MH-60S Knighthawk conversion
Here are a few pics of my Knighthawk conversion based on the Italeri MH-60G kit
Pic 1: here shows the start on the cockpit, detail added to the co-pilots door.
Pic 2: showing the side wall detail to the pilots door and the cabin area. The conversion is from the Italeri MH-60G kit. I found a couple of pics on airliners.net via the link on scalerotors (which saves a lot of time getting into that site), in conjunction with the Squadron Signal Walkround number 19 UH-60 Blackhawk. This covers most of the versions but not the Knighthawk but is non the less very useful.
Some of the detail on the Italeri kit is soft or non existent, both in the cockpit, cabin and on the fuselage. The scheme I have chosen is of the US NAVY SAR Unit NAS Whidbey Island. I googled NAS Whidbey Island and came up with a lot of info also google images on the MH-60.
Pic 3: Here is the windscreen showing the internal braces
Pic 4: Here is the new glass instrument panel. A rubber mould was made of the Italeri V-22 Osprey which is 90% the same as the Knighthawk. A cast was made and then cut into the two pairs of CTR displays. The cowl was also extended and covered in masking tape to represent the cloth cover (one of the pics from airliners).
Pic 5: Here is the starboard cockpit/cabin area detailed and painted.
Pic 6: Here is the cockpit area, painted and the seats detailed.
Pic 7: Second pic of the cockpit showing the wire guard braces on the windscreen and the housing for the weather radar on the nose
Pic 8: Fuselage assembled and extra detail added.
Pic 9: Starboard side showing added extra detail.
Pic 10: Underside of fuselage showing added detail
Pic 11: Tail pylon of the Knighhawk showing the RER sensor and the tail fold detail.
Comments
Hi Heloman:
Your whip is amazing!! I'll be ready to follow the progress you will be having about the creature.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Cheers!!
Luis Alfonso
Great work so far - I´ll
Great work so far - I´ll follow this!
Stefan
MH-60 progress.....
hi Guys, Thanks for your comments, at present I'm backtracking I've started to take the paint off back to the plastic. This afte I painted the middle grey the incorrect shade, I had already clear coated the fuselage ready for the decals, so I repainted it, Model Master clear gloss over Humrol over Model Master clear over Humbrol. It crackled so stopped work on it untill yesterday afternoon, when I started rubbling the paint off with Turps and cotton swabs. It's working so far, will have to do some touching up to the filler on the underside, then can get going again. Meanwhile I await some help fromthe guys at NAS Whidbey Island, re the cabin area and the mission equipment.
Heloman
MH-60S progress report....
Hi Guys, As of yesterday pm I have all the paint removed and the fuselage cleaned up, panel lines needed clearing out using a scribing tool. I used surgical spirit to clean the model, unfortunately some of the added detail has suffered but this gives me an opportunity to replace and upgrade these parts. Things like the fire extinguisher I made and forgot to add to the cabin. I'll take some pic before I start to repaint.
Heloman
MH-60 progress update....
Hi Guys, Now I have all the paint off and I've filled all the areas where the filler came away, I am staring to add back the small detail that was knocked off in the process. The eyebrow glazing above the pilot seemed too proud so I have sanded that down. Th ewhole of the roof section is too high, this is a foult to do with the height of the windscreeen which I only noticed when I had it all installed, so will have to live with.
I have to remake on cockpit access step as that went for a flight!!! The small tri-angular fin/wire guides, two on the nose and two under the cockpit doors will be repalced with brass shim stock for better damage resistance. The main and tail u/c's have been removed (fell/broke off) and the ram portion of the oleo will be replaced with surgical syringe. It's fiddly as the legs have to be drilled out and then the syringe inserted and the leg length restored, it looks 100% better when done. Then It's back to painting which I'm hoping to tackle this coming weekend. This time I'll get the colours right. Until the next time.
Regards Heloman
Hi Colin:
Thanks for the info, Good luck, Can we have pics of the process of rebirth??
Cheers!!!
Luis Alfonso
MH-60 re-build progress pics....
Hi Poncho, I have sent Tim some more pics, a couple of parts not made in the early part of the build plus some more of the smaller parts I made. I'm sure Tim wil post them soon. Heloman
Looks great so far. Please
Looks great so far.
Please keep us updated!