Mi-2URP 'Salamander' - part 1

I always find helicopters a bit tricky to build.  In scales from 1/1200 to 1/72 they cause me no end of trouble.  So having survived the build of the ghastly Intech Mi-2 a few months ago did I really want to build another?  Well yes actually - but my hopes for this kit were rather higher.  Like my recently completed Mi-4 Hound, this was a Hobbyboss kit and my (limited) experience of the brand has been pretty positive.
Initial impressions were good - the fuselage halves above were nice crisp mouldings which actually fitted together.  The large transparent bit is the nose section of the Hoplite - a much less fiddly process than the Intech horror.

Lots of parts.  Some of which I actually used.

The pleasing box art showing the Mi-2 loosing off a Sagger.  Which was another reason I wanted this kit.

So far so good - the main body parts all assembled.

Even the undercart was pretty straightforward.  Before securing the clear nose I added a weight.

The rotor blades assembled at more or less the correct angles...