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MH-60J Jayhawk Conversion

I finally started a project that I have wanted to do for quite some time. I love the look of the USCG MH-60J with its bright colors. Building it would be quite an undertaking. I finally built up the courage and started cutting plastic.

There isn't any large-scale kit of the HH/MH-60J Jayhawk. The only kit of it is the recent release of the Hobby Boss 1/72 version, which wasn’t out when I started this project. There are a couple great conversion sets by Fireball Modelworks in 1/72 and Cobra Company in 1/48, but I wanted a big one w/lots of detail. I have wanted to do one for a while, but I prefer to build large helicopters. After watching The Guardian on TV recently, it peaked my interest in doing a Jayhawk.

I started gathering reference materials and figuring out how to do it using a 1/35 Academy MH-60G kit. I will be using the Cobra Company open UH-60 exhausts, along with a couple of the interior bulkheads that I mastered for Cobra. I will also use a few parts from their MH-60L correction set (widened step sponsons) and parts from the MH-60L SOAR set (which I think is now the MH-60G set). Once I thought about it, it doesn't look like it will be too hard.

I started by closing in the fuselage on both sides. I had to cut off the door fairings on the port side and half of the starboard side fairing. Then I filled in the port side door and opened up the dual windows seen there. I also filled in approximately ¾ inch from the rear door opening on the starboard side as well. Lastly, I closed in the gunners windows on both sides. The fuselage was closed in and modified using 0.040 sheet styrene, which was bent and rolled into shape to match the curvature of the fuselage. Lastly, I have added the details to the sliding port side windows and starboard cargo door. The two small, port side windows were made by cutting the cargo door windows apart. The starboard door was made by cutting the center section out of the starboard cargo door and mating the two outside pieces together to get a larger window opening and a narrower door.

Next, I built up the internal structure and bulkheads using the gunners bulkheads from the Cobra Company MH-60L set by cutting them apart and using them for both the dual window supports on the port side, and the door openings on the starboard side. I also added grab handles to the starboard door opening. Once I finished closing in the fuselage, I added rivet details and cut out the steps. I also added the rooftop hard points for the ESSS wing connections and fairings around the landing gear and door cargo opening.

On the inside, I cut out all the mounting points in the floor using a template someone posted at one of the helo sites, sorry I don't remember who. Then I sheathed the floor using lead foil and pressed it into the openings. Then I placed small rings, using the insulation off of copper wire, into each opening. The instrument panel, seats, console, and collectives are from the CC set. I added the extended glare shield to the kit glare shield as well. The floor under the pilots’ seats was opened to show the radio bays. And a map case was made from sheet styrene. One rudder pedal went AWOL, so I made one out of styrene to replace it.

Continuing on the inside, I fully detailed the rear cabin. The side walls, roof, and rear wall are all scratch using 0.015 sheet styrene for the walls and rear bulkhead. I cut various access panel and instrument opening in the cabin side walls and roof. I also added the missing throttle levers and rotor brake to the overhead panel. The radio rack is also made out of sheet and angle iron styrene as well. The air duct across the front of the rear cabin was done with A & B putty.

Next, I moved back to the outside of the fuselage an added various access panel covers and the hinge fold details on the rear tail section.