It’s about time that a thread was started just for the building of the CH47 Chinook of all scales and why the heck not! In hopes that those helo club members out there ( and you know who you are ) will give some first hand advise on what colors, shapes, what and how the REAL thing is and those who are building a hook can shere what they have done or have on the bench. So lets go!
I’ll start.
What color should I paint the intake and the rearfins on the engines? I would like to know what color they start as (steel or aluminum? ) new and what tone they should be after use if possible.
The engines themselves…a dark metalic…almost a gun metal color?
The exhaust nozzle…I know its polished stainless steel…but should the color change from a burnt iron at the very end and get lighter/steel at the front?
The gear box / drive shaft cover ( in front of the engine…inside the intake screen ) …Should that really be the same body color as the rest of the exterior?
I’ll take a shot here although you are likely to get all sorts of replies for fellow hookers.
Intake compressor blades are steel. They pretty much stay the same color as engines get washed often.When they are dirty, they get a little black but probably not enough to notice even at 1/35 scale. I’d say go with a flat dull steel. The intake housing is (outer and inner walls of the intake) are dark gray. By rear fins, I assume you mean the visible portion of the turbine inside the exhaust cone. That’s a tough one, I will have to look closer at work and get back to you.
CH-47A, B, C and D’s with 712 engines have a painted dark grey compressor housing. This includes the engine from the intake back to the combusion chamber (the larger round cylinder just forward of the exhaust). The combustor is a light steel color when new but heat quickly makes it darker and dull. Some even get the blue tint from heat. Its hard to explain, I have some pictures that I can scan and post maybe this weekend.
The exhaust cone starts as a shinny steel with a gold or brass tint. Over time they turn to a dull brass color (again pictures). The age uniformely for the most part. Atleast the part visible outside the cowling. Some get that bluish tint up at the engine end. They do not turn black from soot inside.
The gear box covers (we call them nose boxes) are painted the fuselage color. One point here is that early A models didn’t have the intake screens. Later A’s and B’s had the screen only in warmer temperatures. They were romoved in the winter. The later screens (mushroom shaped) stay on all the time but have the rear panels removed in cold temperatures.
I’ll dig up some pics, I know I have some that will help.
A buddy of mine was a pilot with the 173rd AHC Robinhoods 67-70 and he remembers one time they were hit pretty bad and a Hooker picked them up just in time to miss Charlie…after that they had a lot more respect for those big helicopters.
I have a pretty good idea what I’m going to use for the exchaust cones…I’ll start with a Chrome finish then use the mentalizer burn’t iron at the ends and blend it in…then a slight tint of tamiyas clear blue…should turn out just right. A pal of mine used that on car exhaust once and it looked sweet!
Troy,
Probably not. I am just getting to the point with my garage where I can start building again. My built kits are still packed up. I will show up to check out everyone elses stuff and get some ideas.
COOL…no biggie at all…better for me…PHEW! …hehehehe
You will see some great work indeed.
Terry Moore…North IPMS president will have a few entries…his work is just amazing and he’s a real nice guy. Bob who owns Galaxy and puts on the Contests is one of the best friends a modeler can have…his shop has TONS of PLASTIC kits…mostly aviation! There is also a ‘Scratch and dent’ table with very nice kits at 30% to 70% off…some are just over stock that he just wants to get rid of.
I don’t know about American Eagles in Tacoma…but the thier main shop up here has never had the reputation of being the friendliest in the area…after spending some time at Galaxy Hobby you will wish you lived up here…Bob has been in business for eleven years and we keep telling him to get a larger shop.
It appears from some of the photos that the windows on some of the ACH-47s were either removed or filled with plate steel. Am I accurate was there a certain “protocol” regarding the windows. I have also started my stub wings. I will post some pictures tommorow when I get a chance. It may take me a few shots to get it how I like it. What was the name of the second book referenced for info Papa-echo?
Good eye… yes, the Boeing tech guys in Vietnam installed an armor plate in the 3rd window back on both sides, because the 20mm ammo boxes could be seen through these windows. The ammo boxes were big and silver, and made too good a target. example below:
On “Birth Control” (#64-13154) however, they put the armor plate in the 2nd & 3rd windows on the LEFT side… see photo:
Typically, the aft lateral windows were left out on all Vietnam era Chinooks to provide a gun-port for personal weapons.
Squadron’s CH-47 Chinook In Action has some good photos and drawings of the pilot’s armored seats and gun positions. Appears in the drawing of the “ramp” gun the upper sliding portion of the rear ramp was not installed and bracing for the guns ammo storage extended to the outer skin. In a picture of the same gun position from the inside a panel in the ramp floor was removed to give the gunner more “head” room. Can’t wait for the 1/48 ACH-47A.
And yes, the secondary ramp was not on the ACH-47’s because of internal bracing for the .50 mount, and the recessed panel in the floor, for the Gunner to kneel into. [:)]
Thanks again guys. The info is a great help. I’m compiling a entire file folder of reference on this subject. Thank for all your help. Frank, Can I get your email address?
Well as I said I would post some pictures of my first attempt at these stub wings. I still have some reshaping to figure out. I figured I would post a picture while the putty dries.
Your stub looks good!! A quick note of causion!! I hope you didn’t glue the gear strut access door yet because you won’t be able to attach the strut if you did!!
I would like to do one of these kits as a Go Go bird but the the many things that woud have to be changed and added would be a great undertaking!! I will wait to see how someone else does with this project!!
FAR OUT!! I found a few extra 1/35 M-16’s and a cassette AM/FM radio from one of the two 1/35 PBR MK II Nam river boat I built a while back. I’ll hang the radio in the rear ramp area.
