1/18 scale Tervamaki Engineering JT-9T autogyro

[Kerber]

After all of troubles....bravo !
The end of works is very near...

Cheers !

[zamorano]

It wouldn't have taken much more effort to build the real thing - but it was worth it! I rarely paid attention to this kind of aircraft (no camo for me = boring... I guess you can call me superficial ), but not anymore. This one is going to be a beauty.

BTW: garlic? Now there's an interesting new idea...

[RILE-NS]

Συγχαρητήρια εξαιρετική δουλειά.Nα ειναι καλα το μπλε οινοπνευμα.Θελιοματα θέλουν πολύ προσοχή .Δεν θέλει βιασύνη .Ανυπόμονο  την συνεχεία των εργασιών.
Κάλο κουράγιο!

[matilda]

oh man...  i just do not hawe eny thing else to say...

[Nick_Karatzides]

Some update pictures after washing / weathering / color fading. Control cables are already installed. Still remain to be added:

• The canopy,
  
• Both propellers,
  
• The radio device & GPS,
  
• The engine control levers,
  
• The windshield and windscreen wiper,

and also paint some details such as engine cables etc.

[Kerber]

Doesn't fly? 
The modelers' miracle. I like it very much. Fantastic !
Cheers !

[Nick_Karatzides]

Details on the rotor blades and the engine. The rotor blades are made of sterene sheet softened in boiling water to stretch 'n' turn in a way to look realistic. Soft sanding applied on the blade's leading edge to be shaped as it should be. The spinner cone was made of an old 1/48 scale fuel tank tip, found in sparebox.

The JT-9T model posing for the camera...

[Nick_Karatzides]

CHAPTER X - Epilogue

Final details were added. VHF radio with headphones in the cockpit, mobile phone, seat belt buckles, main rotor control bars, cables, etc. To break the monotony of red, a toolbox and a tow added into rear storage area. At last, transparent plastic card were placed to simulate the wind shield glasses and of course the canopy in the open position.

Close-ups of scratchbuild engine. Although initially I plan to represent a brand new bright and shiny engine I discovered that it would not fit the with a faded, dusty and weathered autogyro. That is why I preferred to add much wear, stains from oil and scorched medals at several points and some rust as example in the exhaust.

The controls in this two-seater model autogyro, as with any trainer aircraft, perform the same movements. Feel free to notice the rudder pedals and you will see that the front and the back seat, right pedal is pressed to full FOR, bringing the left full AFT. This has resulted in turning the nose wheel to the right and turning the rudder of the tail in such a way as to twist the autogyro to right as defined by the position of the rudder pedals. Also notice that the throttle lever of back seat is attached on a bar connecting to the front seat engine throttle so to move simultaneously. The engine's power transmission is made with a wire, launched by the front seat throttle lever and lead the assembly of the engine. Finally, the control sticks are fallen slightly forward, which of course means that the elevators are set in a similar position.

[Kerber]

Uh, stunning one.
...Great quantity of details, instruments, even the mobile phone...headphones, cable...construction, color...
One of the best models  I've seen in my life.
Congratulation my friend ! 

[SkyHook032]

Well,Nick,mate,I think that anything I could say or better,compliment,can't describe your work  absolutely amazing!
The level of detail is insane,I truly can't wait to see that F - 16 project
Maybe the F - 16 will fly...who knows 

Congrats,again,and keep up the good work

Cheers!

[Boki]

Wow, great work Nick . Absolutley amazing level of details (cell phone, headphones, instrument panel.. everything ).
It takes a lot of patience to build something like this.
Thank you for sharing your secrets with us. 

[Nick_Karatzides]

I've been asked about the available space where the rear passenger puts his feet on. From the pictures of the model have been published, and the art images found on the article's first page, it appears that the rear seat is too close to the back of the front seat - and it is also clear from the blueprints of the real autogyro that it's not my own assumption or a model building mistake. In real autogyro, rear passenger's feet are not squeezed behind the front passenger seat back, but they are placed left & right of the front seat! To make it more understandable, here is a picture where:

• The green lines represent the front seat passenger and the position of his feet on the rudder pedals and
  
• The blue lines represent the rear seat passenger and the position of his feet on the rudder pedals.

Also notice that the position of controls (stick, rudder pedals and engine throttle) meet the relative position of the elevator and rudder fins, the nose wheel, etc. The front & rear seat rudder pedals perform exactly the same movements as linked to the same wire transmission. If you also check the rudder pedals position, you'll notice right rudder pedals pressed front end, bringing the left rudder pedals full back. As an effect, the nose wheel turns to the right and rudder fin turns in a way to turn the autogyro to the right as defined by the position of the rudder pedals. In similar manner, both control sticks (which perform exactly the same movements as they are connected to the same bar drive) are positioned slightly forward. This has the effect of elevator fins rotation so as to oblige the autogyro in the descent, as defined by the position of the control sticks. In a similar position the main rotor head is placed as required. As it is known, the autogyros and the helicopters leans to the left or right, elevates nose up or descent nose down, by turning the main rotor blades disc and secondarily to aileron and elevator fins (if present) and turn to left or to right with the rudder fins (autogyros) or tail rotor (helicopters).

Click HERE to watch a video showing a tandem cockpit seating positions as described. Picture following too.

[Nick_Karatzides]

CHAPTER XI - Tarmac & grass display base construction

It's been few months since the JT-9T project was complete. I found nice idea to place it on a display base, simulating an airfield area with concrete ground. The idea was to establish an idea of an abandoned small airfield, now used by general aviation pilots for their weekend excursions. From my local store, I bought a 20x30cm polished wooden picture frame.

I add some grams of plaster powder and few drops of water with a syringe into a soft rubber cup to make the right mixture. Materials like plaster, start as a dry powder that is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after drying and this characteristic make plaster suitable for the job. Keep in mind that adding salt into wet plaster mixture, reduce the plaster's hardening time and adding vinegar into wet plaster mixture, extend the plaster's hardening time. When the first layer of thinned plaster applied on the picture frame, a glass were pushed against the plaster to form a flat basic strong cast. The basic idea, is to produce a totally flat cast and later add some detail or apply extra stuff where is needed.

[Nick_Karatzides]

I left it few hours to get harden in order to be sure that the cast wouldn't break when I would try to cut it into desired shape. Meanwhile, I took the soft rubber cup which I used to make the plaster mixture, squized it to break the last hardened plaster left inside, so it would be easier for me to clean it afterwards and prepare it for any future mix. That's the reason this soft rubber cup were used for.

[Nick_Karatzides]

As soon as the plaster cast got harden, cut into shape and the concrete plaques were lined with a scriber, I used my airbrush to paint it. After the polished wooden frame was covered with masking tape, three different acrylic paint layers were applied on the plaster surface. First, mat black colour covered the area and then a light grey applied with airbrush, spraying in almost zero degree angle, to let the darker areas between the concrete plaques remain naturally dark. The corner was paint with earth tones and as soon as the acrylic colours dried, I tried some drybrushing on selected spots using sand tones.