I am restarting my Revell Bell H-13H Sioux helicopter, and I'm looking for some advice. I'd like to build the kit as a Korean War era medivac helicopter, but the H-13H wasn't used in Korea. Is there any way to backdate the Revell kit to a C or D model, or is there a commercially available H-13D kit?

Thanks,
Jim

The Revell kit would take a lot of work to backdate. You would have to rework the instrument panel and interior config, new fuel tank, new skids, etc., etc.

There is a very nice kit of the Bell 47D/H-13D that is correct for a Korean War helo. It is by MRC/Academy and is readily available.

Thanks, Gino. That'll work.

Jim

Here is an update on the progress on the Bell OH-13H Sioux. This is the kit I'm starting with:


I wanted to do it as a MASH helicopter, but the Revell kit is an H-13H, not the H-13D that was used in Korea. I didn't know this at the time that I purchased the kit, so the Revell Marketing Department did their job in capitalizing on the popularity of the TV show "M*A*S*H". I bought it to do a MASH helicopter, so it worked!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this kit, the framework of the main body is molded in one piece:


Yes, it's molded way out of scale, but what are you going to do? I was at the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, PA, yesterday; and they have an H-13D in MASH colors. I checked the main parts of the frame (while no one was looking) & they are about 1" in diameter. The kit's scale out to about 2.1" in diameter. I realize why Revell did this, though. If they molded it in the correct diameter for 1/35 scale, the main support members would be 0.7mm & would be very weak. Conversely, of they did the main structure in brass, the kit would be very expensive & probably wouldn't sell well. Balance.

Here is the Lycoming VO-435 engine (or at least it's supposed to be):


Overview:


Cockpit close-up (well sort of):


Jim

Jim - that is coming along good. Looking forward to seeing more, thanks for sharing

Thanks. Hopefully some more progress the weekend.

Jim

You could always do it as one of the TV show props. At lest it'll be authentic

Not really, the decals are supposed to represent the Bell-47s seen in the M*A*S*H tv show. However, the ones in the show were actually H-13Ds as seen in the Korean War. They had side panels added to the engines with MASH and a caduceus on them.



It would be more accurate to build the Revell kit as an unarmed OH-13H observation bird, as that was their most common use during the Vietnam war. By that time they were designated OH-13Hs (OH = Observation Helicopter). This is what the Revell kit most closely represents.

That's kind of what I'm going for, just an unarmed observation helicopter. I am going to use the paint guide in the back of the instructions for the orange & white OH-13H Artic/Desert/Jungle scheme. I'm note sure how accurate it is, but it will be eye catching. It's either that or a police helicopter.

Gino, do you have a decent photo of the antenna base for this helicopter? The Revell instructions are a little vague.

Jim

I thought for sure there was at least one -47G

But perhaps that was a private owner trying to cash in.
Edit: Two.


Build one of these, and you'll have an accurate model of a fake MASH helicopter

Jessica, thanks for the pics.

Jim

Sorry I didn't see your question earlier. These pics may help.







Those are both civil/private-owner later model Bell 47Gs (removable fuel tanks w/straps) that have been painted up to sort of look like helicopters from the M*A*S*H TV show.

Yes, those do help. Thanks.

Jim

And the Revell kit will suffice to do an accurate model of those sort of like the M*A*S*H TV show helicopters
Of course, you need to scratch build the angular skids for one of them, but that's not unachievable with a bit of piano wire or Evergreen stock.

So I managed to get some work done on the Sioux in the last few days between work & the rain. The cockpit is just about done:


And here's a shot of the WIP instrument panel. Does anyone know what that ring is supposed to be? Is it a gun sight?


And an overall WIP shot. The engine & cockpit are not permanently mounted yet. They're just "posed" for the photo.


More to come! Soon, I hope.

Jim

The ring looks like it may be an RDF loop - Radio Direction Finder

Exactly what it is.

Looking great so far.

Thanks for the information. I'll leave the ring on then.

Jim

This is more of a "let's see if this works" as opposed to an actual update. Anyway, here is where the H-13H stands now:


(Hmm, that's kind of small.)

Having a lot of trouble with the white: it doesn't want to stay on the plastic. After I spray it on, it just seems to run off. It's really weird. I've tried washing the plastic, priming, changing from Tamiya to Testors; and all have the same results. There are two cans of Tamiya white on the boom structure. It's crazy.

Hoping to have more updates soon.

Jim

Looking pretty good. White can be a hard color to apply. I find multiple thin coats fully dried between applications works well.

To make the pic larger, remove the thumbs/ part of the image code.

http://gallery3.kitmaker.net/data/500/thumbs/2017-08-05_21_35_18.jpg

Thanks, Gino. Well, now I know. I really don't know a lot of this coding stuff.

How are you riding out Irma? Much damage where you are? I grew up down in Miami, and the pictures are pretty wild!

Jim

We came through just fine; no damages, no power outage. We went up to Tampa to my in-laws' house. It sounds like the Cape Coral / Fort Myers area took a pretty good beating.

Not the neatest job on masking the main rotor, but it's closer to done. Tail rotor is in paint right now.



Jim

Calling it done!



Jim