Tail Decals Issues

The instruction manual for the MASH version states to add red decals to the tail section to create a yellow/red stripe pattern. While the decals are very easy to apply I did some quick math and quickly realized that I did not have enough despite confirming that the spacing between the red decals is equal to that of the width of the decal. Also, I noticed that the decal length is about 1mm too short as can be seen in the stripe to the right. I have decided to make my own decals tomorrow to correct the issue as I really like the look this gives.

Fuel Tanks

Yesterday I completed adding the decals and this morning I added a layer of dull coat. I had issues trying to figure out which tank went on which side of the helicopter because of conflicting images in the instruction manual. In the end, I use my own judgment...

Litters Installed

Today I installed the litters on each side of the chassis. I will leave the canopies until the end to minimize the chance of damaging them. Sure must have been a harrowing experience to be a patient on one of those stretchers!

Cockpit Installed

Tonight I glued the cockpit to the frame, now it's starting to look like a chopper!

Cockpit Complete

With assembly, painting, and application of the decals for the cockpit complete I proceded to apply a dull coat to seal everything.

Main Rotar

Today I assembled the three rotor pieces together. The tricky part was to find a way to allow the glue to dry while keeping the rotor blades horizontal. I know many modelers bend the rotor blades but I plan to display the helicopter in flight so I do not feel the need to do so...

Tail & Litters

Well after a long break I returned to complete this kit. After reviewing the progress I had made I decided the next best step was to paint the tail area yellow section and add the tail rotor drive shaft. I then proceeded to paint the litters (stretchers) and was not happy with the results as you could see large brush strokes. I decided to strip the paint and start over and my second attempt was much better. Finally, I freehand painted the litter canopies with no masks.

Rotors

I initially tried to hand paint the rotors black and it did not go well. I then decided to spray paint it black but the brush strokes were still visible. I then used Tamiya Fine Primer spray paint and applied another two coats of black. The results are fine but not perfect. I then masked and applied five coats of yellow for the tips. Once finished with the yellow I moved on to painting the centerpieces with a metal color which I will add some black Tamiya Panel Line Accent in a few days to add some depth to the parts...

Cockpit Build

Glued the seating, control sticks, and control panel to the base of the cockpit.

Control Panel

Tonight I detailed the control panel with the decal sheet provided and painted various buttons. The decal was a single piece that displayed all of the gauges however due to extruding buttons between the gauges the sheet would not go on flat. As a result, I had to cut each gauge individually and place them with tweezers. While the extra work made it look great I have to admit that this is a bad design on the part of Revell...