Zvezda 1/72 MI-24P Hind

[Guest]

Thanks Tony, appreciate that.

Obviously I'm still trying to find my feet being so new to this, but I definitely think there'll be more scratch building or modifications in the future. Talking of which, I've still not been to that place down Attercliffe that you mentioned. I ended up ordering a few styrene supplies from John for a friends project that's coming up soon, but I can't wait to have a good rummage around a proper hobby shop.

[yak face]

Thanks Tony, appreciate that.

Obviously I'm still trying to find my feet being so new to this, but I definitely think there'll be more scratch building or modifications in the future. Talking of which, I've still not been to that place down Attercliffe that you mentioned. I ended up ordering a few styrene supplies from John for a friends project that's coming up soon, but I can't wait to have a good rummage around a proper hobby shop.

I went past the other day andy and was mortified to see the shutters down! Oh no i thought another one bites the dust BUT there was a small notice above the door saying new opening hours , closed wednesdays and another day ( i couldnt quite make out which as i was driving past at the time) so i would give their website a gander for the opening times before setting off ! Cheers Tony

[Guest]

Ah, thanks. I also drove past last week but it was after 4 on a Saturday so just figured it was early closing since the shutters were down.

[Guest]

Undercarriage. I'm sure the instructions have got the sides mixed up as when I fitted them as suggested the wheels would have been at about 45 degrees to each other and the ground!

Swapped the main parts side to side (very quickly before the glue set in the 35C heat of the shed!!) and they line up much better.

I suppose I could have got them mixed up but I was very careful to orient the model in the same way as the instructions, then remove each part from the sprue and put it on the corresponding side as I cleaned them up, to minimise errors. Either way they look much better how I've put them. More work to do (once the glue is solid) but will hopefully have pictures later :smiling3:

[Si Benson]

Hi Andy,
The whole thing is looking really good! Glad you sorted out the business with the ‘whirly thing’.
Top stuff :thumb2:

[yak face]

Easily done andy especially if the instructions are a bit dodgy too. I once carefully made a windscreen for a 1/72 miles magister from folded clear acetate , i was very chuffed with the result , it was only while taking pictures of the completed model i realised id stuck it on upside down!!!! Luckily i was able to rectify it !

[Guest]

Thanks Si.

Tony, I've seen others comment unfavourably about the instructions on this model. Often exact mounting locations are a bit indistinct and for some reason there are sub assemblies listed in the margins that might be used a page or so later in the main instructions. Nothing that can't be figured out of course but yet another thing trying to trip me up. I make enough mistakes without all that! :smiling5:

[Allen Dewire]

Evening Andy,

I too have problems with the destructions sometimes. They show three or four steps with the model up side down and then a few steps with the model right side up without warning. Makes a man crazy trying to add the parts correctly!!! Dragon is famous for bad destructions too.....

Great fix on the whoop whoop piece Sir! Pretty soon we are going to call you Scratchy, not because you have fleas, but because you love to scratch your own stuff in a build!!!! Try to stay cool and we are in the same boat here in Germany still. Hot, hot and more hot…………..

Prost with a cold one
Allen

[Guest]

Haha, thanks Allen. Scratchy, that genuinely made me laugh out loud. :smiling5:

It doesn't help that I'm backwards and forwards through the instructions either, as I'm trying to paint similar coloured items together, leave off parts that I know will get knocked off etc, but I guess that's nothing new for most of you.

Anyway, today I removed all the parts I'd temporarily stuck on for paint. There's still a bit of the PVA left to clean up but moved on to fitting the undercarriage. After a bit of tweaking it now sits squarely on its wheels. Also fitted some of the weaponry.

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[Guest]

It doesn't help that I'm backwards and forwards through the instructions either, as I'm trying to paint similar coloured items together, leave off parts that I know will get knocked off etc, but I guess that's nothing new for most of you.

A major part of developing modelling skills, if you ask me, is learning when to follow the instructions and when to let them tell you where the parts go but not the order in which to put them together. A lot of kits will have you put things on that, as you say, you just know will get knocked off later on, or that a little experience tells you will make things hard to paint or put together. Sounds like you’ve gotten to this level at least already

[Guest]

Had some fun fitting the doors, covers and various other easy to knock off bits today.

The main side doors were the biggest headache and I admitted defeat and only displayed one open. If my pet octopus hadn't been having the day off he could have helped. I needed to hold the model steady, the lower door, upper door, and the single strut in position, then get some glue on. Not enough hands! :smiling5:

I ended up putting a tiny bit of glue on the doors, just enough so they wouldn't fall off but I could still move them a bit. Then get the strut in position and adjust the doors to line up with it. All with tweezers as there's nowhere near enough room to get fingers in. Managed to get a big splash of glue on the upper door which stripped the paint so that had to be touched in.

Also continuing to mess about with my pictures and tried Tim's suggestion of a red background to help the green camo pop.

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Not too far off finished now. Plenty of minor touch ups once the glue on the doors has set solid, and the spinny bits to throw on. Canopies are looking decidedly dull so will try and polish them up too. The plastic on these is really soft and floppy though, not something I've come across before, and even the friction heat from a polishing cloth softens them and dulls the surface again, so need to go steady.

I also need to scan back through the instructions as I've got loads of left over parts! Some I know are for different versions, some are so tiny that I didn't bother, but just want to check I haven't left something important on the sprue.