1:72 Mil Mi-17 Hip rotor vibration damper

Mil Mi-17 Hip rotor vibration damper — 1:72, Armory

A resin casting of the main rotor vibration damper for 1:72 models of the Mil Mi-17 helicopter. The set adds a part to the rotor head that plastic kits simplify or leave out altogether. The rotor head is clearly visible on a finished model, so any lack of detail shows there. This is a separate accessory, not a helicopter model.

The real subject and what the part is for

The Mil Mi-17 is a modernized branch of the Mi-8 family with more powerful engines, recognizable from the outside by the tail rotor on the port side. The main rotor has articulated blades, and the head carries dampers that limit blade movement in the plane of rotation and damp the oscillation that would otherwise build up as the rotor runs up and runs down. These dampers are what gives the head its intricate shape; scaled down it is a small but conspicuous feature, because the head is visible from above and from the side on a model.

Tips for working with resin

• Wash the castings in warm soapy water before building and let them dry.
• Cut the casting blocks off with a saw, level the surfaces with a file and check them against the light.
• Make the joints with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) and fill any gaps with putty.
• Sand with respiratory protection, ideally wet, so that the dust does not spread.

Who the set is for

• Builders who want to add detail that a plastic kit does not contain.
• Modelers working on a detailed model or on a diorama.
• More experienced modelers — the casting has to be cleaned, cut free and seated.

This is an accessory for a model, not a kit. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.