Post by Real G on Apr 5, 2023 23:06:14 GMT -5
This is a very old project that began in the late 1980s when the Japanese anime OVA "Bubblegum Crisis" came out. The mecha in the series were so just darn cool. Even the "guest mecha" (the minor background machines) were awesome. Although there were a lot of resin and vinyl kits of the main characters (the Knight Sabers), other characters and machines were thin on the ground. I know of only a vinyl Boomer and a resin kit of Priss' Motoslave in bike form. But there was an extensive range of metal gaming minis that were the bee's knees.
I was a young man at the time, full of energy and just starting a career. Armed only with a second-gen videotape and an art book (and no digital camera), I set about building one of the helicopters that appeared in the opening sequence. I used sheet plastic and epoxy putty to get the basic shapes. Small bits like the wheels came from the spares box.
But the one thing I didn't know how to approach was the canopy. It was one big, undercut bubble with no framing. I made a crummy vac master from balsa and CA glue, but I found out that the heated clear sheet plastic caused the CA to blister. I also had no idea how I was going to make the "AD Police" lettering. So it went to the "Shelf of Doom" for almost 20 years.
After that prolonged dormancy, I accidentally found the model while looking for something else. Looking over what I had built, I thought it was salvageable, so I decided to finish it. 20 years is a long time, and I had learned a lot of new tricks and had access to more materials. I made a new master from polyester putty and was able to vac the canopy. Dumb luck played a vital role here, because as I was wondering how to extract the form, it rotated a bit then just fell out!
The large lettering and numbers came from a Decals Carpena sheet that a friend had, which amazingly had a font very similar to what I needed. The small white stencils came from Gundam aftermarket decal sheets. The pilot was a modified resin CMK US Army helo crewman. The searchlight lenses came from a Modeler's car headlight accessory set. The stand was from a Bandai Y-Wing, with sheet plastic details applied to disguise its origins. The "AIC" lettering is homage to Artmic, the animation studio that produced Bubblegum Crisis.
For those not familiar with me, I am the "Dead Project King". I have many such abandoned projects lying somewhere in the closet, waiting to be exhumed and restarted. Some examples:
K-11 Powered Suit, again from Bubblegum Crisis.
Gundam UHGCT (Ultra Heavy Ground Combat Type).
I'm pretty sure if I continue this project, it will be completely new but retain the overall look and feel.
Pejite Gunship from "Nausicaa".
This project is another complete re-do. I have started developing drawings to capture the unique nuances of the design that my first attempt missed. Some other scratchbuilds I have seen online are similar to what I currently have, but I feel the layout should be a bit different. Stay tuned!
I was a young man at the time, full of energy and just starting a career. Armed only with a second-gen videotape and an art book (and no digital camera), I set about building one of the helicopters that appeared in the opening sequence. I used sheet plastic and epoxy putty to get the basic shapes. Small bits like the wheels came from the spares box.
But the one thing I didn't know how to approach was the canopy. It was one big, undercut bubble with no framing. I made a crummy vac master from balsa and CA glue, but I found out that the heated clear sheet plastic caused the CA to blister. I also had no idea how I was going to make the "AD Police" lettering. So it went to the "Shelf of Doom" for almost 20 years.
After that prolonged dormancy, I accidentally found the model while looking for something else. Looking over what I had built, I thought it was salvageable, so I decided to finish it. 20 years is a long time, and I had learned a lot of new tricks and had access to more materials. I made a new master from polyester putty and was able to vac the canopy. Dumb luck played a vital role here, because as I was wondering how to extract the form, it rotated a bit then just fell out!
The large lettering and numbers came from a Decals Carpena sheet that a friend had, which amazingly had a font very similar to what I needed. The small white stencils came from Gundam aftermarket decal sheets. The pilot was a modified resin CMK US Army helo crewman. The searchlight lenses came from a Modeler's car headlight accessory set. The stand was from a Bandai Y-Wing, with sheet plastic details applied to disguise its origins. The "AIC" lettering is homage to Artmic, the animation studio that produced Bubblegum Crisis.
For those not familiar with me, I am the "Dead Project King". I have many such abandoned projects lying somewhere in the closet, waiting to be exhumed and restarted. Some examples:
K-11 Powered Suit, again from Bubblegum Crisis.
Gundam UHGCT (Ultra Heavy Ground Combat Type).
I'm pretty sure if I continue this project, it will be completely new but retain the overall look and feel.
Pejite Gunship from "Nausicaa".
This project is another complete re-do. I have started developing drawings to capture the unique nuances of the design that my first attempt missed. Some other scratchbuilds I have seen online are similar to what I currently have, but I feel the layout should be a bit different. Stay tuned!
After everything was glued in place, I was too lazy to give it a grubby oil wash.
