International Scale Modeller

I have a major problem thats put all current builds on hold - the current tin of Vallejo Gloss varnish I've always used isn't drying. I've lost decals on the 1/48 Avenger and a 1/72 Gripen because tacky varnish grabbed them fast.
So to keep - relatively - sane this time of year I pulled one of the small boxes at random from the stash - which turned out to be this:


Must be a re-release as I built this when it first came out and it only had the "Little Nellie" markings but this box also has Army evaluation markings!

The instructions


















The Decals


I'm not sure these will be any good though as the tissue paper was stuck on. Peeled off OK but every time I've had this in the past the decals have been bad. So I might be in for a fair bit of masking.

The Sprues


Progress after one evening has the rotor head assembled, the engine assembled, work started on the frame.

Mr Millers build back in 2020 might be useful.
viewtopic.php?t=28013&hilit=james+bond
Love the engine and prop.

Cool looking kit!

I built this! I had to - I saw the film at the theater when I was a kid and never forgot Little Nellie!

digger303 wrote: Fri Nov 14, 2025 11:08 pm Mr Millers build back in 2020 might be useful.
viewtopic.php?t=28013&hilit=james+bond
Love the engine and prop.

Thank you for the nod!

Progress report time. Not got an awful lot done because I've not felt all that great recently. However this is asfar as I've got:
Pilot figure cleaned up, top halves and bottom halves joined.


Base frame started


Various sub-assemblies in stages of painting - I took a leaf out of DBMiller's thread and built most things up as sub assemblies. Didn't have any suitable tubing as he did so I built the front rocket launchers as OOB but made the levers permanently fixed.


Lastly the airframe with the engine in.




Last bit not least - typical Airfix - I found there is a piece missing which will have to be scratch built - I think the part # is 52, the single control lever on the rear of the front body.

Latest state of play. Nearly all the sub-assemblies are done and I'm realizing, once again, how much I hate painting things Yellow:


The tail fin and launchers have had 5 costs - and its still translucent! The fuselage halves have had one coat. Plan there is to paint them all yellow and then once they are mounted onto the frame, the seams done and touched in, decals applied and sealed with clear coatI can mask off the lower section and apply the silver. Well, thats the theory at least!

As far as the pilot figure goes - still trying to get the face right.......

Painting yellow is a bit of a tricky one.
It's starting to come together though.

I view this forum on a desk top and pic's won't enlarge mostly....I'm referring to your decal problem in the other build.




Ps...I've been cruising through your stash and you have some nice interesting kits.

digger303 wrote: Sun Nov 23, 2025 4:15 am Painting yellow is a bit of a tricky one.
It's starting to come together though.

I view this forum on a desk top and pic's won't enlarge mostly....I'm referring to your decal problem in the other build.




Ps...I've been cruising through your stash and you have some nice interesting kits.

Cheers Digger!! What caught your eye? You may have noted a LOT of Viggens in there - and a few more Mi-24 Hinds (A through E versions)...
Problem I have now I've literally run out of space to put them!! Need some display cabinets but Ikea stopped their Detolf range which was the ideal size.

Anyways - back to the Nellie. Got the body of the figure together today - faces still defeat me zNo matter how hard I try I can't get the eyes right.....


And I got the main gear on so it will stand up without needing to be leant on something and the attendant risk of falling on wet paint!

Bristol 192 Belvedere
Fairey Rotodyne
Fairey Swordfish Mk.II
Helix A
Alligator
Mil Mi-10
Mi-24P
Mil Mi-28NE..

Almost all helicopters

digger303 wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 12:13 pm Bristol 192 Belvedere
Fairey Rotodyne
Fairey Swordfish Mk.II
Helix A
Alligator
Mil Mi-10
Mi-24P
Mil Mi-28NE..

Almost all helicopters

Great choices!!! Especially the Mi-24 there are 6, I think, in there ranging from 1/72 up to 1/32!

Got a chance to fire the airbrush up today so the Yellow looks a little better.


Pilot figure is seated in place, missiles are done, rotor supports are done, rotor blades are done - theres only 4 parts left on the sprues now, 2 braces for the rear whatever they are, nose wheel and throttle quadrant.


Getting there slowly - once this and the Avenger are complete I am officially put of storage space. I wish Ikea would bring back those Detolf units!!

One more coat of the yellow and you will nail it I think.
Yeah I like the Hinds, but I've really liking the Zvezda 1/48 Ka-52 Alligator armed to the teeth and the 2 sets of blades add some more interest.

digger303 wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 12:54 pm One more coat of the yellow and you will nail it I think.
Yeah I like the Hinds, but I've really liking the Zvezda 1/48 Ka-52 Alligator armed to the teeth and the 2 sets of blades add some more interest.

When you come try building a Kamov you'll find setting up those twin rotors is a nightmare - not only do you need to space both sets of rotors correctly uou also have to line up two sets of control rods!! Done it twice now, got at least 3 more in the stash, just summoning up the will to start them...


Back to the autogyro - the front fairing went on tonight. Fits where it touches hence the OTT clamp and all the filler!!!


Going to be a fair bit of sanding to do once its dried.

RangerNeil wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 7:04 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 12:54 pm One more coat of the yellow and you will nail it I think.
Yeah I like the Hinds, but I've really liking the Zvezda 1/48 Ka-52 Alligator armed to the teeth and the 2 sets of blades add some more interest.

When you come try building a Kamov you'll find setting up those twin rotors is a nightmare - not only do you need to space both sets of rotors correctly uou also have to line up two sets of control rods!! Done it twice now, got at least 3 more in the stash, just summoning up the will to start them...


Back to the autogyro - the front fairing went on tonight. Fits where it touches hence the OTT clamp and all the filler!!!


Going to be a fair bit of sanding to do once its dried.

I did not think of having a problem lining up the blades on the Ka-52, but I'd still like to build one. There does seem to be a lot of possible upgrades for the Zvezda which is slightly diminishing it in my eyes, but I'd still build one.

A bugger to have to sand the nose after you've built so much of it already.

digger303 wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 11:27 pm

RangerNeil wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 7:04 pm

digger303 wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 12:54 pm One more coat of the yellow and you will nail it I think.
Yeah I like the Hinds, but I've really liking the Zvezda 1/48 Ka-52 Alligator armed to the teeth and the 2 sets of blades add some more interest.

When you come try building a Kamov you'll find setting up those twin rotors is a nightmare - not only do you need to space both sets of rotors correctly uou also have to line up two sets of control rods!! Done it twice now, got at least 3 more in the stash, just summoning up the will to start them...


Back to the autogyro - the front fairing went on tonight. Fits where it touches hence the OTT clamp and all the filler!!!


Going to be a fair bit of sanding to do once its dried.

I did not think of having a problem lining up the blades on the Ka-52, but I'd still like to build one. There does seem to be a lot of possible upgrades for the Zvezda which is slightly diminishing it in my eyes, but I'd still build one.

A bugger to have to sand the nose after you've built so much of it already.

There is some choice of supplier if your heart is set on the Ka-52. The Zvezda one (new tool due in 2026) is said to be the most accurate - I've seen some photos of test builds from a Russian modellig channel on Whatsapp and it does look good. But Tamiya, Revell and Italeri also do a 1/72 version - the Tamiya one is quite good, don't know about the Revell or Italeri releases. If you want to go bigger then in 1/48 there are offerings from Zvezda again as well as Kittyhawk and Arma whilst Trumpeter do a 1/32 release.
Was it me - I'd wait for the new Zvezda release next year. According to the company it can be built from the box without needing additions......

Back to the build - I sanded the seams down today - and realised I had forgotten to prime the fairing halves as can be seen from the photos....




May have to take it all back to plastic and start again - this time putting the primer on first!!!

oH HECK, thats a blow to the mojo.

Zvezda Ka-52 it is

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:36 am Cheers Digger!! What caught your eye? You may have noted a LOT of Viggens in there - and a few more Mi-24 Hinds (A through E versions)...
Problem I have now I've literally run out of space to put them!! Need some display cabinets but Ikea stopped their Detolf range which was the ideal size.

Anyways - back to the Nellie. Got the body of the figure together today - faces still defeat me zNo matter how hard I try I can't get the eyes right.....


And I got the main gear on so it will stand up without needing to be leant on something and the attendant risk of falling on wet paint!

One tip is to paint the pupils as a vertical line not a dot as this will stop the figure having that 'Just Clicked a Link I Shouldnt Have' expression. Also a quick wash with some diluted brown acrylic will help define the features. Loved Little Nellie as a kid. Adulthood ruined it when I realised all the weapons were physically impossible.

SteelScooter wrote: Sat Nov 29, 2025 1:41 pm

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:36 am Cheers Digger!! What caught your eye? You may have noted a LOT of Viggens in there - and a few more Mi-24 Hinds (A through E versions)...
Problem I have now I've literally run out of space to put them!! Need some display cabinets but Ikea stopped their Detolf range which was the ideal size.

Anyways - back to the Nellie. Got the body of the figure together today - faces still defeat me zNo matter how hard I try I can't get the eyes right.....


And I got the main gear on so it will stand up without needing to be leant on something and the attendant risk of falling on wet paint!

One tip is to paint the pupils as a vertical line not a dot as this will stop the figure having that 'Just Clicked a Link I Shouldnt Have' expression. Also a quick wash with some diluted brown acrylic will help define the features. Loved Little Nellie as a kid. Adulthood ruined it when I realised all the weapons were physically impossible.

Thanks for the pointers - I'll give them a try!!

Went to apply the White primer tonight - my daughter and her husband are visiting to gether with Angel , their Houndie. As I started - unbeknownst to me, Angel had come upstairs, nosed the door open and come in behind me. First I knew was when a cold, wet , Houndie nose shoved my arm pushing the airbrush onto the model. As a result I know have a mega splodge of paint thats going to need to be sanded flat and reprimed.


DAMN!!!!!!

RangerNeil wrote: Sat Nov 29, 2025 6:55 pm

SteelScooter wrote: Sat Nov 29, 2025 1:41 pm

RangerNeil wrote: Mon Nov 24, 2025 2:36 am Cheers Digger!! What caught your eye? You may have noted a LOT of Viggens in there - and a few more Mi-24 Hinds (A through E versions)...
Problem I have now I've literally run out of space to put them!! Need some display cabinets but Ikea stopped their Detolf range which was the ideal size.

Anyways - back to the Nellie. Got the body of the figure together today - faces still defeat me zNo matter how hard I try I can't get the eyes right.....


And I got the main gear on so it will stand up without needing to be leant on something and the attendant risk of falling on wet paint!

One tip is to paint the pupils as a vertical line not a dot as this will stop the figure having that 'Just Clicked a Link I Shouldnt Have' expression. Also a quick wash with some diluted brown acrylic will help define the features. Loved Little Nellie as a kid. Adulthood ruined it when I realised all the weapons were physically impossible.

Thanks for the pointers - I'll give them a try!!

Went to apply the White primer tonight - my daughter and her husband are visiting to gether with Angel , their Houndie. As I started - unbeknownst to me, Angel had come upstairs, nosed the door open and come in behind me. First I knew was when a cold, wet , Houndie nose shoved my arm pushing the airbrush onto the model. As a result I know have a mega splodge of paint thats going to need to be sanded flat and reprimed.


DAMN!!!!!!

Sorry to laugh, but I can imagine the surprise and when you look around there's this innocent happy to see you look staring back at you.

digger303 wrote: Sun Nov 30, 2025 12:30 am

RangerNeil wrote: Sat Nov 29, 2025 6:55 pm

SteelScooter wrote: Sat Nov 29, 2025 1:41 pm

One tip is to paint the pupils as a vertical line not a dot as this will stop the figure having that 'Just Clicked a Link I Shouldnt Have' expression. Also a quick wash with some diluted brown acrylic will help define the features. Loved Little Nellie as a kid. Adulthood ruined it when I realised all the weapons were physically impossible.

Thanks for the pointers - I'll give them a try!!

Went to apply the White primer tonight - my daughter and her husband are visiting to gether with Angel , their Houndie. As I started - unbeknownst to me, Angel had come upstairs, nosed the door open and come in behind me. First I knew was when a cold, wet , Houndie nose shoved my arm pushing the airbrush onto the model. As a result I know have a mega splodge of paint thats going to need to be sanded flat and reprimed.


DAMN!!!!!!

Sorry to laugh, but I can imagine the surprise and when you look around there's this innocent happy to see you look staring back at you.

More like a not so innocent face looking for food. Maggie has spoilt us being a laid-back houndie happy to wait for food to come to her. Angel is the exact opposite - nothing and nowhere is safe when she's on a sniffari - and I had a packet of mini cheddars to munch on whilst working.....

Anyways - damage is rectified, yellow went on this morning:




And silver went on this evening:




The eagle-eyed amongst you will note minor changes to the figures head - I watched the following clip of Little Nellie in operation and made the changes as per the footage.

Decals are finally on and drying.

Calling this one done now - been a bit of a mojo sapper so I think maybe a Tamiya is next on list for a bit of restoration........

Oh what happened the tail has a lean other wise I was thinking it's pretty good.

digger303 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 11:54 am Oh what happened the tail has a lean other wise I was thinking it's pretty good.

Its that rear brace for the rotors - as soon as it goes on it twists the tail slightly - and the front is actually too narrow for the fairing so I might take them off.

RangerNeil wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 1:31 am

digger303 wrote: Wed Dec 10, 2025 11:54 am Oh what happened the tail has a lean other wise I was thinking it's pretty good.

Its that rear brace for the rotors - as soon as it goes on it twists the tail slightly - and the front is actually too narrow for the fairing so I might take them off.