FineScale Modeler – October 2019

http://www.FineScale.com 51

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I then formed the downwash rings in several

steps, always using a wet brush to wipe the

acrylic gel toward the outside of the

downwash’s rings until I was satisfied.

I used Tamiya tape to make straps, patches,

and entrance steps. Markings are homemade

decals along with silver stripes from TL-Decals.

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The helo placement helped me define the

rotor downwash area and where I wanted the

raft placed so I could carve out that area in the

foam.

Next, Parafilm M was stretched to size over the

electrical wire supports to create the raft’s roof.

I started with a 2mm aluminum plate powder-

coated in dark blue, then added an aluminum

plate bent to stand erect, powder-coated it

and added two U.S. Coast Guard patches to it.

I

find a display more inter-

esting if it tells a story.

Helicopters offer a wide

range of options, but how

to display a flying helo in a

static display?

That’s exactly what I wanted

to do in my North Pacific res-

cue scene.

Creating a U.S. Coast Guard

Jayhawk in a dramatic rescue

took shape after watching the

2006 movie, The Guardian. I

found pictures of this great

Coast Guard search and rescue

helo in its red-and-white high-

visibility scheme on a gray

northern pacific background

and they were stunning. That’s

exactly what I wanted to show.

So, I chose the 1/72 scale

HH-60J (No. 87235) from

HobbyBoss as my centerpiece.

From the beginning, the focus

was on how to make a static

helo appear to fly. Motorizing

the kit was not an option; I

wanted a static model with no

technical gimmicks.

As an alternative to the kit’s

main rotor blades, there was the

option of using a clear disc, or

perhaps creating single blades

to look like a moving rotor. For

the tail rotor I would use

PropBlur photo-etched (PE)

parts; but there was nothing

suitable for the main blades.

The display

Kit chosen, I focused on display

composition. There would be

two levels, helo overhead and

the ocean below. On the water

would be a life raft for the cor-

relation between the two levels.

The idea was to use a rear panel

to mount the helo and add

drama, 1. I used a 2mm alumi-

num plate canted to shape and

powder-coated it in dark blue.

A hole was drilled to fix the

6mm clear acrylic rod to hold

the helicopter.

A smaller aluminum plate

was canted and powder-coated

to display two additional Coast

Guard patches. While in the

background I added two text

panels with text of radio traffic

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Next, I attached the raft and blended it into

the water with more gel medium. Now, with

the Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak patch

applied, the base was finished.

Applying various shades of gray to the rings by

using the dry-brushing method, I created the

illusion of depth.

Before starting on the water, I temporarily

fixed the helo to the base, then cut insulating

foam with a band saw. Waves were formed

using a cutter, rasp, and hot-air gun.

Next, I made rolls of Magic-Sculp, cut and put

two together for the raft’s body, then added

pieces of electrical wire to create roof

supports.