| PKZ-2 - Roden kit in 1/72nd; The world's first true helicopter | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 21 2014, 10:23 AM (3,784 Views) | |
| Prenton | Jan 21 2014, 10:23 AM Post #1 |
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My entry in this Group Build will be this little gem - the Petrochy-Karman-Zurovec 2. This was the world's first true helicopter. It was envisaged by Lt. Wilhelm Zurovec of the Austro-Hungarian army, and was intended to replace the normal observation balloons used for artillery spotting. These balloons were hydrogen filled, like the larger Zeppelin, so it was felt that the new contraption would be safer. The observer's "basket" on top actually had a mechanism for the observer to jump free of the rotating props if there was trouble. The craft was tested amore than 30 times and had a number of successful flights from April to June 1918. At one stage, it flew up to 50 metres above the ground. Here are a couple of photos that I found on the 'net of the craft "in action". ![]() ![]() And here it is flying high(ish) on the 10th of June 1918:- ![]() As you can see, a wonderfully Heath-Robinson type contraption. As far as I know, the only kit of this craft in 1/72nd is a rather early kit by Roden of Ukraine (kit no Ro 008), which is the kit I will be using. (There was also a kit in 1/48th by Eduard, at some stage). Here is the box top:- ![]() The sprue is quite small (only 50 pieces):- ![]() As you can see, there are quite a few rather delicate pieces to come off - I will probably be using that very fine microsaw that I purchased from Radu Brinzan's shop at D2, rather than sprue cutters to avoid damage. These are the instruction sheets:- ![]() ![]() The latter shot also shows the rather small "base" that is provided with the kit. I am thinking of making a larger base, with wooden slats to mimic the timber base shown on the box top. The first job will be doing the rather large pair of propellors, using Joe's excellent tutorial. The building afterwards won't take too long, but it's the rigging that is going to be the interesting bit.... More next week. Philip |
"To boldly go..." | |
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| Deleted User | Jan 21 2014, 05:08 PM Post #2 |
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Deleted User
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Outstanding! Always had a hankering to build that.. looking forward to seeing how this turns out |
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| Prenton | Mar 28 2014, 08:05 PM Post #3 |
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Well, it wasn't "next week", as I had predicted back in January. Real life intervened, in the shape of lots of negotiations etc., and other stuff leading to a new job, so it stayed on the dining room table for a while... Finally got moving on this little item. I had a day's leave today, so spent a couple of hours on it. There is nothing worth showing in photos yet. Lots of problems taking stuff off the sprues - I used the razor saw, but even then the items were quite fragile and I broke a couple of the little "spars". They are now glued back together with Tamiya extra thin, but I may have to reinforce with some superglue as well.... Some of the small bits in the kit didn't go together too well, including the three little outrigger weights, and the central weight, so they needed filler - which of course involved the trusty GW Greenstuff. This is now drying. It is a Roden, kit, after all, so it wasn't right to assume that things would line up perfectly..... I also dropped up to Graham in Rathcoole for some timber board type plasticard, which I will paint up and use for a more realistic base than the circular thing provided in the kit. Photos, and more progress, next week. Philip |
"To boldly go..." | |
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| Bernd B. | Mar 29 2014, 08:52 AM Post #4 |
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Donning my patented pedant's hat again (made by the ACME Corporation, no less) ... I think the "weights" you are referring to are the rubber balls that served as "landing gear". Also a constant niggle with almost all descriptions of the PKZ-2 ... it, in all fairness, was not a helicopter as such, it was a ground effect craft. |
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| Prenton | Mar 30 2014, 12:38 PM Post #5 |
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And your evidence / references for this statement, Bernd, are....?? Philip |
"To boldly go..." | |
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| Bernd B. | Mar 30 2014, 03:35 PM Post #6 |
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Okay, well ... A helicopter by definition is a rotorcraft that uses the rotor(s) for both lift and thrust - the PKZ-2 has only lift, no thrust. That alone disqualifies it. It still is, however, a ground effect craft of sorts. During the testing of the PKZ-2 it was soon discovered that, while the contraption achieved lift-off with its twin propellers (these hefty wooden things are not really rotors), it soon began to behave erratically ("wobble") and then stall. Both were connected to the loss of ground effect at a certain height. No ground effect, no flight. And even with ground effect flight was only achieved through multiple tethering. The maximum height achieved without the observers' basket, BTW, was probably never higher than 12 metres, making the in-flight image posted above highly unlikely (even if it wasn't such a bad fake or at least retouched image in itself). Having said that - the PKZ-2 certainly introduced some ideas that were to aid in the development of helicopters, from the counter-rotating propellers (still successfully employed by Kaman and Kamov) to the niggling question of how to safely exit in flight ... basically a precursor of explosives-aided rescue systems was actually contemplated for the observers. All this off the top of me ol' head ... ... and without malice, the PKZ-2 is as interesting a concept as the Sack AS-6, but as much as the latter cannot be called a "flying saucer", the former cannot be called a "helicopter".
Edited by Bernd B., Mar 30 2014, 04:53 PM.
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| Prenton | Mar 30 2014, 06:58 PM Post #7 |
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Aah - that answers the question! Thanks Bernd. P |
"To boldly go..." | |
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| Prenton | Apr 18 2014, 12:59 PM Post #8 |
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Some progress at last. Thanks to Sean's extension of the time, I have decided to use the Easter weekend to try to finish this. (Luckily, SWMBO is away on a Girl Guide trip over in the Isle of Man, and won't be back till Sunday, so I have the place to myself...) The various little pieces have been taken off the sprues, very very carefully with one of Radu Brinzan's marvellous pico saws, the flash removed, and have been put together into mini assemblies. Here they are (€1 coin for scale) ![]() I have also painted up the engines and given them a dark wash and some dry-brushing (which is probably not visible from this far away in the photo). The rest of the assemblies (one outrigger to go) will be finished, and then all the pieces will be joined up together, with the majority of the assembly then painted light grey and given silver/metal highlights, all except the little teardrop shaped fuel tanks outboard of the engines, which references show were actually in a copper colour (and not grey, as Roden claims) (thanks Joe for the references!!). I have also been at work on the two huge prop blades, first undercoating them with a mid flesh colour, which has now been covered in a Future coat. Here is where they now are:- ![]() I will follow Joe's excellent guide and try to make them look wooden, with some thin strips of masking tape and then a brown colour, to be finished with Tamiya clear orange. I will take my time with this step, as they are the most prominent aspects of the build. More (probably) tonight or early tomorrow...... Philip |
"To boldly go..." | |
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| Prenton | Apr 19 2014, 11:46 PM Post #9 |
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Getting there...slowly Here is the trio of engines, with all of the detailed painting in place.... ![]() There are the outriggers, also fully painted up...(just need the metallic dry brushing, which will happen later, when I join them up to the main body of the craft) ![]() And there are the fuel tanks, with one of two copper coats already done (one more coat tonight) ![]() But the key point was the props, and I followed Joe's instructions to the letter, with masking tape, Tamiya acrylic NATO brown, then removal of masking tape, then Tamiya clear varnish. Looks well, if perhaps a little vibrant. (I think I may add a very dilute brown tinge to dull it down a little tomorrow....) ![]() Thanks for looking... Philip Just 48 hours to go.....
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| 35th-Scale | Apr 19 2014, 11:58 PM Post #10 |
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Sean
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48 hours? Some people work best under pressure. And so far it's looking good |
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| Michael M | Apr 20 2014, 08:29 AM Post #11 |
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Everything looks cool, but the props were made of layers glued together, so the patterns shouldn't criss-cross. |
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| Prenton | Apr 20 2014, 03:13 PM Post #12 |
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Thanks Michael for the info. Maybe too late to do anything about it now, but I'll try - 32 hours to go! Philip Edited by Prenton, Apr 20 2014, 03:13 PM.
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| Prenton | Apr 21 2014, 03:27 PM Post #13 |
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Thanks Sean, But sometimes the time just isn't enough. Not finished, and no possibility of finishing by this evening, so I am bowing out...Sorry Joe! Congrats to all those of you who have better Time Management skills, and have finished their creations by the deadline. I'll try to finish it in time for the next Dublin Chapter meeting at the end of May. Philip Edited by Prenton, Apr 21 2014, 03:27 PM.
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"To boldly go..." | |
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| Joseph M | Apr 21 2014, 04:30 PM Post #14 |
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Hard luck Philip. You almost made it. A difficult but very brave choice of kit. Hope to see it at the next meeting. Cheers Joe M |
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On the bench in order of nearest to completion; A Z Models 1/72 Morane "WR". (Schneider race entry from 1914). K P Models 1/72 Avia BH-3 SRAM Models 1/144 SIA 7-B (Resin) Valom Models 1144 A pair of Sopwith Pups MSD Models 1/72 Vickers Vimy 66 Commercial Revell 1/72 Fokker D.VII conversion to a two seater Curtiss Condor (added 24/4/18) 1/81 Ansaldo S.V.A 9 (added 24/4/18) ![]() ![]() | |
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| Prenton | May 11 2014, 02:09 PM Post #15 |
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Well - finally got some work done on this little kit. (I read a review on the internet about it, where the writer described it as "almost unbuildable". ) Well, he was almost right. However, I have, after some of trial and (lots of) error, managed to get the framework together. I photographed it a few minutes ago, after letting it dry for about 48 hours, and I have just painted up some bits of the copper fuel tanks, where the paintwork had been damaged by the Tamiya Super Thin. ![]() There will be a lot of detailed painting to be done on various cables and switches, with my trusty 00000 brush, over the next couple of days. I have also taken Michael's advice, and have started again with the props. Here they are again, with all of the previous paint removed and fresh from a new undercoat of Tamiya Flesh. I will do some masking for the brown colour tomorrow, but this time I intend to use some Bare Metal Foil strips instead of Tamiya masking tape, as it is lighter, and easier to cut very thinly. ![]() Thanks for looking. Hopefully I will have it finished by the 31st, Joe. Philip |
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| Parkadge | May 11 2014, 07:57 PM Post #16 |
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Nice detail work Philip |
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Pat McGrath Work to become not to acquire ![]() | |
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| Joseph M | May 12 2014, 01:20 PM Post #17 |
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Nice one Philip, it's just like chid birth or so I'm told. One more push and you are there! Cheers Joe M |
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On the bench in order of nearest to completion; A Z Models 1/72 Morane "WR". (Schneider race entry from 1914). K P Models 1/72 Avia BH-3 SRAM Models 1/144 SIA 7-B (Resin) Valom Models 1144 A pair of Sopwith Pups MSD Models 1/72 Vickers Vimy 66 Commercial Revell 1/72 Fokker D.VII conversion to a two seater Curtiss Condor (added 24/4/18) 1/81 Ansaldo S.V.A 9 (added 24/4/18) ![]() ![]() | |
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| Michael M | Aug 26 2014, 11:08 AM Post #18 |
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What happened with this one Phillip, i was looking forward to see it finished... |
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| Prenton | Aug 26 2014, 12:16 PM Post #19 |
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No worries, Michael It is finished, bar something quite important - rigging!! However I hope to have that done in time for display at D3. You can see where it got to by the end of May, when play stopped, at post no. 426 on the Dublin Chapter Meetings thread, here:- http://forum.ipmsireland.com/topic/8199887/15/?x=30 I will get it finished...I will get it finished....i will get it finished....... Philip |
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... and without malice, the PKZ-2 is as interesting a concept as the Sack AS-6, but as much as the latter cannot be called a "flying saucer", the former cannot be called a "helicopter".













9:57 AM Jul 11