Starting on Italeri’s 1/48 MH-60K. With this build I will be using Eduard’s “Big Ed” detail kit. Beginning with the cockpit I added the photo etch parts to the floor and console. As I started on the seats I noticed that the rear of the seats on the reference photos have a bin and bracing as well as a first aid bag behind headrest. Using some stock styrene sheets and rods I made the braces. I used a small piece of nylon cloth to make the first aid bags.
Moving forward after some corrections the cockpit section is almost done. I scratch built the fire extinguisher and painted the cockpit section the correct color. I then started work on the crew area. The photo etch comes with the support cables for one side of the crew seats and I used 32 AWG wire to replicate the other side. The molded in seat belts were removed. I will make new seat belts out of cloth tape. I am working on making the turn buckles that go from the top of the seats to the supports. Need about 20 of them. Still have lots of details to add to the crew area.
Installed the seat belts. I made a Tips and Tricks tutorial on making them at Making cloth seat belts for aircraft . I also made the turn buckles for the seats using 32 AWG wire. The crew cabin has been detailed a little more and weathered. Working on the cabin roof now.
Cockpit and cabin ready to install into fuselage. Working on the adding details to the fuselage. Many of the vents and grates need to be cut out and replaced with photo etch details. Should be ready to close up fuselage soon.
Fuselage together, starting to add photo etch details to the outside of the fuselage. It is slow going as there are over 170 pieces to add. The bottom and nose of fuselage is done. Working on the top and sides now. Still need to do the boom, some more on tail, and the main rotor.
After many hours of trimming, folding, and bending the numerous photo etch parts for the fuselage are now installed. Some minor finishing and some minor filling then the fuselage will be ready for painting. Still have some items left to build and detail like the main rotor, doors, and the machine guns.
So after realizing the Italeri kit does NOT include the correct nose, I surgically removed the “L” nose. Utilizing the numerous modeling forums and groups I was finally able to locate the correct nose from a fellow modeler in Ankara Turkey. The correct nose should be here late next week.
In the mean time I am working on the smaller details. Main rotor, machine guns, side doors have been detailed. Corrected the placement of the smaller antennas and started to base coat the model and rotors. The kit decals only have the black lettering for the warnings and such so I scanned the decal sheet in and changed the colors to the dark olive color used on the 160th Night Stalkers aircraft.
The K nose has arrived! Work continues with the build.
The MH-60K is now complete! Overall an OK model. I really still cannot believe Italeri purposely does not include the K nose. I have had many respond that their kits do not have the part as well. The only other thing is the cockpit clear parts do not fit very well. Took a lot of shaping to get them to fit OK. If I ever did another one I would fill the edges and then trim to fit the clear parts. With all the photo etch already installed I was not able to do it. The Werner’s Wings decals are awesome. They went on easily and just the right thickness. Here are the final photos.
Seems like you are lighting a path for me, this is yet another in my stash. I have plans for a large diaroma including this bird, two AH-6J’s and some cover aircraft, either the AH-64D or AH-1Z, all of which are in my stash. Once I build the choppers, if all goes well, then I will begin the large street and building scene, but this is all a pipe dream for now. If it goes well, I may just keep expanding with more building and ground vehicles later on.
Should be fun though, thanks for setting the bar high for me.