1/35 Mil Mi-24E Hind "Forgotten Souls"

Known as the “Flying Tank” by her pilots, the Mil Mi-24E is arguably the best Russian attack helicopter ever build. Having made her first flight in September 1969, this machine served the USSR predominantly during the cold war. However, many are still being used to this day by the Russian air force and many other countries. Even though many are still being flown, most of the 2300 build were discarded at the end of the cold war. This resulted in a large number of helicopters being dumped at local airfields and parking lots where they were left to the elements. Slowly, but inevitably, they turned to rust and bones…

Though being a very sad story for all these flying tanks, they do make for great subjects for model builders. So, when I was in need of a break with the BK-117 project, it didn’t take me long to buy the Trumpeter kit and quickly got going with this one.

The last 0.1%

Posted on September 04, 2016 by Niek Nijsen

More than a year later since the last post... Finally, after collecting the base board from Lyle in May during my holiday in Florida, I've been able to complete this project.

With the stand now in my workplace, I could get back to work. First I masked the edges with tape. I then mixed the plaster so that it could still be poured. Using a wooden stick that was long enough to cover the whole width of the base, I levelled the plaster to form the concrete runway. The few bits that suck to the stick actually engraved the concrete with lines like the real Russian airfields tend to have. A lucky coincidence.

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99.9% complete

Posted on August 06, 2015 by Niek Nijsen

So, it seems the Hind project has come to an end. Although, that's for 99.9%. The stand still needs to be made, but Lyle is working hard on this. Once it has arrived here, I'll be able to finish the project for the full 100%.

To be honest, not a whole lot has happened in regards to the Hind project, as she was already almost finished. The rotorblades have been painted as well as the rotorhub itself. I've been working a bit on the diorama layout and used a piece of cloth to act as a cover for some of the parts which will be laying around the heli. The biggest problem was attaching the rotorhead as it's completely out of balance due to the 2 missing blades. I ended up drilling a hole in both the hub and heli to fit a cocktail stick. This holds the blades in place nicely without bending or breaking.

The next update will be later this year when I'll begin working on the stand. As always, photos in the link to the right. Until then!

Another model?

Posted on June 05, 2015 by Niek Nijsen

Another build?! Yes, another build indeed. I really needed a break from the BK-117 project after 300 hours and hardly any progress. So there I was, thinking what to build this time. It needed to be something that would be finished in a rather short period of time. Having come across photos of abandoned helicopters in Russia after the Cold War, I quickly found my new subject. The model would predominantly be made straight out of the box, although the interior could do with some extra details, thus I added the Verlinden kit as well. Minimizing the scratch-building on this helicopter, I limited this only to the engine bay and gearbox, thereby speeding up the process greatly.

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