I am struggling along with the 1/32 Revell AH-64. I have filed, sanded, filled and replaced parts to get to a reasonable interpretation of an apache. I am by no means an expert on this subject as it is the first helo that I have attempted. As it stands now, I have the majority of the fuselage complete, base coat done in sprayed Humbrol 66 (grey olive drab) the cockpit painted (black with dry brushed instruments) and the weapons in primer.
Here is a pic from tonight after another sanding /filling/ washing exercise. It is on the line to dry out overnight.
In spite of the problems with this kit (bad fit, s**t instructions, flash, mould lines on every part), I am prepared to persevere and complete it
During the cleaning up of the kit, I lost some detail (not that it was worth keeping).
Back to the subject line of the post. I would like to replace the grills, lights, mechanical parts lost during the cleanup operation. I have some PE from my spares box and various brass and steel components to use.
I would like advice on how to cut out the existing parts and replace with PE,(grills) and general advice on weathering a helicopter.
Thanks in advance
Daveash
Dave-
If you need to cut-out areas to accommodate your PE parts, then your best bet would be to use a Dremel Moto-Tool with a small (real small) gouging bit. You could then chuck up a small sanding pit to refine the area, along with using a flat-tipped file for hard to reach areas. (for instance if you were cutting the shape of a box into the fuselage)
I use my Dremel a lot and it may be a worth while investment if you don’t own one already. If you do decide to purchase one, make sure it is variable speed, or comes with some sort of rheostat attachment to control the speed.
Hope i’m not off-topic with my answer as i believe that is what you are asking.
Daveash,
Sorry to hear you’re having such problems with the Revell kit. While they do take a lot of added tidbits to bring up to current Apache standard, the model itself is surprisingly accurate. The surface detail is very good, save a few vents, etc that have been eliminated as the A model has evolved. Look on the bright side, you could be building an IMEX AH-64.
Keep us up to date on how yours is going.
Oh, and guys, I’ve actually managed to get time to work on my three Apaches… they’re all coming along pretty well now. The scratchbuilt avionics bays for my D conversion are looking good!
Thanks for the replies, I do have a Dremmel with various bits to cut, drill and shape.
At the moment, my main problem area on the kit is the vent on the tail rotor housing. The kit detail was off square and lacking in definition. I am after some pics of this area on either a model or a real Apache, so that I can proceed.
Daveash,
Drop me an email at Cobrahistorian@yahoo.com and I’ll email you pics of the vent. If you need any other detail shots, let me know. I’ve got scanned images of about every square inch of both the A and D model Apaches.