add the rotors and guns to the helicopter. The etched nameplate will be arriving early this coming week. I am also going to make a squadron logo sign which will conceal the switch. Stay tuned as this project will get completed over the next week. You can see more photos and details of this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/ Edited May 4 by Wolfman63 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmarc Posted May 5 Report Share Posted May 5 CCCCCCCCCCOOL ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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