The SAAF Forum

I did my research (G ) and found a few pix of SAAF pumas cammo with round sponsons, square rotors and no filters. I am going for this option as it will not require any mods to be done to the airframe. This kit has loads of raised detail and I want tosand as little as Ican to save it

I did also see the hole in the section above the cockpit infront of the intakes, I will have to drill this in.

In the kit there is a hole centre of the rear cowl, what was in this? an APU exhaust?

The kit also does not have the bolt on plates that sit on the cowl just behind the main exhausts, will make them form platicard.

Theuns

Don't forget the cut out at the wheel well that is not the same as the kit,there are 2 types that the SAAF used.



Is that the hole directly above the cockpit?

I'm talking about the 2 holes (Squared) in front the engine cowls,one on either side of the cowl.



Yes.


Unfortunately one has to build them as they are not supplied in the kit.



Geoff

I saw the holes hust ahead of the boom and will cut them out.

Now I just need the wheelwell details
I have joined the fuse and I must say sanding the joint without removing all the rivets will be difficult.

T

Decided to start my Puma as well.

Before shot


For tonight I will wash the parts and clear up all flash etc.
I need to restock on paints tomorrow and will then start assembly

I've got the 72 scale Puma's much bigger sibling in my stash.

Ye olde Matchbox Puma.. courtesy of an Agent friend in the US.

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When in doubt, use a hammer. The bigger the doubt, the bigger the hammer.

Great to see that the Puma's are getting some attention!

I've also got a unbuilt Matchbox and a broken Matchbox Puma still waiting!

One day....

The "broken" kit was built by someone years ago and was so badly glued that with the slightest amount of pressure the joints came apart,so it's not actually broken,just disassembled for storage purposes.

Geoff

G, look at the pix of the Heller Puma's sponsons. There are the closed ones on the left and then the curved open "extentions" next to them on the sprue.

Do these fared extentions also go onto SAAF helos?

Front page updated with the builds.

T

Here are pics of the Heller 1/72 SAAF Puma I completed 2 years ago:






The Heller kit went together vewry nicely and very little filler/filing was required.

now to build my Heller 1/50 Puma. Lots of work required on that as it is a very basic kit.

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So few, who did so much, with so little - the RhAF 1970 - 1980

Just to keep Geoff happy I modified the wheel sponsons to the squared off ones. It opens up a bit more interms of configurations vs. just the plain early green puma.

I will still think how to build the floatation bags maybe even a hoist.

I managed to fill and sand the most of the bottom without loosing to much detail. I just need to fair in the sponsons to the fuse, but I think the result will be OK, I sanded them as good as I could, glued on and then used thin cyno as a gap filler.

As for the main rotors, I will keep them as they are , I have many pix of the square sponson pumas with the old square rotors.

What was the colour of the rotor assembly aswell as the swashplate assembly/main shaft on the camo pumas?




OK G, please explain to me what I need to do to get this cutout correct???


T

Looking good so far.

I have started mine earlier today. Did the assembly of the cockpit area, and will paint that tomorrow. Will also post some pics tomorrow.

Theuns, did you use sheet styrene to flatten the sponsons?

Herman

just cut pieces from the flat sections of sprue that the mane of the model and scale is printed on. I don't buy that expensive sheets if I am supplied with the free stuff in every kit

Are you going for the same sponsons?

T

Hi Theuns, I've cut out mine like below. This is the best I could research for mine so hopefully it is 90% correct. Hope this will help. I'll post some photos of my build tomorrow.


Cheers
Rickus

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There's no such thing as a good or bad gun. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a very dangerous thing. A gun in the hands of a good person is no danger to anyone except the bad guy.

That does help mate thanx!

Is that straight line through the tip of the sponson a reference line to get the cutout lines correct of is it where the actual sponson stops (mine then being to long)?

T

that is where the actual sponson stop. I didn't want to say anything. Maybe that's why someone on this forum always say research, research.

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There's no such thing as a good or bad gun. A gun in the hands of a bad man is a very dangerous thing. A gun in the hands of a good person is no danger to anyone except the bad guy.

For those of you building Mi-24, some pics posted on the SAAF discussion forum.