This is the first of two special builds. In July of this year the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) is holding their National Convention in Madison, Wisconsin. This is only a couple of hour drive from my home. I am building two different projects and depending on their outcome I will be taking one or both to the convention. So for the first build I am using Academy’s 1/48 CH-46A/D - U.S. Marines –Vietnam kit. The scheme will be from HMM-165 also known as the “White Knights”. They were based at Chu Lai Combat Base in central Vietnam from 1966 thru 1968 then transferred to the USS Valley Forge LPH-8. I will be super detailing the interior using scratch building techniques and adding LED’s/Fiber optics to illuminate the aircraft. The Eduard cockpit photo etch set will also be used and will be modified for illuminating the instrument panel. I will be having it displayed on a base representing a typical air field from the Vietnam War.
Starting off the build I first worked on the rotors. I opened up the holes on the parts of the hubs. With the hubs assembled I filled in the mold marks with putty and then added the 30 gauge wire for the hydraulic lines and some photo etch parts for the mounts. The hub was painted flat black as well as the underside of the blades. The topside was then painted olive drab. The reference photos showed red seals for the joint where the rotor blades pitch. I used red paint to represent these. I finished off the rotors with decals from the kit.
I set aside the rotors and am now starting on the interior walls of the crew/cargo area. There are quite a few mold marks on these that needed to be filled before I can start detailing. I also compared the walls with numerous reference photos. There are quite a few things that need to be relocated and added. As soon as the putty is cured I will begin the correction and adding details to the port wall first.

You can see the start of this project in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/

11 attached images. Click to enlarge.

This should be a really fun project, David @davids_models. With the rotors done, it looks like a great start. Looking forward to the detailed interior and lights.

The second week of the CH-46 was spent working on the interior walls. Starting with the port side I filled all the mold marks with putty. Then I cut out the incorrect details and added the correct ones. For some of the avionics that were correct these were molded too thin so I added some sheet styrene to build them up. The first three ribs of the frame were also too small. I used some 1.0 mm square rods to correct these.

I then used .05mm round rods to add the spars between the ribs. Some of the details of the avionics were done with spare photo etch parts. I drilled some thru-holes in the ribs for the hardlines and cables and painted the interior with FS36231 (Dark Gull Grey) and the avionics was painted gull grey, black, and white. The molded pipes were painted silver.

On each side just before the rear door are two cargo lights. I cut out two pieces of sheet styrene and made the lens with clear resin. I used a Pico sized LED on the backside and attached it with acrylic gel. The wiring will join up with the overhead lights when I get to the overhead.

I am currently adding all the hardlines onto the port side. I am working on each section at a time. I am using 28 gauge solid wire for these. Once all the hardlines are placed I will be using 30 gauge white wire and some stranded wire for all the cabling. I will also be making some decals for the avionics ID plates that go into the equipment as well.

You can see this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/

10 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Excellent progress, awesome looks, my friend @davids_models!

I spent the third week of the CH-46A/D working on the port wall. I am using 30 gauge wire for the cables, 28 gauge bare wire for all the hard lines, and 38 gauge bare wire for the smaller wires. The first thing I did was amount the port side cargo light. For all the lighting I will be running the wires up to the spine. They will then run in-between the forward bulkheads to the bottom side of the fuselage. Ultimately the two power wires will run thru the landing gear to the underside of the display base.

I continued adding details using the reference photos. All of the cables ties were painted on and I also detailed painted some of the equipment. With all the details added I then applied the custom identification plates on to the few avionics and the kit decals to the wall. I then test fitted the wall into the fuselage. One modification I needed to do was to make is for the port side formation light. This is going to be made with a 0.75mm fiber optic line and illuminated with a small light box housing a pico sized LED. I drilled a hole thru the wall and the outer fuselage. (see red arrow on last photo) I will need to wait until I install the wall before adding the light box. This is because the fiber optic line will need to be trimmed from the inside and then the light box will need to be aligned correctly over fiber optic.

I am now working on the starboard side wall. Once this is done I will be detailing the interior roof and then onto the cockpit which will feature an illuminated instrument panel. I need to see how the lighting will affect the order of assembly. I will need to run the wiring from the tail and the belly lighting before closing up the fuselage.

You can see this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/

6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Great work on the interior, David @davids_models

The fourth week of the CH-46A/D project was spent detailing the starboard wall. I used the same items that were used on the port side. I modified this side for the fuselage formation light as well. I performed a light check on the cargo lights. The view from the rear looks very good when compared to the reference photos.

I then started on the roof. Using some 2.5mm sheet styrene I made four housings and made clear lenses. I then mounted Pico sized warm white LED’s for each of the lights. I spaced the light housings and modified the roof for them to fit between the ribs. I did some light checks and it looks like they are spaced to illuminate the cargo area correctly. I still need to paint the light housings so just the round lens shows. I am now working on detailing the roof and should be starting the cockpit soon.

You can see this build from the start in the build log at: https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ch-46a-d-helicopter/

9 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Lights will really look good in the troop compartment when everything is done, David (@davids_models). Well done.