Author Topic: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper  (Read 10557 times)

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #50 on: May 01, 2022, 07:29:54 AM »
I've been debating about putting invasion stripes on these two. It makes it look cool but can be a PITA. Plus the wings are too small to have the stripes and insignia too. So I've painted the rotor blades with invasion stripes that would look like white rings as the rotors spin just like the yellow prop tips.

Here's a shot of the first rotors with a set of stripes, topside only.



Here's a shot of the second rotors with slightly different spacing, top and bottom sides. Managed to get some white satin primer on too.



I've also built a swash plate for each rotor with connecting rods to the rotor blades. Also one wing came off because it was glued to mostly filler. I'll make some spars from sprue and glue them into holes drilled in the fuselage. The Apache version needs the canopy fitted. Trying to decide if I'm going to cut the canopy open.

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #51 on: May 01, 2022, 11:06:25 AM »
Looking good ... and love your rotor blade invasion stripes idea  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #52 on: May 01, 2022, 03:42:35 PM »
 :smiley: :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #53 on: May 01, 2022, 11:28:23 PM »
Now I can try to tape off the tail boom. Wings are easier. Then squirt some on the Apache.

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #54 on: May 30, 2022, 12:54:25 PM »
Gathered up my courage and cut the canopy apart. Worked out very well. Masked off the clear panels and painted zinc chromate green around the frames on the outside so it would show green on the inside. The separated side windows were painted individually inside and outside since it will be visible.



Sprayed the Apache with some Model Master OD 1911 and Tamiya neutral grey. Using regular model paint and everything worked! A little touch up tonight with MM acrylic. Next is gloss then decals plus a couple black stripes. I might use some of the Flying Tiger markings from the P-40B kits I used to make this. Let's say some AVG vets ended up transfered to Britain and trained on how to fly these crazy new machines!
The only complaint so far is that the Apache canopy is not a shake and bake fit but hey, it was born a snap tite kit.





« Last Edit: May 30, 2022, 01:00:12 PM by Kerick »

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #55 on: May 30, 2022, 03:30:57 PM »
Looking very good, mate! Very good, indeed! 8)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Online GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #56 on: May 31, 2022, 01:06:52 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #57 on: May 31, 2022, 01:05:13 PM »
Thanks! Definitely better than the first time around. Sprayed on some good old fashioned Testers gloss coat and it looks good. I'll need to mask off the black stripes and spray them gloss black. Then ready for decals. The A-10 version is waiting in the wings.

Offline LemonJello

  • MARPAT Master
  • Member number 100...WooHoo!!!
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #58 on: June 02, 2022, 08:36:10 PM »
Both are really turning into stunners. Onward!

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #59 on: June 02, 2022, 10:04:42 PM »
Thanks!
Just working on paint and fiddly bits right now.

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #60 on: June 03, 2022, 10:25:28 AM »
Stunners indeed. These are looking really good  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #61 on: June 03, 2022, 11:23:20 PM »
I managed to get the wing glued back onto the A-10 version. I cut a peg from sprue and glued it into the wing and into a hole drilled into the fuselage.

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #62 on: June 07, 2022, 01:52:10 PM »
Added a little black tonight.



A good use for those dumb plastic bags that are always laying around.





Nothing a tiny brush can't fix. I'll have to touch up as not even the most ham fisted mechanics would have gotten a stripe that crooked!





The black paint stuck better on the satin white I used as primer on the A-10 version compared to the Apache version which had a layer of glosscoat already applied. I'll have to watch the order in which I apply paints! Apache is almost ready for decals!

The A-10 version will be British so I plan to apply standard fighter camouflage with the airbrush using acrylic paints and silly putty for masking.

I don't know which would have been more of a PITA to apply, the paint or decals but here it is and that's where it will stay.

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #63 on: June 10, 2022, 01:20:08 AM »
Stripes a go go!



I hope the brush marks fade out after some dullcoat.

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #64 on: June 10, 2022, 07:19:12 PM »
 8)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #65 on: July 07, 2022, 01:08:56 PM »
I'm going to attempt some decals shortly. I hope I have enough in the scrap box. Some of the shark mouth decals from the P-40 kits might just move over to the Apache. I'm going to have to choose a name soon. Apache is the most obvious but was already in use by the A-36 Allison engine version of the P-51. I could use Comanche as the stealth helicopter concept had not been thought of yet. Or a shark name to go with the decal markings. Hammerhead? Mako?
« Last Edit: July 07, 2022, 01:13:03 PM by Kerick »

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #66 on: July 08, 2022, 05:55:34 AM »
If there was a poll, I'd vote for Comanche  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #67 on: July 08, 2022, 08:24:42 AM »
There is Winnebago, but it’s not boxy enough.
susquehannock?

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #68 on: July 08, 2022, 01:23:04 PM »
There's always Arapaho(e)*.



[*: The Arapaho tribe were a strong, formidable, Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people of the Great Plains, ranging from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to New Mexico and Texas, who had secret warrior societies. The Arapaho tribe fiercely resisted the white encroachment of the Great Plains together with their allies the Cheyenne and the Sioux.]
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #69 on: July 09, 2022, 11:14:58 AM »
There's always Arapaho(e)*...

Nice!  :smiley:
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #70 on: July 10, 2022, 01:27:23 PM »
Here's some photos of the Hammerhead attack helicopter sometime in July 1944. All the markings are completely fictitious as I was using mostly scraps from the decal junk pile. The shark mouth is from the P-40 kits the engines and wings came from.











The yellow stripe on the wings is a carry over from the A-36 Apaches. I had the stripe so I thought I'd use it here.
I might add a couple more decals and of course the weapons. Then dullcoat and a little weathering. This idea of finishing a project could become a habit!

Offline LemonJello

  • MARPAT Master
  • Member number 100...WooHoo!!!
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #71 on: July 11, 2022, 08:24:00 PM »
Oh, that's just gorgeous!

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #72 on: July 13, 2022, 12:45:09 PM »
Here's Betty! Its the classic pose but it seems the swimsuit has fallen off.



Here's the shark teeth filled in. Looking at it in person you can barely see the irregularities.



The white spot is paint scrapped away so I can glue on another new cable cutter.

Offline kitnut617

  • Measures the actual aircraft before modelling it...we have the photographic evidence.
  • Holding Pattern
  • *
  • I'd rather be dirtbike riding...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #73 on: July 13, 2022, 08:40:14 PM »
Coming along very nicely Ken   :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: Retro WWII Apache whopper chopper
« Reply #74 on: July 15, 2022, 12:08:06 PM »
OMG! I've finished another model!!! Something crazy going on here.........

The Hammerhead is off the desk and on the shelf. I think even my wife was impressed with it.
Here's the nose close up ready to spit fire and lead!



Not a face to meet in a dark alley!





Four .50 cals, two 20mm and two three round rocket launchers plus extra gas.











The .50 cal barrels I think are from an old B-26 kit and the 20mm barrels are .50 cal barrels from the old 1/35th Tamiya Infantry Weapons Set. The rocket launchers are scratch made from rod with Scotch tape strips wrapped around the tubes.
The RAF version will be coming up soon. I have to gather my courage and get out the airbrush. I used to be good with it but I got frustrated with the one I had spiting globs of paint onto my models. Possibly not thinned enough. We'll see.