1:72 DML Mi 28 Havoc

[gosselin2112]

Well, here I am, back in the ISM GB saddle. I just recently acquired this kit at a local model show. I believe it is a copy of the Italeri Mi-28, as I have seen the same cover art with the Italeri name. I wonder if DML made any improvements on the kit. Here is the review of the contents:



The molds look pretty good for a kit of the early 1990s. Recessed panel lines with almost no ejection pin marks on noticeable surfaces. Well, I did find two small ones. I'll talk about those later on.






The canopy looks pretty sweet. No ejection pin marks and scratched. Should be a clean assembly process. "Should" is the operative word here In model building anything can happen.


Oh, this time I am guarding my canopy from the carpet monster. I am locking my baby in this tin can just to be extra safe. I swear, I have gnomes living in my home. I am always losing pieces to my model


Okay, ready or not, here I go! A little eye candy reference to get the model mojo flowing.


What can we expect from this build thread? I've already started assembly and will have pics posted soon. Like my Avenger (RIP), I will have some brass tubing to replace the chin gun. I'm even considering doing the same for the rockets, however, I am concerned about weight issues. We will see.

Model On!

[spruecutter]

Watching with interest. I like the camo scheme on this one, should look great when it's done

[gosselin2112]

Well. . . Dragon never fails to deliver a complex model kit, even at 1:72 scale I'm not complaining, I'm glad to be on a styrene quest (of sorts). I tossed and turned last night in bed while debating whether or not to crew my Mi-28. In the end, I decided that I would not only put the crew in the cockpit, but I would also depict my whirley bird in flight. I never seem to lack ambition when model building

The cockpit at present. I shaved off the raised detail of the instrument panels, as I will be using the decals. I figured that if I shaved the stuff off, I wouldn't have to arm wrestle with setting solution. And, hey, once that canopy comes on, there won't be much to see.


The crew look a little crude. Nothing that a little paint and a wash won't fix. I would really appreciate it if anyone has any pics of a Russian flight suit looks like. Yes, this is a plead for help


This is the stock barrel for the chin gun. It is really flimsy and bent. I highly doubt it will survive for any length of time after construction and visits to the shows. So. . . let us begin improving the little guy. Below it is brass tubing that will replace it.


I really wasn't too sure how to go about it. It's not a straight drill hole and insert operation. I wanted to incorporate the saddle below the barrel. To do this I took out some styrene (.080 X.125 I think), drilled a whole, and then filed away almost half the circle.


A nice clean fit.


The muzzle break thing was constructed using a similar method as above.


Assembling the chin gun was a bit fiddly Lots of little parts (that only Dragon can do) that need a lot of dry fitting and patience. Oh, and don't forget all the filling. The ammo cases on both sides of the gun were awful. So a filling I went. Here is the finished result. Just a few touch ups to go.


Tomorrow I am off to find a piece of dowel that will fit one of these cuties. I hope to use the aluminum over the brass, as I don't need any more weight in my bird. Still haven't quite figured out how I will install the tubing. I have plenty of time to think about it before I close the fuselage. This is going to be a whirleybird on a stick.


Okay, put all my little guys in their anti carpet monster/ gnome thievery container.


Will post more soon . . .

[Nige201980]

WOW Russ looking great mate love the gun.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Awesome!
Great scratch building

[gosselin2112]

I thought my cockpit was ready for the paint booth today, but I noticed that the pilot's instrument panel was going to have some nasty gaps where it meets the fuselage wall. I didn't like that at all. I am concerned about it being visible through the canopy. I could have easily passed over it, however, I love a good challenge.

I decided to move the instrument panel forward, flush with the edge. The original location slots required lots of TLC, and I wasn't in the mood to dance. Once installed, I glued a back support. To the right of the panel I will add some milliput. To the left I am placing styrene strips, making it flush with the panel.



All flush. I will allow the glue to dry overnight. Tomorrow I will remove the excess styrene and trim to fit against the fuselage wall. Once this is complete, I can continue with the painting of the cockpit.



The turbine (I guess that's what their called) were loaded with seam lines and gaps. Filled most of them with slightly thinned Tamiya Basic Putty, except where you see the off colored yellow where I had to use Milliput. I left one without putty to let you all see the delightful gaps



Still have a few more issues to fix with these guys. I'll talk about those during my next update.


So far, so good. I am enjoying this build. There have been a few unexpected hurdles, but nothing that has been keeping me away from staying on task. I am amazed at how quickly she is coming along. This is something quite foreign to me.

See you next time. . .

[DC87]

Masterclass already Russ . That box art Is just awesome . Superb work on the barrel, seems the previous pilot decided to ram the tank instead of use the gun .

[BALTA1]

Great job so far! Looking good!

[gosselin2112]

Ha ha ha, Dan
Yeah, I think the brass tube would do a better job with ramming a tank

[gosselin2112]

The following data is from Wikipedia. I will write up a more comprehensive description of the Mi-28 Havoc later on. I find this helicopter quite fascinating, as I know little about any helicopter. I imagine I will be building more whirleybirds down the road.

Mi-28 Havoc

General characteristics:
Crew: 1 pilot (rear), 1 navigator/weapons operator (front)
Length: 17.01 m (55 ft 10 in)
Rotor diameter: 17.20 m (56 ft 5 in)
Height: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Disc area: 232.35 m² (2,501 ft²)
Empty weight: 8,600 kg (18,960 lb)
Loaded weight: 10,700 kg (23,590 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 11,500 kg (25,350 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Klimov TV3-117VMA turboshaft, 1,636 kW (2,194 shp) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 320 km/h (172 knots, 199 mph)
Cruise speed: 270 km/h (145 knots, 168 mph)
Range: 435 km (234 nmi, 270 mi)
Combat radius: 200 km (108 nmi, 124 mi); with 10 min loiter and 5% reserves
Ferry range: 1,100 km(593 nmi, 683 mi)
Service ceiling: 5,700 m (19,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 13.6 m/s (2,677 ft/min)

Armament:
Guns: 1× chin-mounted 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 cannon with 250 rounds (±110° horizontal fire)
Hardpoints: Two pylons under each stub wing to mount bombs, rockets, missiles, and gun pods. Main armament configurations include:
16 Ataka-V anti-tank missiles and 40 S-8 rockets, Or
16 Ataka-V anti-tank missiles, and 10 S-13 rocket, Or
16 Ataka-V anti-tank missiles, and two 23 mm Gsh-23L gun pods with 250 rounds each.
Other ordnance: 9K118 Sheksna and 9A-2200 anti-tank missiles, 8 Igla-V and Vympel R-73 air-to-air missiles, 2 KMGU-2 mine dispensers

[gosselin2112]

Today I began finishing the turbine vent things (my helicopter vocabulary is poor). The only problem was adding on the final piece (see the pic below). There are some nasty gaps, as the stock piece clearly doesn't extend all the way across. What to do. . .


So. . . this is my big idea. I will glue a strip of styrene across the bottom. Once it dries over night, I will cut out the holes and trim to fit. Once installed I will fill in the gaps. It's a long shot, but I am confident of success.


Before anything else, I painted the inside of the vent flat black. Once the piece goes on, it will be quite difficult to paint inside.


The cockpit has received a trim and a filling, and will be ready for painting once the putty hardens.


Started working on the rocket pods (nothing like getting a little ahead). I decided against using any brass tubing, as this just seemed over the top. Besides, the weight and gravity would not be working in my favor. Instead, I hollowed out the front tubes with the tip of my blade. Surprisingly, I have no holes in my fingers! The left one is not drilled to show a comparison.


I haven't decided what to do about the rear rocket pods. I am thinking of drilling out the holes, just to add a little detail. I painted the inside of the pods black just in case I do decide to follow through with the drilling. Again, it serves to create shadow.


Plenty of filling ahead once I finish assembling the rocket pods.


Big day tomorrow. Painting the cockpit, the crew, and assembling the fuselage. Big fun!

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Awesome progress Like those rocket pods! Good choiche drilling them out.
Have fun with the cockpit!

[Rob]

Great stuff

[T3hGuppy]

Nice progress dude.

[gosselin2112]

Today I installed the aluminum shaft into the fuselage. I never done this before, so I kept my fingers crossed. I first placed the shaft in the fuselage to get a general idea as to how I wanted it positioned. I didn't want my whirlybird just flying straight - I wanted to add some drama to the flight. I angled the shaft slightly rearwards.


I then marked the angle with a black marker and began cutting. Trimmed it smooth with files.


I capped off the shaft with a piece of styrene CA glued to the end.


A little file work to smooth everything flush.


Installation complete. . .


Now for the hard part. I had to drill out my entry hole for the dowel. I began by drilling 3 pilot holes. Afterwards I began carving out the hole with my blade (a sharp one). Once the hole was large enough, I began using circular files until I was flush with the aluminum shaft.


A helicopter on a stick!


The cockpit fuselage had a few pesky ejection pin marks.


Once those were out of the way, I began putting down some paint. I used black to ensure all the nooks and crannies remain subdued.


The next part is to finish the cockpit and crew. Not a whole lot of detail inside, but enough to make me want to put a little effort. Hey, my crew will be in there for what might be a very long time. Might as well make it comfortable for them

Until next time. . .

[gosselin2112]

THE Mi-28 (According To Russ)

All my sources have been taken from the internet. Seeing that the Mi-28 is still considered a relatively new piece of Russian military hardware, sources vary from one place to another. Most noticeably in dates and production figures.

The Mi-28 HAVOC (NATO report name) is an anti-tank attack helicopter. It is a weapon similar to the United States Hughes AH-64 Apache. In the early 1980s, the Mi-28 was developed side by side with the Ka-50 single seat, twin rotor attack helicopter. Unfortunately, the Ka-50 proved to be superior to the Mi-28 during testing trials. Despite its shortcomings, the Mi-28 was approved for continual development. In 1987 it entered into production as the Mi-28A, and made its public debut at the Paris Airshow in 1989. Production did not last, as the Mi-28 was limited to only daylight operations.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, opportunities became available to the new and improved Mi-28N. This variant now had the ability to operate in both day and night operations. The N is identifiable by the radome over the the main rotor mast. The new Russian government was highly in favor of the Mi-28 over the Ka-50. It was cheaper to produce, and could adapt more easily to the changing combat conditions of the modern world. The Mi-28 was officially introduced to the Russian Air Force on October 5, 2009. It costs roughly $15-16 million to manufacture. Currently Russia has about 50 units at their disposal, with the hopes of having 70 units by 2015.

The Mi-28 is currently being used by Russia and Kenya, however, offers have been made to the following countries: North Korea, Iraq, India, Algeria, and Venezuela.

That's all for now. I'll do a short description of the Mi-28's firepower later on.

[spruecutter]

That's a smart solution for the stand

[gosselin2112]

Build progress has been slowing down (did I just say that? LOL). Can't really move forward until the cockpit is finished. I managed to find a solution to those vents. After gluing the styrene down, I began drilling a series of holes with my rotary (Dremel) tool. I then began cutting out a larger hole, similar to how I installed the shaft in the fuselage. After that it was all needle files. The funny part was that one side needed an extra layer of styrene!


When drilling the holes, it is best to have something to use as a backboard. In this case, I used a piece of scrap pine wood board.


The fit is a lot better now. Once the glue dries overnight, it will be ready to receive a dollop of filler.


I haven't painted a 1/72 scale figure in a very long time. This was a lot of fun. Not too sure what a Russian helicopter flight suit looks like, so I had to improvise. All they need is a coat of gloss and a wash. Maybe some highlight . . .


It is my hope to have the fuselage all together for tomorrow. Then on to the exterior!

[DC87]

Great progress, brilliant work on improving those intakes .

[gosselin2112]

Aaah. . . that's what those things are called. Thanks, Dan, for improving my helicopter vocabulary.



Russ.

[gosselin2112]

Cockpit is as ready as I can make it for final closing. The crew came out pretty well. I used a sludge wash instead of the traditional oil wash. I was curious to find out how it works on small details. I was delighted to see that it came out all right.


The cockpit also received an experimental sludge wash, followed with a wash/filter of vallejo black wash. I then highlighted and painted the seat belts.


After installing the crew I realized that it may have been a mistake on my part, as I didn't bother checking if the fuselage halves would be impeded. Luckily, everything just fell in place, though the gunner's right shoulder just barely rubs against the wall. Maybe he has an itch?


Connecting the fuselage came together pretty well. There will be some minor filling of the seams, but that is to be expected. Clamping is going to be a two stage process. First, will be ensuring that the main body gets connected. Second, will be clamping the nose, which is having some closer issues.


I think it is all down hill from here. Well, at least for assembly. Never quite can tell what will happen with the paint job.

Model On!

[DC87]

Looks the business so far, good work - I like the sound of 'experimental sludge wash'

[Lysion]

Great figures there, looks like its building up nicely!

[jmar829]

Good work!

[BALTA1]

Great progress!

[spruecutter]

The figures really give a sense of scale to this.

[FatFingaz]

Just catching up on builds Russ and this looks awesome!

[longlance67]

Great work Russ,

all those little details your putting into this kit will make it shine


great stuff,



Shane

[JDMMODELS]

Very nice work so far Russ!!

[gosselin2112]

Managed to find a little extra time to work on my Mi-28. Much to my surprise, I found a delightful gap (on the right). Why do they show up in all the wrong places?


I installed some more brass tube. This will allow me to take off the rotor when the model is in storage or going to a show. The rotor blade has some issues. Wasn't expecting an "S" curve. Looks like I'll be doing a little heat forming to bring it back to normal.


Let's talk firepower.

The Mi-28 is equipped with a chin-mounted 30 mm Shipunov 2A42 autocannon. The cannon is select fire, and has a dual-feed, which allows for a cyclic rate of fire between 200 rounds per minute to 550 rounds per minute. Its effective range varies from 1500 meters for ground vehicles to 2,500 meters for air targets. Rounds from High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) to Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) can be used. Stated penetration for the 3UBR8 is 25 mm of RHA at 1,500 meters.


One common Mi-28 armament are a pair of 8 Ataka missile racks along with 2 B-13L rocket pods, each able to carry 5 S-13 rockets. Other rocket options include two B-8 rocket pods, each able to carry up to 20 S-8 rockets.


There are four variants of the Ataka missile for different tasks. The 9M120 Tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead variant is used against tanks fitted with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), its penetrative ability is stated at 800 mm Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA).[8] The 9M120F Thermobaric variant is used against infantry, buildings, bunkers, and caves. The 9M120O expanding rod warhead variant is used against other helicopters. All the variants have a range of 6 km. The 9M120M improved version has a longer range (8 km) and better penetration (900 mm of RHA).[9] All of the variants use SACLOS missile guidance.

The S-8 and S-13 rockets used by the Mi-28 are usually unguided. In the most common configuration, one can expect 40 S-8 rockets or 10 S-13 rockets. Both rockets have their variants, from HEAT warheads to a Thermobaric warhead. The S-8 has a shorter range and smaller warhead than the S-13, but compensates with numbers. Currently, the Russian Air Force are upgrading their S-8 and S-13 rockets to laser guided[10] missiles with the proposed Ugroza ("Menace") system. Rockets upgraded under Ugroza would receive designations S-8Kor and S-13Kor, respectively.

So. . . this is what it all looks like in styrene.


I thought I was getting close to the paint booth. Not likely. Back to filling and sanding

[longlance67]

Very nice details mate

[Nige201980]

great work Russ this is going to look mean with all those weapons

[JayCub]

Great build information and photographs, i like how this is coming together and the tips are invaluable.

[gosselin2112]

Well, I decided to take care of that bent rotor blade, using the heat forming method (boiling water). Took me a long time to find a suitable household item that had the shape I needed. Surprisingly, I use it all the time - a toothbrush! I just taped the blade along the curve of the handle. Just submerse it in boiling water for about 10 seconds.


My only problem was that it wouldn't fit in the pot. So I cut the handle off. Now I have a new tool to add to my workbench. It was time for a new brush anyway.


With the blade repaired, I was able to get the rotor assembled. This is certainly becoming a filler project, as I have more gaps to fill on all the blades.


That's all for now. I would like to thank everyone for the comments and encouragement along the way. This has been a fun project.

[Radzy]

It's ... rolling in hot... using military slang

Great progress Russ and this boiling water can make a really good effects on sagging rotor blades.
Used it on my Mi-4 (tip came from ChancerNW) and maybe slightly overdone, bot looks real

Cheers,
Radek

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Awesome!
Great progress, and very good tip on the boiled water technique!

[panzerman]

Havoc is coming along nicely......nice work on the blade drooping.
Bill.