Mi-1M, model conversion by Special Hobby - WIP

1
August 15, 2024
Special Hobby is a classic short series. The cardboard box with side opening contains one frame with grey plastic parts, several castings in beige resin, a small plate with PE parts for the additional tank, transparent acetate foil cab parts, decals for the East German and Czechoslovakian versions and clear black and white building instructions.
Descriptions of the kit parts and their modifications will be covered in more detail during the construction of the kit.
2
August 16, 2024
In this picture I have marked in yellow the main differences between Mi-1A and Mi-1M. If you look closely at the picture, you can still find minor changes in the shape of some panels.
3
August 17, 2024
I used two-component epoxy putty to make new templates for the transparent parts of the cabin glazing.
4
August 17, 2024
I polished the epoxy templates and drilled holes in the underside, into which I glued the wooden log. I used the blocks to clamp the template into the vise. After clamping the template into the vise, I heated a thin sheet of acetate over the flame of a gas stove. I stretched the heated acetate sheet over the epoxy template. After the acetate sheet cooled, I removed it from the template and cut off the excess material. This is how I prepared the transparent cockpit cover and the glass part of the nose. To be safe, I made both parts twice.
Pictured:
1 - new transparent parts after removing the acetate sheet from the template
2 - transparent parts after first (rough) cutting off the excess material
3, 4- transparent parts after the second (finer) cutting of the excess material

The transparent parts are still only semi-finished. I still have a lot of work to do on them before they take their final form.
5
August 28, 2024
I started modifying the hull. In the front part of the fuselage I modified the shape of the cutout for the transparent cockpit overlay. On the right side of the fuselage, I cut a new hole for the exhaust and glued a thin plastic sheet to the inner cockpit walls to smooth the inner surfaces and, thanks to a small overlap, allow the clear cockpit overlay to be glued on precisely. I cut two thin strips from the plastic plate. I glued the strips to the inside of the fuselage behind the cockpit. They serve to define the correct position of the rear cockpit wall.
6
August 28, 2024
I made a new rear cockpit wall out of plastic board. The original rear wall from the kit cannot be used. It's a nicely finished resin casting, but contains two seats. However, the upgraded Mi-1M helicopter had a continuous bench for three passengers instead of two seats.
7
August 28, 2024
The back wall is temporarily in place. To test the correct shape of the rear wall, I taped the fuselage halves together with duct tape.
8
August 28, 2024
The original floor is also cast in resin. Its shape is not very precise. I'll make a new floor later.
9
August 28, 2024
For the bow I used a modified upper plastic part from the kit and made a new lower part with windows. For the bow I used parts I made by stretching heated plastic sheeting over a template. In this way I prepared 1 transparent part and 2 white foil parts. I cut holes for the windows in the outer part (white plastic). The holes for the windows in the inner white part are only pre-drawn so far.
10
August 28, 2024
Now I'm gonna go inside. I need to cut the window holes and add the details on the inside. Finally, I'll join the three pieces together.
The photo doesn't show the inside piece finished. The parts are put together without gluing just to check.
11
August 28, 2024
I will use the same procedure as for the bow when making the glass part of the cockpit.
At the moment I have the roughly shaped parts ready.
12
August 28, 2024
I will use the same procedure as for the bow when making the glass part of the cockpit.
At the moment I have the roughly shaped pasrt ready.
13
September 14, 2024
To close the fuselage, I first had to glue all the parts that needed to be glued to the inside of the fuselage parts.
14
September 14, 2024
The resin cockpit floor looks nice, but unfortunately it doesn't match the reality. So I'm going to install a new one made of plastic panels and profiles. So far I have managed to fabricate some of the details on the front.
15
September 14, 2024
I can't even use the back of the resin cockpit. It looks nice, but it matches an older version of the helicopter that had two seats in the back. The improved version I'm building had a bench seat with a backrest across the full width of the rear cockpit wall instead of two separate seats. So I made a new rear cockpit wall out of plastic plate. I'll get to making the bench later.
16
September 14, 2024
One more look at the blanks of the new cockpit floor and rear wall. The production of the new cockpit equipment parts will still require a lot of work.
17
September 14, 2024
On the inside of the bow I added an inner structure made of plastic profiles. After cleaning and painting I will glue it to the inner part of the bow.
18
September 14, 2024
Some details need to be added to the resin pilot seat. It lacks a system to anchor the seat to the floor.
19
September 15, 2024
I'm continuing to add detail to the rear of the cockpit floor. I'm using plastic plates, plastic profiles and wire to make the small parts.
20
September 15, 2024
I glued the reinforcement profiles to the resin pilot seat backrest according to the photos.
21
September 17, 2024
I made a reflector cover in the front of the fuselage.
I used the same procedure as for the transparent parts.
22
September 17, 2024
I made a reflector cover in the front of the fuselage.
I used the same procedure as for the transparent parts.
23
September 17, 2024
I glued the reflector cover to the inner part of the bow.
24
September 17, 2024
I glued the reflector cover to the inner part of the bow.
25
September 17, 2024
I painted the inside of the bow with the headlight cover glued on with grey interior paint.
26
September 17, 2024
I painted the inside of the bow with the headlight cover glued on with grey interior paint.
27
September 17, 2024
I used a piece of transparent tree to make the reflector on the fuselage nose. I cut a 2mm thin slice of it and polished its surface. I created the bulb in the reflector by drilling a dimple in the middle of the back of the wheel with a thin drill bit. Finally, I painted the sides of the wheel and the back side with silver paint. After the paint dried, I glued the finished reflector to the nose of the fuselage.
(parts are assembled without glue)
28
September 17, 2024
I used a part from the kit as a base to make the air intake for the engine. I added two rods to it to control the louvers (pulled from a piece of tree after it warmed up). I prepared a narrow strip of thin sheet metal to frame the air intake part.
29
September 18, 2024
I painted the prepared part of the air intake to the engine with green paint (the shade of paint used on the upper surfaces). I then glued a fine mesh to the front of the air intake to the engine and painted it green as well.

(left photo of the air intake on the helicopter, right photo of the modified part from the kit)
30
September 23, 2024
Since the dashboard from the kit is not very good, I decided to make a new one.
First I had to draw it.
In Inkscape, I opened a photo of the dashboard. Then I gradually adjusted the instrument outlines and small details on the dashboard so that they would be visible when printed to scale. And this is the result. I will print the instrument panel on photo paper later.
31
September 24, 2024
This is a black and white check print of the dashboard after all modifications have been completed. I will print the final colour dashboard later.
32
September 24, 2024
One of the last things I need to do before closing the fuselage are the anchor points for attaching the main landing gear legs to the fuselage.
First, I drilled holes in both halves of the fuselage at the landing gear leg attachment points and sanded them to the correct shape.
I used a thin plastic plate 0.13 mm thick to form the edges for the anchor holes. I used a metal template to create the edges.
33
September 24, 2024
Using a metal template, I cut an internal hole in the plastic plate with a sharp needle.
34
September 24, 2024
I used a scalpel to cut the basic shape of the edging from the plate.
35
September 24, 2024
I rounded the corners with fine sandpaper.
36
September 24, 2024
I glued the finished frame to the fuselage with CA glue.
37
September 24, 2024
Finally, I sealed the holes on the inside of the fuselage with a plastic plate.
38
September 24, 2024
The anchor points of the landing gear legs are finished.
39
September 25, 2024
I started gluing the hull halves today. Since this is a short-load kit, the parts don't have guide pins and you have to check their correct position when gluing. That's why I glued the fuselage one at a time. First I glued the upper part between the air inlet and the tail spar. Then I continued with the lower part from the nose to the tail nosecone and finally glued the tail nosecone.

I used the time while the glued fuselage was drying to make the filmmaker's seat. I cut one seat from an unused rusted part from a kit.
40
September 25, 2024
I sanded the seat to shape and glued the back plate and sides to it. I cut these parts out of thin plastic plate. On the modified seat, I rounded the edges on the underside.
41
September 25, 2024
After the glue dried, I went back to the fuselage. I temporarily glued the bow to the fuselage with clear tape and started to shape the transparent cockpit cover on it. A few minor adjustments still needed to be made, but there was no time for that. So I'll save that for next time.
42
October 1, 2024
The dashboard is ready. I will still be adding small parts to it.
43
October 1, 2024
I made the tiny indicator lights for the instrument panel out of thin plastic sticks. I pulled this out of a warmed plastic tree. I cut the stick into small rolls and stuck these onto double sided tape. Then I spray painted them black. Finally, I painted the top surface of the rollers with red and green paint.
44
October 1, 2024
The artificial horizon on the dashboard has a raised bezel. I cut the frame from 0.13 mm thin plastic film and glued it on double-sided tape. I sprayed the glued frame with black paint.
45
October 1, 2024
I prepared a beam from a small piece of 1 mm thick plastic board. This beam is placed under the bottom edge of the dashboard.
46
October 1, 2024
I added more details to the cockpit floor.
47
October 1, 2024
I glued the air inlet for the engine and the rear cockpit wall into the fuselage. The cockpit floor is inserted into the fuselage without gluing.
48
October 3, 2024
I added a strut to the dashboard. I glued an instrument bracket to the strut and added a bulkhead with braces under the dash. The dashboard is only inserted into the bow without gluing for photography only.
49
October 4, 2024
I made the instruments and their power cables, located on the metal bulkhead under the dashboard, from pieces of plastic, wires of different diameters and plastic profiles.
50
October 4, 2024
For checking, I put the assembled dashboard into the helicopter nose (without gluing).
51
October 5, 2024
I glued the newly made floor to the cockpit. The resin floor from the kit is on the left for comparison.
52
October 5, 2024
I added an internal structure to the cockpit sides. I made the inner structure parts from plastic profiles and thread pulled from a melted tree.
After adding the internal structure, I sprayed the cockpit with interior gray paint.
53
October 5, 2024
I added an internal structure to the cockpit sides. I made the inner structure parts from plastic profiles and thread pulled from a melted tree.
After adding the internal structure, I sprayed the cockpit with interior gray paint.
54
October 8, 2024
I made the battery from 3 mm thick plastic plate. I drilled holes in the front and back of the battery and glued thin wires into them. I made the cable connectors from plastic tubing (plastic insulation stripped from the wires). I painted the assembled battery and cables and glued them to the cockpit floor.
55
October 8, 2024
I made a back bench out of plastic board. I added legs to the pilot's seat. Then I painted the bench, pilot seat and filmmaker seat.
56
October 8, 2024
In the cockpit I tried the position of the bench (no backrest yet) and the pilot seat. The filmmaker's seat was placed in the opening after the door was removed on the right side of the cockpit and did not fit in the cockpit yet. I will open the cockpit door at a later stage of the build.
57
October 13, 2024
To make the leather seat covers look more realistic, I used a brown patina powder.
58
October 13, 2024
The rear seat is finished and glued into place in the cockpit.
59
October 23, 2024
I glued red and green indicator lights on the dashboard. I added electrical wires to the space under the dash. I have depicted the glass on each instrument with drop of glossy colourless varnish.
60
October 23, 2024
I glued the nose of the helicopter with the instrument panel to the fuselage. After the glue dried, I finished the bottom edge of the transparent canopy section to match the shape of the fuselage.
61
October 25, 2024
I applied a thin plastic sheet heated over a gas flame to the cockpit canopy template. After cooling, I trimmed the plastic sheeting to match the shape of the fuselage.
62
October 25, 2024
Into this white cockpit canopy I began to gradually cut out the holes for the windows.
63
October 25, 2024
All the windows are carved. The inner frame of the cockpit windows is ready.
64
October 25, 2024
The inner cockpit window frame is placed on the fuselage for testing. I have placed a transparent part on the frame. I still have to make
the outer frame.
65
November 6, 2024
I made new side instrument panels in the nose of the helicopter. The original kit parts were too big. I took the control stick from Aero Plast's Mi-2 kit (the kit has two of them for dual control machines, but I'll be building a single control machine, so one is enough).
The other levers I made from thin wires, plastic rods, pieces of thin sheet metal and plastic plates.
66
November 6, 2024
I made new side instrument panels in the nose of the helicopter. The original kit parts were too big. I took the control stick from Aero Plast's Mi-2 kit (the kit has two of them for dual control machines, but I'll be building a single control machine, so one is enough).
The other levers I made from thin wires, plastic rods, pieces of thin sheet metal and plastic plates.
67
November 6, 2024
I made new side instrument panels in the nose of the helicopter. The original kit parts were too big. I took the control stick from Aero Plast's Mi-2 kit (the kit has two of them for dual control machines, but I'll be building a single control machine, so one is enough).
The other levers I made from thin wires, plastic rods, pieces of thin sheet metal and plastic plates.
68
November 6, 2024
I started adding details to the inside of the cockpit canopy.
69
November 6, 2024
V
70
November 19, 2024
I added more details to the inside of the canopy. I made the sun visor out of transparent film sprayed with blue transparent paint and thin wire. The wiper motor on the front window is made from a piece of plastic and the cable to the motor is made from thin wire. I made the leather loops from a strip of thin soft sheet metal. I made the light on the cockpit canopy frame out of thin insulated wire. Now all the details on the inside of the canopy are coplet and nothing prevents the canopy from being glued to the fuselage.
71
November 19, 2024
I divided the outer part of the cockpit canopy into the top of the canopy, the side frames and the front window frames (for easier and more accurate fitting to the model). So far I have managed to glue the canopy part. The side and front window frames will follow.
72
November 19, 2024
Front view of the model with the canopy glued on.
73
November 19, 2024
After gluing the canopy, the model starts to resemble its model. 🙂
74
December 9, 2024
I finished framing the cockpit windows.
75
December 9, 2024
On the assembled canopy I filled the gaps between the parts and between the fuselage and canopy with putty. I sanded off the putty and repeated the whole process again. I then applied masking tape to the windows and used foam to close the door and exhaust openings.
I sprayed the fuselage with surfacer. This showed the areas that still needed to be touched up. I applied putty to these areas and let it dry.
76
December 9, 2024
On the assembled canopy I filled the gaps between the parts and between the fuselage and canopy with putty. I sanded off the putty and repeated the whole process again. I then applied masking tape to the windows and used foam to close the door and exhaust openings.
I sprayed the fuselage with surfacer. This showed the areas that still needed to be touched up. I applied putty to these areas and let it dry.
77
December 9, 2024
I sprayed the hull with Surfacer. This revealed areas that still need to be tweaked. I applied putty to these areas and let it dry.
78
January 14, 2025
I finished engraving the lines on the fuselage and tail spar. After finishing the engraving I sanded the model. Now I have to clean up the lines and make some minor repairs and corrections.
79
January 14, 2025
I finished engraving the lines on the fuselage and tail spar. After finishing the engraving I sanded the model. Now I have to clean up the lines and make some minor repairs and corrections.
80
January 14, 2025
I finished engraving the lines on the fuselage and tail spar. After finishing the engraving I sanded the model. Now I have to clean up the lines and make some minor repairs and corrections.
81
February 16, 2025
The engraving of new lines is complete. I've started working on adding detail to the fuselage surface.
82
February 16, 2025
I made antenna covers and "bulge" from plastic board. I glued the new parts to the lower fuselage and tail spar according to the drawing. I made the rectangular cover on the bottom of the fuselage out of thin aluminum foil. I made the exhaust from soft lead wire. For the panel in front of the exhaust I used a thin aluminum sheet from a beer can.
I made the regulation flap in the circular hole behind the exhaust out of thin plastic sheet and glued a thin plastic rod to it.
83
February 16, 2025
I made a short exhaust on the left side of the fuselage from a 2.5 mm plastic tube.
84
February 16, 2025
I made the end part of the tail spar from modified kit parts and plastic plates.
85
February 16, 2025
I made the end part of the tail spar from modified kit parts and plastic plates.
86
February 18, 2025
I cut small covers and hinges from thin aluminium foil and glued them to the fuselage. I added gutters over the doors and hinges for the hinged panels. I made the gutters and hinges out of thin plastic rod.
87
February 18, 2025
I cut small covers and hinges from thin aluminium foil and glued them to the fuselage. I added gutters over the doors and hinges for the hinged panels. I made the gutters and hinges out of thin plastic rod.
88
February 18, 2025
I cut small covers and hinges from thin aluminium foil and glued them to the fuselage. I added gutters over the doors and hinges for the hinged panels. I made the gutters and hinges out of thin plastic rod.
89
February 18, 2025
I cut small covers and hinges from thin aluminium foil and glued them to the fuselage. I added gutters over the doors and hinges for the hinged panels. I made the gutters and hinges out of thin plastic rod.
90
March 9, 2025
When I figured out a suitable process for making fuselage vents, I started making them.
First, I made the largest panel on the underside of the fuselage out of thin aluminum sheet (from a beer can).
91
March 9, 2025
I made the panel with the air vents on the starboard side of the fuselage the same way.
92
March 9, 2025
The panel on the left side is not finished yet. The air vents are missing to be cut and shaped.
93
March 9, 2025
Unfinished panel attached to the left side of the hull for a better idea of its future appearance.
94
March 11, 2025
Yesterday I cut out a panel with ventilation holes for the left side of the fuselage from thin aluminium sheet and with a 0.3 mm drill bit I marked the beginning and end of the cuts for all the ventilation holes... And today I finished the panel. First, I cut the back edges of all the future vents with a modeling knife.
95
March 11, 2025
Yesterday I cut out a panel with ventilation holes for the left side of the fuselage from thin aluminium sheet and with a 0.3 mm drill bit I marked the beginning and end of the cuts for all the ventilation holes... And today I finished the panel. First, I cut the back edges of all the future vents with a modeling knife.
96
March 11, 2025
I clamped the cut panel in the etch bender and shaped the edges of the holes with a steel needle. After shaping the first row, I loosened the bender screws, slid the panel out one row of holes, tightened the screws and shaped the next row of holes. This is how I shaped all the holes one by one.
97
March 11, 2025
Panel with all the holes moulded.
98
March 11, 2025
I glued the finished panel to the side of the fuselage with CA glue.
99
March 11, 2025
At the end of the day, I sprayed surfacer to unify the hull color and show the areas that will need to be repaired.
100
July 27, 2025
Earlier this week I received the decals with the positive rivets. I ordered rivets from Eduard and new positive rivets from HGW. Being familiar with the Eduard positive rivets, I was curious about the HGW rivets.
101
July 27, 2025
Since the decal sheet comes without instructions, I was curious if, like the flat rivets, HGW used wet transfer technology for these new decals (after the decal is applied and dries, the carrier is removed and only the individual rivets remain on the model).
To find out, I applied a small piece of the rivet line to a plastic plate. After the decal dried, I found out quite easily that it was a "classic" decal with a thin carrier layer with rivets applied to it. So the same technology as Eduard used for making decals with rivets. But ... the carrier layer of HGW decals is so thin that after it is deposited on the surface of the model and smoothed, the carrier film is practically invisible to the naked eye. This discovery finally made my curiosity so great that I found a moment this afternoon to at least test on a piece of the fuselage how the HGW rivets would look when applied to the model.
Since I'm still packing for vacation (we leave tomorrow), there wasn't much time. But I did manage to rivet at least one panel.
102
July 27, 2025
The first observation from working with obitsky is that the carrier film, although very thin, is strong enough and does not tear.
And the second observation is that the carrier film is partially flexible and stretches slightly when applying longer lines. On the panel with applied rivets in the photos, the decal for the 45mm longitudinal line stretched 3mm when applied. This should therefore be taken into account when measuring the length of the decal. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall appearance of the panel with the riveted lines applied. Not only is the carrier film practically nowhere to be seen, but it is not visible even where the lines cross. Which is proved by the attached high magnification macro photos.
HGW has really done this! 👍
103
July 27, 2025
Detail of Mi-1 tail spar with protruding hemispherical rivets. Such rivets are quite common on Russian helicopters.
104
August 4, 2025
Since it is necessary to rivet each row of rivets separately, I am proceeding (for better clarity) one panel at a time.
105
August 4, 2025
Since it is necessary to rivet each row of rivets separately, I am proceeding (for better clarity) one panel at a time.
106
August 12, 2025
The tail spar is already fully riveted. To keep the rivet rows straight, I glued the rivet rows over the caps on the rear spar. I will remove the rivets from the caps later (after the decals dry).
107
August 12, 2025
The tail spar is already fully riveted. To keep the rivet rows straight, I glued the rivet rows over the caps on the rear spar. I will remove the rivets from the caps later (after the decals dry).
108
August 15, 2025
To allow access to the engine and instruments in the helicopter fuselage, some panels were secured with screws. Some of the screws are clearly visible in the attached photo.
109
August 15, 2025
In order to add screws to the removable panels on the model, I decided to try this set of 3D-printed screws.
110
August 15, 2025
The set contains 100 flat-head screws with a diameter of 0.5 mm. As usual, the screws are printed in a box that protects them from damage during handling and transport.
111
August 15, 2025
Upon closer inspection of the screws, I was surprised to find that even such a small screw head has a slot for a screwdriver. The progress of 3D printing technology is truly remarkable.
112
August 19, 2025
I stuck decals with rows of rivets on the bottom of the helicopter fuselage...
113
August 19, 2025
... now I continue with gluing decals with rivets on the left side of the fuselage.
114
August 22, 2025
I also stuck rivets around the windows. I was a little worried because the windows have rounded corners and the stickers are only in straight rows. But in the end, it turned out well.
115
August 22, 2025
I solved the problem with the rounded corners of the windows by cutting off a row of rivets on both sides as close to the rivets as possible. This gave me a narrow strip (less than 1 mm) which I glued to the model and gradually bent to fit the rounded corner. In the end, it worked better than I expected.
116
August 23, 2025
On the plan I use as a template for riveting, there is a teardrop-shaped protrusion without rivets on the left side of the reducer cover, and on the right side it is lined with rivets around the perimeter.
117
August 23, 2025
To be sure, I decided to look at the photos and check how it looked. And I found something I absolutely did not expect. Not only did I not find any rivets lining the protrusion on the reducer covers... but to my surprise, I didn't find the teardrop-shaped protrusion either – there is no protrusion on the machine I am building.
118
August 23, 2025
I decided to fix it and remove the teardrop-shaped protrusions from the model.
I carefully cut off the teardrop protrusions on both sides using a razor blade saw. Fortunately, there was enough material underneath, so I didn't have to fill in the holes after cutting them off. All I had to do was sand down the areas where the protrusions had been cut off. I still have to repair the damaged panel lines.
119
August 25, 2025
Since I didn't think to buy self-adhesive film for cutting masks when I purchased the plotter, I used a sheet of Tamiya self-adhesive masking paper for my first attempts. It's not the ideal material for making masks, but it's sufficient for my first attempts. I decided to test how the plotter would handle masks for the Mi-1.
I drew a template, selected some symbols, numbers, and inscriptions from it, and tried to cut them out. I was pleasantly surprised by the result. Except for the number two symbol with wings (to the right of the camera silhouette), where the center with the number two was crumpled and torn, the result is quite good. To give you a better idea, the small inscription FILM at the bottom center is 4 mm high.

Considering that this was my first attempt on a material that was not exactly suitable, it turned out better than I expected. It looks like the plotter and I are going to become friends.
120
August 28, 2025
This motif is located on the front of the main rotor gearbox cover. Because the motif is small in 1/48 scale (the total width is only 14 mm), the mask was damaged during cutting (see Figure 119).
121
August 28, 2025
After gently correcting the shape of the wings and dividing the motif into two separate parts, the result after cutting out the mask is significantly better.
122
August 27, 2025
During the construction of Milu, I found another use for the new plotter. Based on drawings and photographs, I drew the individual parts for the cabin door and then cut them out on the plotter.
123
August 27, 2025
As a test, I placed the carved parts of the door on top of each other without gluing them together, so they don't fit together perfectly, but I think it's enough to give you an idea.
124
September 26, 2025
After gluing the rows of rivets, I glued the masks onto the white fuselage...
125
September 26, 2025
After gluing the rows of rivets, I glued the masks onto the white fuselage...
126
September 26, 2025
After gluing the rows of rivets, I glued the masks onto the white fuselage...
127
September 26, 2025
... and I sprayed the fuselage with signal orange paint over the masks. I'll let it dry until tomorrow ... and then I'll continue with masking the signal stripes.
128
September 27, 2025
I covered the stripes and wedges that were supposed to remain orange with masking tape.
129
September 27, 2025
After masking the stripes and wedges, I sprayed the pre-shading.
130
September 27, 2025
Finally, I sprayed the fuselage with camouflage green paint. Unfortunately, while spraying the green paint, I realized too late that the dark green paint covered so well that it also covered the preliminary shading. Well, it's done now. I'll have to do some additional shading later.
131
September 27, 2025
Finally, I sprayed the fuselage with camouflage green paint. Unfortunately, while spraying the green paint, I realized too late that the dark green paint covered so well that it also covered the preliminary shading. Well, it's done now. I'll have to do some additional shading later.
132
September 27, 2025
The orange camera on the door doesn't look great in the photo, but it's much better in real life. That signal orange is really hard to photograph.
133
September 27, 2025
The doors still lack handles, seals, and minor details, but they are beginning to take shape.
134
September 28, 2025
The green paint dried overnight, so nothing prevented me from covering the fuselage and spraying the lower surfaces with light gray-blue paint. To unify the surface, I first sprayed the lower surfaces with white primer. After the primer dried, I sprayed the lower surfaces with camouflage light gray-blue paint and let it dry.
135
September 28, 2025
By evening, the paint had dried sufficiently, so I could remove the masks and see the results of my work for the first time. And this is what it looks like after removing the masking tape and masks.
136
September 28, 2025
By evening, the paint had dried sufficiently, so I could remove the masks and see the results of my work for the first time. And this is what it looks like after removing the masking tape and masks.
137
September 28, 2025
By evening, the paint had dried sufficiently, so I could remove the masks and see the results of my work for the first time. And this is what it looks like after removing the masking tape and masks.
138
October 1, 2025
The chassis parts in the kit are rough and schematic. That's why I'm making new ones. I started with the vertical strut with shock absorber, which is the most complicated.
After studying the photos and drawings, I prepared thin-walled brass tubes with diameters of 1 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, and 1.8 mm, which can be inserted into each other. I cut this stack of pipes from them. There are a total of 20 parts for both struts. Now I need to assemble the cut and sanded parts to form struts with shock absorbers.
139
October 5, 2025
To make the main landing gear legs, I first cut and filed individual parts from thin-walled tubes (as I did when making the vertical struts with shock absorbers). Then I assembled the front landing gear leg and glued a hard wire into it. After shortening, the protruding wire will serve as a pin for a stronger connection between the leg, body, and front wheel.
140
October 1, 2025
I gradually slid the tubes onto each other, from the thinnest to the largest, and assembled (without gluing for now) both vertical struts.
After adjusting the exact position of the individual parts and gluing them together, I will add the footrests, the eye for connecting to the horizontal "V" strut, and then I will be able to paint both struts.
141
October 3, 2025
This photo shows why I am making new chassis parts.
At the bottom is the original vertical strut with shock absorber from the kit, and at the top is the new part made from thin-walled brass tubing. No further comment is needed.
142
October 5, 2025
After assembling the front landing gear leg, I assembled the main landing gear arms and glued the tubes together using a simple jig that helped me maintain the correct angle between the two tubes. I glued the future wheel axle made of hard wire into both arms and finally covered the tube joints with thin plastic foil, representing sheet metal reinforcements.
143
October 5, 2025
After assembling the front landing gear leg, I assembled the main landing gear arms and glued the tubes together using a simple jig that helped me maintain the correct angle between the two tubes. I glued the future wheel axle made of hard wire into both arms and finally covered the tube joints with thin plastic foil, representing sheet metal reinforcements.
144
October 5, 2025
And for comparison, here is a view of the part from the kit and the newly manufactured (still unfinished) chassis arm.

Comments

75 15 August 2024, 08:24

Ludvík Kružík Author
I still miss this small helicopter in my collection of flying machines used in Czechoslovakia. The time has come for me to rectify that. 😉

15 August 2024, 09:26

Villiers de Vos
I will follow along.

15 August 2024, 17:40

Ludvík Kružík Author
Welcome Villiers! 🙂

16 August 2024, 14:49

Greg Baker
Oh. I built a 1/72 version of the Mi-1M... This should be interesting.

16 August 2024, 15:07

Ludvík Kružík Author
Hello, Greg. I know there's a Mi-1M kit in 1/72nd scale. Unfortunately, only this and a rather old kit from Special Hobby exists in 1/48 scale. In addition, this kit is an older version of the Mi-1A, which is different from the upgraded version of the Mi-1M. It has a different nose shape, different cockpit glazing and other minor changes. And since I decided to build the upgraded version of the Mi-1M, I will not avoid modifications to the kit.
To give you a better idea of the extent of the modifications to the kit, I've included a picture with the differences between the Mi-1A and Mi-1M versions color coded.

16 August 2024, 22:23

Greg Baker
Oh, neat! I didn't realize there were so many changes between the versions. This is going to look great!

17 August 2024, 15:09

Ludvík Kružík Author
Greg, thank you for your support.
____________________
I started building the model by making new transparent parts.

17 August 2024, 22:31

Alec K
Taking a seat, this brings back memories of ABC magazine 😜👍

17 August 2024, 22:46

gorby
Nice work moulding the new transparent parts.

18 August 2024, 08:01

Greg Baker
Yeah. Nice work on the heat-n-smash moulding for the clear parts. That can be tricky to do.

18 August 2024, 16:15

Ludvík Kružík Author
@Alec K
I used to buy ABC magazine regularly as a kid and eagerly awaited each new issue 🙂. I assume your mention of ABC magazine refers to the occasional modeling tutorial section.

@gorby, @Greg Baker
It's not too difficult to make new transparent parts by stretching warmed transparent foil over a pre-made template. Preparing the template is the most work. Stretching the warmed foil onto the template is just a routine that anyone can do after a few attempts.

18 August 2024, 22:17

Alec K
Correct 🙂👍👍

18 August 2024, 22:21

Robert Podkoński
How have I missed this? Taking a seat for sure! 🙂

28 August 2024, 18:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Hello, Robert! Good to see you here. You haven't missed much so far. Up to this point I've been more concerned with preparation than building the model.

28 August 2024, 20:59

Ludvík Kružík Author
I want to try to use the sandwich construction in the production of new glass parts for the coptics. So I made (using the same process as the transparent parts) parts out of white plastic sheeting. These parts will have holes cut out for the windows. The transparent part will then be inserted between these two parts. The white outer and inner parts will form the embossed framing of the transparent part.

28 August 2024, 21:18

Jennifer Franklin
That looks great (as per usual 😛)

28 August 2024, 21:36

Ludvík Kružík Author
Welcome, Jennifer, we're glad to have you on board and thank you for your goodwill. 🙂

30 August 2024, 09:46

Ludvík Kružík Author
I came back from vacation and it started to rain. Ideal conditions for modelling. 🙂

So I'm back and continuing to work on the model. I need to glue the finished nose to the glued fuselage so the cockpit overlay fits exactly. That determines the workflow. First I have to finish the nose and the inside of the fuselage and glue all the parts that need to be glued to the fuselage halves from the inside. After gluing the fuselage halves together, I would no longer be able to get to these parts (or only with great difficulty).

Photos of the work progress will be coming soon.

13 September 2024, 20:42

Alexander Grivonev
Oh some modeling for big boys, not glueing perfectly fitting parts together and throwing on some paint! Following 👍

13 September 2024, 22:53

Ludvík Kružík Author
Welcome, Alexander! 🙂

14 September 2024, 07:39

Ludvík Kružík Author
I glued several parts to both halves of the fuselage. These parts are glued from the inside, so they have to be glued before the fuselage is closed.
I also started working on making new parts for the cockpit.

14 September 2024, 21:06

Landlubber Mike
Wow, this is incredible work Ludvik! Thank you for sharing your steps - I've learned a lot from your pictures and descriptions!

14 September 2024, 21:15

Villiers de Vos
Fantastic scratch build skills.

15 September 2024, 05:40

Ludvík Kružík Author
@Landlubber Mike
Mike, thank you for your interest. Welcome aboard!
I've had the idea for this rebuild in my head for a few years now. Mainly because I've been waiting to see if anyone would start making 1:48 scale Mi-1M kits. Unfortunately, to this day, no manufacturer has this kit in their lineup. So I decided not to wait any longer and start building a model from what I have available.
My rebuild is just beginning. Most of the work on the model is yet to be done. I'd also like to try some new techniques that came to mind while planning to build this model.

@Villiers
Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate it very much.

15 September 2024, 09:15

Ludvík Kružík Author
I didn't have much time today, so I didn't make much progress on the build. But every little bit of progress counts. 😉

15 September 2024, 20:43

J35J
Great progress and detailing! Following

16 September 2024, 11:34

Bruce Huxtable
Wow! You don't shy away from challenges! Watchinh with admiration, and hoping to learn lots too. Hoping you are not amongst the floods? Stay safe!

16 September 2024, 12:29

Ludvík Kružík Author
J35J welcome! I hope you like it here.

Bruce, I like a challenge like that. I like to experiment and enjoy thinking of and then implementing ways to improve my model.

I appreciate your concern for my safety. I live in a town in the highlands that wasn't badly affected by the floods. Only the river that runs through our town has increased flow, but it hasn't spilled out of its bed. Moreover, our house is 80 metres above the river, so even if the river had spilled out of its bed, it would certainly not have reached our house.

17 September 2024, 07:08

Bruce Huxtable
It sounds an idyllic location.....Opravdu, česka příroda je krasná....

17 September 2024, 13:03

Ludvík Kružík Author
Bruce, thank you for the compliment. I'm sure the nature is beautiful in England too. 😉

18 September 2024, 10:23

Ludvík Kružík Author
I'm slowly continuing to make small parts.

18 September 2024, 10:27

Alec K
Nice progress, this will be a beauty 👍

18 September 2024, 12:06

bughunter
Another big bunch of parts, not to mention some kit parts, come together to form one big model! Not to be missed!
I'm late, but I have an excuse. First I was on holiday, and then this stupid C-virus knocked me out.

18 September 2024, 20:29

Ludvík Kružík Author
Alec, thank you for your support and your kind words.

Welcome, Frank. I hope you're okay, and I'm really glad you're one of my guests.
It's definitely not too late. I still have most of my work ahead of me. In fact, you could say I'm just getting started.

18 September 2024, 21:20

Thomas Haberl - (TH SCALE MODELS)
Uhhhhhh … this is going to be another good one from you! I'm in 👍

23 September 2024, 04:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thomas, welcome. It's good to see you among my guests. 🙂

23 September 2024, 20:44

Ludvík Kružík Author
I'm struggling with time rather than the model at the moment. At least I managed to draw a new dashboard. After printing it in scale (1/48) on photo paper I will use it instead of the kit part.

23 September 2024, 23:41

John
Another Ludvik conversion build with all the accuracy and attention to detail.we've come to expect. It's looking good, can't wait to see the final result! 👍

23 September 2024, 23:42

Ludvík Kružík Author
Welcome, John. Please have a little patience. This project is quite demanding and I will need a lot of time to complete it.

23 September 2024, 23:50

John
Ok, I aimed that to "I can wait to see the final result" (but I'm still eager) 😉

24 September 2024, 02:03

Alec K
Wow, the dashboard looks amazing. I can only imagine how much time that took. Really interested how it looks completed 👍

24 September 2024, 14:09

Ludvík Kružík Author
Alec, I drew the dashboard in the evenings for 5 days (about 3 to 4 hours each day). Add to that additional time (about 5 hours) for test printing and subsequent corrections.

I am attaching a photo of a test black and white print of the dashboard after all the modifications are complete. I will print the dashboard for the model in color later.

24 September 2024, 18:34

Ludvík Kružík Author
According to the photos I modified the fuselage where the main landing gear is attached to it.

24 September 2024, 20:00

Guy Rump
Looking good, following. 👍

24 September 2024, 21:33

Jakub Biganovsky
Good morning.
Realy nice and fine work.

25 September 2024, 04:07

Robert Podkoński
These modifications are just perfect, Ludviku...

25 September 2024, 06:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Guy, Jakub and Robert thank you for your comments, it's a nice encouragement for further work.

After today, the hull is glued together. Now I'm adjusting the shape of the transparent cockpit cover.

25 September 2024, 21:13

Ben M
I continue to enjoy seeing this one take shape. Quite the effort to convert it!

25 September 2024, 23:27

Ludvík Kružík Author
Hello, Ben. I'm glad you're interested in my project.

26 September 2024, 06:34

Greg Baker
This is looking good!

26 September 2024, 06:46

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thank you Greg!

26 September 2024, 07:11

Villiers de Vos
Starting to take shape.

26 September 2024, 07:19

Ludvík Kružík Author
Villiers, the completion of the fuselage is only temporary at this time. It's only to modify the shape of the transparent cockpit cover.
Once the cockpit cover is the correct shape, I will take the fuselage nose down again to continue work on the cockpit interior.

26 September 2024, 10:36

Ludvík Kružík Author
Work on the model continues with the production of the cockpit.

1 October 2024, 17:32

Greg Baker
This is becoming a scratchbuilding masterclass!

1 October 2024, 18:27

Ludvík Kružík Author
Greg, thank you for the compliment.

A small shift in the work on the internal equipment of the helicopter's nose.

2 October 2024, 19:36

Jennifer Franklin
Ludvik, I greatly admire your skill.

4 October 2024, 01:36

Rando
Ludvik, a modeling god. The detail and scratchbuilding is just otherworldly and I always learn so much from your build logs

4 October 2024, 01:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Jennifer, thank you for your kind words.

Randa, thank you so much for your contribution. Although I don't consider myself a modeling god, your comment made me very happy. Thank you.

4 October 2024, 19:14

Ludvík Kružík Author
This afternoon I continued making details for the nose of the helicopter.

4 October 2024, 21:17

Ludvík Kružík Author
Little progress today. The cockpit got a floor, internal construction and a coat of grey paint. Now I can start to get the cockpit "settled in".

5 October 2024, 19:24

Alec K
Great job on that instrument panel, turned out great 👍

6 October 2024, 02:29

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thanks Alec! The dashboard isn't complete yet. I still need to add a few more details. But I'll add those after gluing the dashboard to the nose of the helicopter, because I would (very likely) break them off while gluing the dashboard to the nose.

8 October 2024, 22:38

Ludvík Kružík Author
Again, little progress. I'm prepping the seats for the helicopter crew.

8 October 2024, 22:39

Jennifer Franklin
The red on the seat and cushion pops, starting to look natural.

8 October 2024, 23:07

Alec K
This build made me cautiously open the MPM 1/72 version of this chopper. I closed it back up very quickly… 🤣

10 October 2024, 18:11

Ludvík Kružík Author
Alec, I don't blame you for making that decision. The MPM kit isn't very good. To build a nice model out of this kit requires a really large amount of work on virtually all parts of the kit. Plus the plastic the kit is made of is quite hard and cracks easily.

11 October 2024, 13:00

Alec K
Agreed. The original MPM kits are now almost in the same category as the original KP: collectors' items. To be sighed over, but not disturbed 😁

12 October 2024, 13:25

Ludvík Kružík Author
I'm continuing to work on the seats. I finished the backrest of the rear bench and glued the assembled bench into the cockpit.

13 October 2024, 20:50

Alec K
Nice progress Ludviku. The dash and the canopy look super 👍

23 October 2024, 23:19

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thanks Alec! 😄

24 October 2024, 00:00

Ludvík Kružík Author
The new cockpit cover is slowly starting to resemble its model. The inner frame inserted into the transparent part of the cockpit and attached to the fuselage already shows the future shape of the cockpit cover.

26 October 2024, 09:28

gorby
Excellent work on the canopy.

26 October 2024, 10:37

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thank you gorby, glad you like it.

6 November 2024, 22:48

Ludvík Kružík Author
After a short break I continue building the model. I have finished the instruments and controls in the cockpit and am now working on the details located on the inside of the canopy.

6 November 2024, 22:56

bughunter
Not much of this coarse kits are build. And among those is no model with details like yours! To scratch all little things needs time but is worth the effort. Your hard way to do the canopy frame is a good example.
I think the instrument panel will not very visible at the end but for more contrast individual decals for the instruments are an option. Tom Anyz offers greatly printed universal dials in black and white, e.g. Universal cockpit dials 1.00 mm - 1.80mm (ANYZ AN037, No)

12 November 2024, 22:52

Ludvík Kružík Author
Bughunter thank you for the recommendation. Looks like the ANYZ decals are a great idea for simplifying dashboard fabrication.

13 November 2024, 00:05

bughunter
Yes! And Tom is a modeler too, so he provides things he need for his own models. So from modeler to modeler 🙂
The decals are well designed and printed by Cartograf.

13 November 2024, 09:42

Ludvík Kružík Author
It's always good to have someone who has experience from their own practice.
I had a look at Tom's site and apart from the cockpit decals, I liked the other nifty bits. Looks like I'll do myself a favor and buy some of Tom's accessories. 🙂

13 November 2024, 23:12

Ludvík Kružík Author
After a short break I am resuming work on the model. I finished the interior and glued the cockpit canopy. Now I have to finish the outer cabin window frames.

19 November 2024, 22:14

Bart Goesaert
Some brilliant and very nice modelling... Nice work

19 November 2024, 22:35

John
Really great bit of scratchbuilding, Ludvik! 👍 cockpit details are fantastic.

19 November 2024, 23:22

Villiers de Vos
Amazing detailed work.

20 November 2024, 02:37

Robert Podkoński
The canopy is an impressive masterpiece in itself, Ludviku. Chapeau bas!

20 November 2024, 08:03

Ludvík Kružík Author
Work on the cabin canopy is complete. The model has been sprayed with surfacer for the first time.

2 9 December 2024, 22:22

Jennifer Franklin
Starting to look like a helicopter. It's going to be a true work of art.

1 10 December 2024, 03:38

bughunter
This sandwich framing of the windows seems to be a lot of work but gives an awesome result 👍

1 10 December 2024, 10:54

Ludvík Kružík Author
The method of layering multiple layers on top of each other was my first time.
When I was thinking how best to make the new bow and cockpit cover, I thought of making these new parts as a sandwich. It seemed like a good solution and I wanted to give it a try.
Truth be told, the fabrication was more challenging than I had originally imagined. But I'm glad I took the plunge. I'm happy with the result.

3 10 December 2024, 22:08

Ludvík Kružík Author
After a break caused by the Christmas and New Year holidays, I returned to work on MI-1 again. According to the drawing I started to engrave new panel lines on the fuselage.
It's slow going and there's nothing to photograph yet.

4 14 January, 00:09

Ludvík Kružík Author
I've finished the first round of engraving the panel lines. The lines will still need some aftercare to achieve the final look.

14 January, 21:25

gorby
Nice work with the rescribing. It couldn't have been easy with such an awkwardly shaped model.

15 January, 07:43

Ludvík Kružík Author
Gorby, you got it exactly right. The shape of the helicopter fuselage with its rounded surfaces and large number of panels and various covers makes it difficult to overwrite the lines.
I found Dymo tape very helpful in transcribing the lines. I use it instead of a ruler when transcribing lines on rounded and complex model shapes. The Dymo tape is flexible yet strong enough. When taped to the model, the tape conforms to the shape of the fuselage and holds well in place (unlike a flexible ruler). And once the line is engraved, the tape can be peeled off easily.

2 15 January, 09:46

Alec K
I was thinking the same thing. Fine saw blade works for me on curved areas, in conjunction with a good scriber.

2 15 January, 14:56

Ludvík Kružík Author
After a short break I'm going back to work on the model. According to the drawing and photos I started to add details on the fuselage.

1 16 February, 22:34

Jennifer Franklin
Ludvik, how are you getting all the details for how the helicopter should look?

17 February, 02:11

Ludvík Kružík Author
Jennifer, in building this helicopter, I am drawing information from an article on the history of the development of the helicopter, descriptions of the various versions, technical data, a detailed drawing and photos of the actual machine.
Most of the information and photographs I tracked down on the internet, and detailed photos of the interior and various details were provided by a friend who took photos of the helicopter at an aviation museum.

2 17 February, 23:00

Ludvík Kružík Author
Another shift in the work on the model. I've added small covers to the fuselage.

19 February, 00:24

Desert Marlin
Excellent vacuum forming! This is first rate detail!

19 February, 00:47

Jennifer Franklin
Any updates coming?

9 March, 01:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Jennifer, unfortunately I had very little free time lately. But I'm better with time now and can continue building the Mi-1. Look forward to an update soon.

4 9 March, 12:11

Ludvík Kružík Author
This afternoon I experimented with creating vents on the fuselage of the helicopter.
After a few trials and trying different materials, it turned out that the best method for making vents on the fuselage is to make a whole panel with vents out of thin aluminum sheet and create the vents in the panel.

3 9 March, 20:17

Desert Marlin
Makes perfect sense!

9 March, 20:42

Desert Marlin
In picture 90, do you know what these vents are for?

9 March, 20:44

Ludvík Kružík Author
Hello, Merlin. 🙂

The helicopter is powered by a radial combustion engine that is cooled by airflow. The air for cooling the engine enters the fuselage through an opening above the cabin (the amount of air can be controlled by the air intake louvers). And openings on the bottom and sides of the fuselage serve as its outlets.

3 9 March, 21:20

Desert Marlin
Makes sense! Thanks!

9 March, 22:08

Jennifer Franklin
The attention to detail you put into your projects is exceptional. Do you keep a notebook with all the planned changes and extra work you want done?

10 March, 02:54

bughunter
Those vents panels are nicely done!
I also have a stalled Ansaldo project where I don't like the way the cooling vents are shown in the plastic. But there are so damn many vents ...

1 10 March, 08:12

Ludvík Kružík Author
@Jennifer
I'm not so consistent that I take notes on model building. Before building a model, I study the materials and photos of the machine I want to build, think about what I'm going to do and how I'm going to do it. I work out the minor details as I build the model.
My notebook is my head 😄

@Frank
Originally I was going to replace the air vent projections with plastic profiles. But I couldn't find any profile with the right shape and size. So I had to find another solution. I basically copied the panel making method for a real helicopter. Only instead of a press I used less sophisticated tools. 🙂

I know your Ansaldo project and I plan to build an Ansaldo too, only it will be a two-seater version. That's why I know that in terms of number of vents, Ansaldo can easily compete with MI-1.

3 10 March, 09:39

Ludvík Kružík Author
I finished adding details to the fuselage and sprayed the model with surfacer. Surfacer unified the fuselage color and as always pointed out areas that will need to be repaired.

Clearly, sandpaper and putty will keep me company for the next few days.

2 11 March, 23:00

Jennifer Franklin
What is surfacer? Is it similar to primer?

12 March, 01:42

Ludvík Kružík Author
Jennifer, you're basically right. Surfacer and primer are close. Both are used to prepare the surface of the model before applying the paint. But there is a difference between a surfacer and a primer.
SURFACER is a fine putty that is designed to be applied with a spray gun. It prepares the surface of the model for paint application and also covers minor surface damage. Once sprayed on the model surface, surfacer is matte and can be polished with fine sandpaper.
PRIMER is a base paint with high opacity. The primer unifies the colour of the model surface and prepares it for paint application. Unlike surfacer, primer is glossy and does not need to be polished.

2 12 March, 08:10

Marcel Klemmer
The production of the ventilation holes is incredible 😳
It goes on with the details, even when you think: More is not possible 👍

1 12 March, 09:41

Bart Goesaert
Fantastic work so far... need to keep this method in mind

2 12 March, 11:31

bughunter
It's an "Arctic Tiger" now 🙂

1 12 March, 11:48

Landlubber Mike
This is incredible - such great work!

2 12 March, 12:17

Jennifer Franklin
Ludvik, what brand of surfacer would you recommend?

12 March, 17:01

Ludvík Kružík Author
Jennifer, I can't say which surfacer is the best. I use Surfacer GSI/Gunze. Since I am happy with it, I have no reason to change.
Gunze offers Surfacers in three variations based on grit - Surfacer 500, 1000 and 1500. The higher the number, the finer the Surfacer. I use Surfacer 500.
I wrote that Surfacer can correct minor surface irregularities. That means really fine damage, like hairline scratches. Cracked joints or deeper grooves Surfacer won't fix. You have to use a sealer for that.

2 12 March, 22:12

Jennifer Franklin
Do you lose surface details like paneling with the surfacer? Do you then re-scribe all the lines?

1 13 March, 01:11

Ludvík Kružík Author
Surfacer is sprayed on the surface of the model in a thin layer and therefore its ability to seal is limited. Surfacer can only repair subtle damage, but more significant damage and detail on the surface of the model, including panel lines, will remain after Surfacer application. The great advantage is that the color uniform and matte finish (after Surfacer application) will reveal all imperfections and flaws. It will show you the areas that deserve repair before you start applying the final paint. You will only need to restore panel lines and small details if there has been a subsequent repair after Surfacer application that has damaged them.
For a better idea of how the model looks after surfacer application, see Figure 99.

3 13 March, 11:45

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thanks to all the summer activities I have no time to build models. The Mi-1 will have to wait a little longer. 🙁

24 July, 17:16

bughunter
Fortunately, it's just plastic and metal, which don't mind waiting 🙂

2 24 July, 17:23

Alec K
Understandable, I am in a similar boat Ludvíku. It promises to be a great build when it does return to the bench 👍

4 25 July, 10:54

Ludvík Kružík Author
Frank and Alec, thank you for your support 🙂

The only thing I was able to do was sand the hull and after spraying the white base paint, I polished the whole hull.
When I get back from vacation, I will apply the decals with positive rivet lines to the prepared fuselage. I've never done this before and am very curious to see how it goes and more importantly how it will look.

4 25 July, 20:07

Ludvík Kružík Author
My curiosity about the appearance of the hull after applying the rivet series decals was so great that I decided to apply the rivet series decals to at least one panel.
I was really very pleasantly surprised by the result.
Tomorrow I leave for a short vacation and a reunion with our friends.
And thanks to today's little experiment, I already know what to look forward to when I return from vacation. 😉

2 27 July, 17:53

John
Can one call a time where you are not able to build on your models a "vacation?" 😉

2 27 July, 18:03

bughunter
Ludvík, you are building a Warthog? 😉

John, he is not talking about recreation! "Vacation" comes form "vacant" and this means free, empty, unmanned - so his bench is free, empty .... 🙂

1 27 July, 18:34

Ludvík Kružík Author
Frank, the protruding hemispherical rivets aren't just on the Warthog. They were quite common on Russian helicopters. I added a photo of a detail of the Mi-1 tail spar to the photo album (fig. 103)

2 27 July, 21:04

Ben M
These rivets make me so happy.

1 28 July, 01:47

Desert Marlin
The rivets look great!

28 July, 02:13

Volker Schaak
Great rivet work! HGW seems to be a real alternative to Eduards offerings. My experience with Eduards rivets is, that their carrier film is much to visible, once applied, even under a layer of coat. I tried Quintas rivets, much better. But I should give HGW a try.

1 28 July, 08:09

Villiers de Vos
I am amazed by your attention to details and skills.

1 28 July, 08:14

Ludvík Kružík Author
Friends, thank you for your kind feedback. 😉

1 31 July, 20:25

Ludvík Kružík Author
@Volker Schaak
I also have Eduard decals for rivet lines, but haven't had a chance to try them yet. I have found several posts on the Czech modelling forum in which modellers complain about the visible carrier film of Eduard decals.
That was the reason why I decided to try HGW decals. After previous experience with their decals, I know that HGW uses a very thin (but durable enough) carrier film for their decals that is not very visible once the decal is applied to the model. This is confirmed by my experiment.
For me HGW rivets are a clear favourite.

2 31 July, 20:59

Ludvík Kružík Author
After returning from vacation I continue to glue rivets. And here is the progress for this afternoon.
Gluing white rivets to a white surface is quite a chore, and with my eyes, I can't last long at it. So riveting the whole hull will take me a few days of work.

3 4 August, 20:59

Jennifer Franklin
The rivets look amazing, totally worth the hours to complete.

4 5 August, 14:33

Ludvík Kružík Author
I spent the afternoon gluing decals with rivets to the tail spar and I finished a while ago. I managed to fulfill my resolution and the tail spar now has the rivets complete. If I had glued all the used rivets in one row, the row would have been 3.5 meters long.
I think I'm going to have dreams about rivets today. 😄

I didn't have time to take pictures today. So a pictures next time... and maybe with more progress on the fuselage riveting. 😉

2 10 August, 21:17

Desert Marlin
I struggle as well with my F-15I. Just a very large kit that take a lot of paint to cover it!

10 August, 22:08

Ludvík Kružík Author
Hello, Marlin. Mi-1 in 1/48 scale is not very big. Still, the rivet consumption is very high. Good thing I'm not building a real helicopter. My hands would fall off while riveting. 😄

2 10 August, 22:38

Desert Marlin
It looks like an excellent challenge! You're doing a great job! 👏

2 11 August, 02:39

Ludvík Kružík Author
I have added photos of the tail spar with the riveting completed.

2 12 August, 20:55

Villiers de Vos
Very nice work so far.

2 13 August, 01:16

Ludvík Kružík Author
Mates, thank you for your kind comments. We are currently experiencing high summer temperatures, so I have put my models aside for now and am spending my free time by the water.
In the meantime, I have purchased a set of screws. I want to use these screws on the removable panels. This will be another experiment on this model. 😉

1 15 August, 10:45

Robert Podkoński
Your superdetailing of such a difficult model is just awesome, Ludviku! I wish I had at least 10% of your skill, dedication, and perseverance...

2 15 August, 12:35

Ludvík Kružík Author
Robert, that's a really big compliment and motivation to continue working on the model. I really appreciate it. But I don't think my abilities are anything special.
The biggest "magic" lies in the fact that I do what I enjoy and try to do it as best I can... and I'm lucky that I can still see (quite well) and my hands don't shake too much.
Nothing more, nothing less. 😉

3 15 August, 13:56

Desert Marlin
Pool/Lake/Ocean, whatever the location, time at the water will definitely produce a far steadier hand for such ludicrous details!!! 😆👍

1 15 August, 18:46

Ludvík Kružík Author
Marlin, I go to a natural swimming pool about 15 kilometers from where I live. It's a pleasant and peaceful place where I can cool off in the water and relax... I agree with you that it's good to take a break from everything once in a while and "recharge your batteries."

1 17 August, 14:27

Ludvík Kružík Author
After relaxing by the water, I continue gluing the rivets to the helicopter fuselage.

1 19 August, 21:42

Ben M
You will apply 15km of rivet decals.

1 20 August, 02:52

Ludvík Kružík Author
Ben, you're right. There are a lot of rivets on such a small model. I can't measure it in kilometers, but still... at this point, there are already almost 5 meters of rivet rows glued to the model. 😉

The riveting of the model is nearing completion. After today, I only have a few short rows of rivets left to add.

2 22 August, 17:08

bughunter
Those rivets causes some effort but the result looks great!
You should add the HGW to your project inventory or the other mates will buy the Eduard decals you listed 🙂

2 22 August, 20:20

Ludvík Kružík Author
I cannot compare myself to your Black Snake, but I appreciate your recognition all the more.

Thank you for pointing that out, I have already corrected the inventory. I originally wanted to use Eduard positive rivet decals. However, before I did so, I found out on a Czech modeling forum that some modelers complain about the thick backing foil of Eduard decals. From my own experience, I know that HGW decals have a very thin backing foil. That's why I also bought positive rivet decals from HGW. I stuck the rivets from both manufacturers onto a piece of plastic board. After spraying both decals, it was clear that the HGW decals were better.

Even though Eduard's positive rivet decals have a thicker backing film, that doesn't mean they're unusable. If you stick the stickers directly onto the plastic before painting the model, the backing film can be washed off with Gunze Mr. Color Leveling Thinner (or Mr. Color Thinner) and only the rivets will remain.

The same procedure can be used for HGW positive rivets.

5 22 August, 21:31

bughunter
It is a great tip to wash the carrier off 👍 I would never have thought of that!
I glued my Black Snake carefully as sanding the seams is not possible but with your tip it would be possible to restore the positive rivets.

1 23 August, 10:17

Ludvík Kružík Author
It is better to glue the model carefully and prevent damage to the surface. However, if this is not possible, stickers with positive rivets are a welcome aid for replacing rivets in damaged areas.

2 23 August, 23:24

Ludvík Kružík Author
Although I have been working on the Mi-1 model for so long, today I discovered one mistake. I found it by accident while riveting. I described the mistake in detail in the comments to the newly added photos (numbers 116, 117, and 118).

3 24 August, 00:06

Desert Marlin
Ain't it always the way... Nice Recovery!!!

2 24 August, 02:51

John
Hey, at least you caught it before riveting, much less painting/decals. That would have been painful!

1 24 August, 02:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
That's right. I discovered the error in time, and fortunately, the fix was simple.

2 25 August, 20:50

Ludvík Kružík Author
I didn't do anything on the model today. At the end of last week, I ordered a cutting plotter, and it was delivered this morning. So I spent most of the day testing the new plotter. It took me a while to learn how to use the plotter software. Then I started experimenting. Of course, I was also interested in how the plotter would handle the production of masks.

2 25 August, 20:53

Ludvík Kružík Author
The cutting plotter made my work on manufacturing helicopter cabin doors much easier.

2 27 August, 20:07

Desert Marlin
That looks great!!! Very fine work!!!

27 August, 22:00

bughunter
Congrats to your new cutting toy - you will love it!

1 27 August, 22:41

Alec K
Nice progress Ludviku, the doors look awesome. What plotter did you get? The Tamyia adhesive sheet always worked great on my Silhouette.

28 August, 00:38

Ludvík Kružík Author
Bughunter, you're right. The plotter is a great help. As I gradually learn and discover the possibilities of the plotter, I keep coming up with more and more ideas on how to use it in model building.

Alecu, I bought a Silhouette Portrait 4 plotter.

I think Tamia foils are good. I've been using them for a long time and I'm happy with them. The problem with cutting the mask was my mistake. The "number two with wings" motif is too small and delicate and is probably at the limit of this foil's technical capabilities. The individual parts of the motif are too small and too close together, so the adhesive on the foil cannot hold them together during cutting, and the plotter knife peels and crumples them during cutting. Therefore, I slightly modified the mask design and divided it into two separate parts – stylized wings and number two. After slightly adjusting the proportions and dividing it into two parts, the cutting result is visibly better. (appearance of the motif – image 120, cut-out mask – image 121).

4 28 August, 11:50

Spanjaard
amazing job. love the details. silhouette is a great tool. I have not used it for plastic. for masks, I really can recommend thin vinyl, worls like a charm.

2 28 August, 22:10

Ben M
I was going to use my cricut to make masks but the vinyl pieces came out so nice I just used them as is

2 29 August, 01:42

Ludvík Kružík Author
Spanjaarde,
Thank you very much for your advice. I have only had the plotter for a short time. I am currently testing it and looking for suitable materials for cutting. I used Tamiya film to cut out the masking template because I have it in my supplies. It was just a test to see how small details can be cut out of this film. Tamiya masking film is paper-based, but in my (so far minimal) experience, it is very well suited for cutting larger motifs and letters (4 mm high and above). It is certainly also suitable for making masks for transparent cockpit covers.
I know about thin vinyl self-adhesive film. Since I won't be home next week, I'll order it when I get back.
I find plastic and acetate films particularly useful for making various model parts. This is especially true when you need to make a large number of identical pieces. An example would be the recently made parts for the Mi-1 helicopter door. Other parts suitable for cutting with a plotter that come to mind are transparent window parts and their frames, various covers on the surface of the aircraft, etc. Compared to manual production, this saves a lot of work.

Bene M,
I am sure you will find many uses for your Cricut. If only because masks are not available for all models.

2 29 August, 11:51

Jennifer Franklin
Already doing quality and creative work with your plotter Ludvik. I look forward to seeing what you do with this plotter over time.

1 17 September, 04:52

Spanjaard
i am yet to try my plotter with paper and plastic, so far i have done only vinyl. but for marking in small curved surfaces (1/144 cockpits) it is possible that paper works better (commercial masks are probably done in kind of tamiya paper probably for that reason). what plastic thickness are you cutting with the plotter?

1 17 September, 06:52

Ludvík Kružík Author
Spanjaard, I cut plastic sheets with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.3 mm on a plotter.

I often make parts from plastic sheets with a thickness of 0.5 and 1 mm. The plotter cannot cut these sheets. However, it can at least engrave the outline of the part into them. The engraved outline makes it easier to process the part more accurately by hand.

2 18 September, 13:32

Spanjaard
tha is, that is actually a good idea!

1 18 September, 14:46

Alec K
I find scoring the styrene of any thickness almost easier than cutting through completely. You get a smooth wall when snapping, vs. angled when cutting through. It's a bit tricky with curves, but ir works with a little practice.

2 19 September, 11:53

Ludvík Kružík Author
Alec, there's something to that. I've had the same experience.

1 26 September, 22:34

Ludvík Kružík Author
The helicopter began to change color. It replaced white with signal orange.

4 26 September, 22:36

Ludvík Kružík Author
Today Mil played chameleon. 😄 He exchanged his bright orange color for a green coat. All that's left is to spray the light blue lower surfaces, but I'll leave that for tomorrow so I can stick masking tape on the dried paint.

3 27 September, 22:45

Ludvík Kružík Author
Today, the Mi-1 underwent another color transformation. I sprayed the lower surfaces with camouflage light gray-blue paint. By evening, the paint had dried sufficiently, so I could remove the masks and see the result of my work for the first time. The boring green "bird" suddenly turned into a colorful parrot. 😄
It's just a shame that the signal orange doesn't photograph well. It looks very muted in the photos. In reality, it's much better.

4 28 September, 19:26

gorby
It looks great.

28 September, 19:45

bughunter
Oh, that is clearly a colorful progress!

28 September, 20:10

Ludvík Kružík Author
Thank you, Gorby.

28 September, 20:47

J35J
Great work & attention to details.

28 September, 20:54

Desert Marlin
Great surprise!!!

28 September, 22:53

Robert Podkoński
Fantastic job, Ludviku!

1 29 September, 04:35

Ludvík Kružík Author
Friends, thank you very much for your kind comments!

1 29 September, 22:02

Bart Goesaert
Very nice paint job... fantastic result

1 30 September, 03:58

Ludvík Kružík Author
Bart, thank you.

1 October, 21:26

Ludvík Kružík Author
I have temporarily suspended painting the helicopter fuselage so that I can concentrate on making a new landing gear. The landing gear parts in the kit are quite rough and schematic, and modifying them would be more difficult than making new parts.

2 1 October, 21:26

Ludvík Kružík Author
I am continuing to manufacture new parts for the landing gear.

3 5 October, 22:22

Desert Marlin
Looks fabulous is far!!!

1 5 October, 22:37

Album info

Probably the only Mi-1 helicopter kit in 1/48 scale is the (now hardly available) Mi-1 from Special Hobby. This kit is an early version of the helicopter. I, however, want to build a later modernized version of the Mi-1M, in a special adaptation for filmmakers in the form the helicopter was used for the filming of the Warsaw Pact Allied exercise Shield 72. The original and modernized versions of the helicopter were slightly different visually, so modifications to the kit will be necessary. And I will also need to make a few new parts related to the modification for filming.

Mil Mi-1M Czech Air Force

144 images

1:48

In progress

1:48 Soviet Aircraft Mechanic - the period of the Warsaw Pact (1) (Aerobonus 480 172)

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