WIP: Eurocopter BK-117 "Space Design" D-HBKS
The Kit
Sprue "1"
Sprue"2"
Clearsprue
Decals
Instructions
Details Exterior
Details Inside
Detail Seats
I started by removing the ejector pin marks on the cabin inside...
... and assembling the tail.
The seats gor open backrests...
wich I closed for the first 2 rows.
I don't like tail-sitters -> some lead inside of the pedestal
The step in the roof section is closed with sheet, the gaps filled with putty.
OOB the rotorshaft would go down inside the cabin, so I had to modify it a bit. The rotor control also looks quite monolithic.
So I removed some unnessasary material and replaced the shaft with a 0.8 mm hypodermic needle
While I was at it I started assembling the main Rotor.
Dry-fitting showed some problems between the tail and the cowling (the angel between the cowling rear face and the tail-boom front part is about 8°). I hope matching the build groups is easier than the seperat parts.
The passanger seats are installed, a hot behind the last sets fabricated and fitted to the fuselage sides.
The forward hole in the sealing is closed, a air chanel for the ventilation installed. I could just see a little bit of this chanel on one photo, so most of it is based on my imagination.
The cowling ond rear sections are joint. The angle of the kontact surfaces seams to be the correct one, so I had to modify the fixing points.
for a 1988 tool the fit is quite good. With the modifications I made the model snaps together quite nice and one can even lift it on the tail.
One can see at least a bit of the improofments through the windows.
I made blinds out of aluminum foil and installed them.
Interiour nearly finisched.
I did some improvements on the exteriour.
Some Styrenstrips & sheet and some aluminium tape.
I hope this will come out much better with paint. If not I can use putty and try something else to ad the forgotten openings & grills.
I started painting the interiour.
Some details are painted,
decals on the panel and the buckles of the seatbelts scratched from alutape. With the litle bit one can see when the fuselage is closed that should be enough.
Most of the wIndows are installed. There are no frames, so ist very difficult to glue them in without getting the glue on the window. So when possible I masked them from both sides, if not just from the outside.
Comentarii
16 24 June, 19:12
NicolasAs soon as I finish one of my 3 current projects (2 of them ar nearly done) I will start with this little helicopter.
24 June, 19:17
NicolasAs I am covid positive (fortunately only with very mild syntomas) I had some time to build again today. So far I am positively surprised by the accuracy of fit. There are no locator pins, but I can now click the fuselage and cockpit together and even the tail section holds without glue.
8 July, 19:15
NicolasI would like to do some rivets on the exteriour, but I couldn't find some good drawings. If somebody has a hint I would be grateful.
8 July, 19:56
NicolasToday I started installing the controls. Doing so I noticed, the collectiv controls are missinh in the kit. So I started scratchbuilding them after photos. Also fabricated and installed blinds for the paxes.
9 July, 19:06
Shar DipreeI have the same kit too. I'm really looking forward to your results. Following. 🙂
13 July, 05:27
NicolasWelcome Łukasz, there is no reason to be afraid. The fit seams quite good, and the missing details is somthin one can improve. 😉
15 July, 16:33
bughunterThe Colani design is cool 👍 Have fun!
And I hope your covid is gone without bad effects!
19 July, 18:39
NicolasHi Bughunter, thanks.
Covid wasn't to bad, I got 3 day with mild syntomas and 5 days waiting for a negativ test. 😉
19 July, 19:38
Album info
Build proces for my 1/72 Eurocopter BK-117 in Stunning Space Design colours designed by Luigi Colani. The Kit is based on a 1988 Matchbok kit and there is no detail set or a kit from better moulds that I know of. So I'll try to improve this oldie a little bit.
I'm going to present the helicopter on a helipad in a city with 2 pilots waiting for some VIPs.
