Old Airfix Vertol 107-11

[RangerNeil]

This is the old Airfix release of the Vertol 107-11 - the Swedish version of Wolfman's lovely 1/48 CH-46 build. This being 1/72 will be no where near the same level as that one.
Going by the box art this is the original 1965 release so could have been moulded anywhere between 1965 and 1974 according to Scalemates time line.


So - the box contents:
Instructions




Decals


Sprues


And thats all there is to it!!
In terms of flash there isn't an awful lot fortunately so fairly easy to clean up. What there are, however, are an awful lot of highly visible ejector pin marks. So - I foresee a LOT of sanding coming up in the near future!

[RangerNeil]

And the build commences....
Firstly all the ejector pin marks that would be highly visible on the interior were sanded off - I'm glad I invested in one of those Dspiae sanders as it saved me some very sore fingers.


Having a nose on google the interior seemed to be light grey so a coat of the closest match went on.


This is what the ejector pin marks were like - I left this because its not visible once the fuselage halves are joined:


And more visible ones on the rotor blades....


Fuselage halves joined - note the inevitable clamps! I don't know if its a common fault with this kit as a moulding fault or a one off I was "lucky" to find - but the locating pin behind the lower edge of the tailgate was moulded proud of the surface so it had to be cut off and sanded flat - hence the reverse action tweezers to hold the two halves flush


And the two floats/fuel tanks sanded and dry fit. The instructìons say they should be a removable push fit but I'm going to add them permanently as its a cast iron guarantee at least one will go missing in the future!!




Next jobs are to sand the fuselage joins ready for priming and finish assembling the rotors. Then we I can think about paint!!

[digger303]

Just about got it done, not many pieces left.

[RangerNeil]

Just about got it done, not many pieces left.

Indeed!! As of tonight all thats left assembly-wise is the undercarriage, doors and canopy. Rotors are assembled, the caps are painted, just got to push the shaft through the cap and add the keeper plate then they can go on once the fuselage is painted & decaled


Most of the seam sanding was done tonight - just got a thin strip of filler to sand off underneath when its dried tomorrow.
Engine intakes were added tonight - and they are a terrible fit!!! So more filling and sanding needed there:

[digger303]

Clamped up well

[RangerNeil]

Got the last of the filling on the Vertol done and the primer on day before yesterday:




Yesterday saw the Swedish airforce Dark Green go on then today it was mask-up time for the Orange:


And then everything went pear- shaped. I tested the airbrush before adding paint by putting a couple of drops of cleaner through it - that was OK. Thinned the Vellejo Orange, put it in the brush - and nothing came out.... Thinned it a bit more - still nothing. Repeated a couple more times then what came out was a liquid that ran straight off. Ended up using a pallet & hairy stick on the rotor heads - they came out OK but the underside stripe and the ribs on top the floatation tanks can only be described as an utter disaster!!!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Looking great
Always game to “get to the choppa” builds

[RangerNeil]

Looking great
Always game to “get to the choppa” builds

Until you get to the last two photos..... Then it doesn't look so great!!

[digger303]

Oh I hate that, all the work to mask off carefully spray it and the paint creeps underneath and you don't see it until the mask starts to come off. Then you get sucker punched....I feel for you.

[cor]

The chopper's got to get to the chopper.

bad luck. will be nice when its done though, a cool model.

[RangerNeil]

Paint job salvaged.....

[digger303]

Well saved.

[RangerNeil]

Well saved.

Thanks Digger Must admit to being mightily relieved it worked!!

Decals are now on - tomorrow they get a coat of matt varnish then the thaking fluid comes of the the side glazing and the nose canopy can go on.
Rotors are dry fit only at the moment.

[digger303]

[RangerNeil]

Cleaned the masking fluid from the cabin windows and then attempted to fit the canopy. Attempted being the operative word. Talk about "fits where it touches".....




There is a gap at the top big enough that a filler of 0.5mm sheet may have to be used. The gap at the bottom may be possible to pull closed and held until the adhesive sets.

[digger303]

Wow that is a huge gap.
Clamps can only do so much unfortunately

[RangerNeil]

OK - calling this one done now. I had to risk a trickle of super glue to hold the canopy on. Luckily the gap at the top was big enough to let the fumes out without fogging. This gap was then closed using infills of plastic sheet. Please don't look too closely - its not my best work. In hindsight I should have fitted the canopy before priming/painting rather than doing it seperately - I could have done a much neater job in closing the gaps.

[digger303]

Ohh I like the overhead view, very striking.
Well not every build is a pearler it happens, but to me it doesn't look too bad at all.

[RangerNeil]

Thanks for the kind words Digger.