Quaralane
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2009
- Messages
- 11,263
Next up on the build stack is what should have been a fairly quick, relatively trouble-free build.
The Kitech repop of the old AMT "Airwolf" helicopter
Quick look at the sprues shows that about the only real change from the AMT kit as far as parts go was the addition of pilots.
Now, before I go too far, I will warn anyone building this kit to watch out for some problems in the instructions.
They show the nose fairing going on the roof.
They show the boost thrusters being put INSIDE the INTAKES
They flip the guns upside down.
Now, on to the work itself.
Given that the kit comes with the standard interior for a Bell 222, I chopped out the back wall behind the cockpit to allow for viewing the guy in the back.
I didn't build a rear console because it wouldn't be visible through the windows.
Now, while I left the interior the bare plastic, I painted the helmets, boots, and gloves a very dark grey, then gave both figures a black wash.
For "Dom," I did opt to paint in his face with a flesh tone before the black wash.
Sadly, he won't be all that visible back there
Getting the side pods to fit the main body took a LOT of clamping to get rid of the worst of the seams
But, it seemed to work out fairly well
Once the body was together, I tacked the outer doors of the wing pods in place and masked off the cockpit windows.
Then I primered the body in grey before giving the bottom a coat of white.
Once the white had cured, I gave it a coat of semi-gloss to seal it before masking it off with some silly putty.
The upper body was given a coat of black, then sprayed over with Testors Graphite Dust Lacquer.
The tips of the probes, as well as the thrusters, were painted over in Vallejo gunmetal.
With this done, I gave the body two coats of semi-gloss for a brighter finish
For the rotors, I first painted them in silver.
The blades were painted in white, and then given their red striping.
After giving the silver parts a blask wash, both rotors were sealed with a flat clear coat.
The guns and missile rack were painted with Vallejo gunmetal, then given a black wash.
Like the rotors, they were given a flat clear coat as a sealer.
Finished build pics
Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avHtk67ZByI
The Kitech repop of the old AMT "Airwolf" helicopter
Quick look at the sprues shows that about the only real change from the AMT kit as far as parts go was the addition of pilots.
Now, before I go too far, I will warn anyone building this kit to watch out for some problems in the instructions.
They show the nose fairing going on the roof.
They show the boost thrusters being put INSIDE the INTAKES
They flip the guns upside down.
Now, on to the work itself.
Given that the kit comes with the standard interior for a Bell 222, I chopped out the back wall behind the cockpit to allow for viewing the guy in the back.
I didn't build a rear console because it wouldn't be visible through the windows.
Now, while I left the interior the bare plastic, I painted the helmets, boots, and gloves a very dark grey, then gave both figures a black wash.
For "Dom," I did opt to paint in his face with a flesh tone before the black wash.
Sadly, he won't be all that visible back there
Getting the side pods to fit the main body took a LOT of clamping to get rid of the worst of the seams
But, it seemed to work out fairly well
Once the body was together, I tacked the outer doors of the wing pods in place and masked off the cockpit windows.
Then I primered the body in grey before giving the bottom a coat of white.
Once the white had cured, I gave it a coat of semi-gloss to seal it before masking it off with some silly putty.
The upper body was given a coat of black, then sprayed over with Testors Graphite Dust Lacquer.
The tips of the probes, as well as the thrusters, were painted over in Vallejo gunmetal.
With this done, I gave the body two coats of semi-gloss for a brighter finish
For the rotors, I first painted them in silver.
The blades were painted in white, and then given their red striping.
After giving the silver parts a blask wash, both rotors were sealed with a flat clear coat.
The guns and missile rack were painted with Vallejo gunmetal, then given a black wash.
Like the rotors, they were given a flat clear coat as a sealer.
Finished build pics
Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avHtk67ZByI