Vario EC 135

This is my Vario EC 135 fuselage, there are three versions of the model, these are for Vario 'Xtreme' Mechanics, 'Petrol' Mechanics and 'Turbine' Mechanics, I decided to go for the Petrol version so it will eventually be powered by the Zenoah 23cc petrol engine.

A slightly different angle this time, this fuselage is absolutely huge and it will look great in the air when it is finished.
When I start the build-up I will add some more photos showing key stages of construction.

This is the helicopter that I am going to base my model on. This is the Northumbria Police Air Support helicopter (G-NEAU)
I am going to fit full cockpit detail as well as most of the exterior detail and of course a four bladed rotor head.
Unfortunately due to the formation of a new r/c model helicopter club and other helicopter repair/service commitments it will be some time before I can get started with my EC 135.

This is the engine that I will be using in my EC 135, it is the Zenoah G240 23cc petrol engine. This engine is the improved version of the G230 engine. The main advantages of these engines are, loads of power, uses unleaded petrol, and no exhaust smoke!

This is my EC 135 cockpit from Cine Scale, it comes in either 'ready to fly' or kit version. I went for the kit version because it was a fair bit cheaper but bear in mind that there is a lot of work involved to get it to resemble the cockpit above.

Another view of the cockpit, this time with the seats fitted. The centre console, seats and dashboard are all removable from the floor plate.
I have to thank Darren Swailes for his great idea for clamping the seats in place.

This is a shot of one of the Cine Scale door rams, they give an added touch of realism to the model and are ideal for holding the front doors in the open position.

I decided to make some door panels to make the inside of the doors a bit more realistic, a big difference when compared with the photo on the left.