Sikorsky CH-53 Yasur 2000

[RWG686 33,100]

I intend to build this helicopter.

using the Italeri kit with an Isracast conversion set.

The Sikorsky S-65 has served well in Israel and with various updates is still an effective machine.

In keeping with my usual rule of only building an aircraft I've seen, I'l be doing number '065' the only Israeli one I've seen. She's had a long life,starting out in 1971  life as an S-65Oe with the Austrian Air Force before being sold to Israel.

I won't be displaying her in such a dramatic scene though.

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by RWG686

[RWG686 33,100]

The Italeri kit which I have is for an MH-53J but fortunately they have made all of the special forces gubbins as add ons to the basic airframe so no major surgery needed.

Here's the Isracast conversion kit and decal sheet.

I will probably make a start on this later today.

[Grunhertz 17,460]

Great stuff 

[RWG686 33,100]

Right.let's get started.

Large area of glazing at the front means I'll need to put a bit more in than Italeri supply (and take out some of what they do)

Memo to self...remember to take before and after pictures.

Here's the bulkhead behind the pilots.

Italeri give some detail but as you can see I'm taking it off because it looks nothing like the real thing.

A visit to the box containing obscure bits of card soon gives me this.

Still a few wee bits to add..microscopic bits as is my wont.

I forgot to photograph the back of it but trust me when I say it was flat with no detail.

Into that box again and I get this

 

A wee clean up once its firmly set then a few more wires.

This is the cockpit and cabin floor as supplied . It is actually not too bad.

but you know me..can't do anything straight out of the box.

The two 'U' shaped bits on the floor are guides for the seats. (They're crap but more of that later) They've been cut off.

The box at the front of the cabin is the wrong shape and too small so it was sawn off and the hole filled. No idea why because I'll be covering it with a box.

A small square of plastic has been added to the consol on the left. Looks like a radio or similar bit of kit.

The central consol has had two triangular pieces of card added either side. I'm not sure if they're for reinforcing or perhaps map holders.

A few extra panels scribed on the cabin floor and all of the wee squares have been drilled out as on the real machine they are recess tie down loops. I glued a strip of card underneath to give a floor to those holes.

I'll carry on with this part tomorrow.

Thanks for looking in.

Edited March 20, 2020 by RWG686

[RWG686 33,100]

Here's the front bulkhead in place and the step/box added.

I wasn't happy with the kit supplied seats so made 2 new ones. All bits salvaged from spares box and bits of card. 9 pieces in all.

They are shown with the armour panels in the folded position. Kit seats shown for comparison.

I've straightened the squint leg of the one on the right.

There is very little detail inside.

That's a template to fill in that big hole. I reckon the area between the two pencil lines won't be visible from either door but....

It looks like this..I'm going to be busy as the front door and ramp will be open. 

There's no ceiling in the kit either.

Those ribs are the kit ones  highlighted by the flash. They're too skinny so will be replaced.

 

[Grunhertz 17,460]

I love the amount of 3xtea work hou put in Richard 

[BlackMike Models 9,315]

You've got a lot of work on the interior to do! I'd be shutting all the doors if I was building it.

Duncan B

[RWG686 33,100]

3 hours ago, BlackMike Models said:

You've got a lot of work on the interior to do!

Sure have, but why make things easy..where's the fun in that?

Work on the interior starts with roughly filling in the holes where the sponsons are. Nothing precision needed and a quick sand over once dry will suffice.

The helicopter doesn't have a ceiling as such hence the two pieces to fill in the hole there. Only the front and back ends will need a smear of filler.

For the next part I have taken out and dusted down this very old and useful tool.

 

Work stops as I'm off to make fish and chips for the dinner.

[Grunhertz 17,460]

I dont envy you mate 

[RWG686 33,100]

That good old tool is of course a contour guage.

Stick it into the fuselage half,place on paper and draw round the shape,reverse and do the other side and you get this

This will be the template to make a thicker template for whatever I use to make the 15 ribs I'll need.

I had a bright idea before I did that though.

I dug out some thin plastic strip and bent it round the shape,taping it as it went. I left it for an hour then took one side off and it immediately straightened..

Re-taped and heat applied lightly over the plastic.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the cigarette lighter I use for lighting the candle for stretching sprue. I no longer have a template as it caught fire.

That was a wee clue I think so I'll leave the inside until tomorrow. Meanwhile.

A start to detailing the kit instrument panel . The back is completely flat and as it will be seen I have started to add some bits and pieces to make it look busy.

The 10p makes an appearance for the first time.

Until tomorrow..

[Blue Noser 3,548]

Nice choice! Looking forward to seeing more

Bob

[Grunhertz 17,460]

Nice work richard 

[RWG686 33,100]

I've been giving some thought as to how I am going to make the interior gubbins.

At this stage clever folk would be on their computer and have a perfect 3D model ready for printing.

I'm not clever so I have this

 

The red lines will be the U shaped ribs.

The overall rectangular shape is the size of the interior

The blue lines will be the bits between the ribs whose name I can't remember.

Got that 3D view in your head yet?

The lump of brass is my template,

I have yet to find a way to just slightly heat the plastic strip to bend round it. This doesn't bother me too much as I'm not going anywhere for at least the next three weeks!

My line of thought at the moment is to make all of the ribs and then build up a skeleton like the ribs on a ship. This may be a combination of thick copper wire for the ribs and card for the cross members.

That should give me enough of an internal frame to start the detail work. A gazillion bits there.

None of that done tonight as Comrade Beriev took up most of my time.

Edited March 24, 2020 by RWG686

[Grunhertz 17,460]

Great plan and will be watching to see this come together 

[RWG686 33,100]

The plan goes into action.

Using the brass template I measured out the length of wire required. This was then rolled under a metal ruler and scraped with a blade on 2 sides to make it more flat. This was then bent round the template to give me a frame.

A rough frame was built and holes drilled in to take the U shaped from. This is the first one in place.

I then said to myself. This is bloody stupid. It will take a month of Sundays to do and I'll never get them all straight.

Plan B.

Most of it will never be seen and all that is required is an illusion of the internal framework.

Plan B looks like this

and when sat inside

That's the starting point for all the wires ,pipes and cables.

I already prefer Plan B.

[Grunhertz 17,460]

That's looking like progress 

[RWG686 33,100]

At the base of the fin is a very obvious mesh covering a gearbox for the til rotor drive shaft.

Italeri give you this

The area inside the pencil lines has to get cut out so out with the saw.

You would think that Italeri would have been able to match the shape so that it was the same on both sides Sorry about blurring but you can see what I mean.

The impression of the interior has been done. Just some seats and other gubbins to be added before the whole lot is joined up never to be seen again..probably

[Grunhertz 17,460]

wow 

Darren good stuff 

[RWG686 33,100]

A kid on gearbox and drive shafts

to go along with the kid on interior

Ignore the fisheye effect. It is all straight.

I forgot to show the kid on folded up sets before they went in. Just a strip of thin card for the backs and individual seats stuck on. Whole lot painted dark grey  then pretend frames painted on in light grey using a fine brush. As I said it gives the impression that there is stuff in there.

Fuselage stuck together and the 10p makes a guest appearance.

Edited March 27, 2020 by RWG686

[RWG686 33,100]

There has to be more to life than filling and sanding.

The moulds are beginning to show their age. I think they first appeared in 1993.

My office assistant, Boris, dropped in.

He was a bit miffed that I wasn't doing an RE8 as he wanted to help with the rigging.

[Grunhertz 17,460]

Wow that's not the greatest fit is it? 

[RWG686 33,100]

I wasn't happy with the kit engines,especially the exhaust

That ring is supposed to be a jet pipe.

It was cut off and an old fuel tank was cut to fit.

Something didn't look right so I did a bit more looking at pictures and decided that the nacelle was the wrong shape at the exhaust end and slightly short.

Another fuel tank cut up,glued in and covered in putty.

Oh the joy! More sanding tomorrow.

[Blue Noser 3,548]

Good stuff so far, I had the Stallion version of this kit and from what I remember it was definitely more filler than plastic!

Bob

[Grunhertz 17,460]

That's another kit I wont be buying cheers richard. You seem to have a stash full of filler queens and you are doing us a favour by showing us them before we buy them 

[RWG686 33,100]

Moving on to the side sponsons. Italeri's design has you trapping the main undercarriage legs between the two parts. I looked at modifying them as sure as night follows day,they will get broken at some stage before completion. I decided not to create any more work.

Would you believe that I will be filling and sanding?

 

One area that I chose to ignore earlier is the main rotor head.

In reality it is sat on top of a bloody great big gearbox which sticks out of an equally big hole on the top.

As you can see Italeri give you a sticky up bit of plastic.

I've drawn where the hole should be.

Is it worth the effort of cutting out a square section from the top,building a box to form a base to hold a scratch built gearbox? I'm trying to convince myself its not but....

On a cheerier note to end.

Kit old style blades on the left and new resin blades on right.

It's a slow process removing them from those resin blocks but they are surprisingly delicate so for once I am not hashing and bashing (with those bits anyway!)