Jump to content

UH-60A Transport Helicopter - 1:72 Revell


Paul A H

Recommended Posts

UH-60A Transport Helicopter

1:72 Revell


uh60a_01.jpg


The UH-60A, better known as the Black Hawk, is a medium utility helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft of Connecticut. It flew for the first time in 1974 as Sikorsky's entrant in the US Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System competition. Having seen off the rival Boeing Vertol YUH-61, it entered service in 1979 as a replacement for the legendary UH-1 Iroquois. Designed from the outset to be tough, reliable and easy to maintain, the UH-60 was larger than its predecessor and was powered by two General Electric turboshafts in place of the single unit used in the UH-1. The Black Hawk has a combat radius of 368 miles and can carry eleven troops or 2640lb of cargo.

The UH-60 has been exported widely and is used by the armed forces of nations as diverse as Australia, Egypt, Japan and Turkey. It has seen service in many war zones around the world, including the Balkan conflict, Somalia (where the shooting down of two UH-60s led to the events depicted in the book Black Hawk Down), Afghanistan and both Gulf Wars. Highly modified UH-60s were allegedly used to carry troops belonging to SEAL Team Six during Operation Neptune Spear, the successful attempt on Osama bin Laden's life. With new and upgraded versions rolling off the production lines, the Black Hawk will continue to serve military forces around the world for some years to come.

uh60a_02.jpg


uh60a_03.jpg


Revell's Black Hawk is a child of the Yuppieassic period, dating as it does from the mid '80s. The parts are spread across two sprues and raised panel lines are the order of the day, although the kit is quite well detailed and the part count is reasonably high at 128. As always, construction begins with the interior. Seats are included for the pilot and co-pilot's positions, as well as for the passenger compartment. The instrument panel and centre console feature quite nice raised detail to represent various intstruments and controls, but decals are provided if you wish to use them. All of these parts are sandwiched between the internal floor and roof, which in turn slots into the fuselage itself. This should make painting fairly easy, as well as providing a fairly good representation of the aircraft's interior.

Before joining the fuselage halves, you must fix the main landing gear legs in place. This is a bit awkward as you'll need to take care not to damage them during the rest of the build, but it does make for a realistic finish. Once the fuselage is complete, you can add the engine air intakes and the exhaust shrouds. Both are nicely detailed. Revell present a number of options when it comes to the fit and finish of the model. All of the doors are moulded separately, although the instructions only show them fitted in the closed position. Option stub wings are included too, along with a choice of Hellfire Missiles and/or rocket pods.

uh60a_04.jpg


If you don't fancy the stub wing option, two pretty decent door guns are provided instead. The rotor unit and rotor blades are a separate sub-assembly, with each of the rotor blades being moulded separately to the rotor head. The whole unit just drops into the aperture in the top of the fuselage, so you can leave it unglued and detachable for ease of transport and/or dusting. Finishing touches include a plethora of aerials, antennas and grab handles, all of which serve to finish the model off rather nicely.

Two colour schemes are provided:;
UH-60A Black Hawk, US Army 10th Mountain Division, Iraq, March 2008; and
UH-60A Black Hawk, US Army 87-26000 "Tinnin", Operation Desert Storm, Iraq, 1991.
The first aircraft is dark green, while the second is finished in temporary desert camouflage. The decals are nicely printed and based on prior experience of Revell kits they should settle down without too many problems.

uh60a_05.jpg


Conclusion

This is a rerelease of a kit that falls into the space between the older style of plastic kit produced up until the mid-to-late eighties and the newer, more detailed kits produced over the last 20 years or so. Although the kit has been around for a while, it's no mouldy oldie and it still looks nice on the sprue. The overall level of detail is very good indeed, with only the raised panel lines betraying the kit's age. Overall this can still be built into a decent-looking model.


Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit logo-revell-2009.gif t_logo-a.png or facebook.gif

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

This is in fact the old Italeri midell. and I have never seen one built. It would be a nica modell but it has one serious problem. Those windows on both sides of the nose. They just doesnt fit and that doesn't make it possible to make it ready for inspection. I have asked on several forums if someone has made the way and actually got this kit beyond the building steps. But not...

Go for the HobbyBoss instead...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, but I've seen several built. They go together ok, from what I've seen. Also, the lower cockpit windows (as you mention) don't fit that good, from what I've seen, but that's hardly a reason to pronounce the kit unbuildable...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually have three kits. My hope was that the first kit had windows that just was an "accident". But not..

.

Those windows are actually rather important parts on those Seahawk/Blackhawk kits and they are not that easy to fix for the normal "out of the box builder". And that is an good reason to avoid the Italeri/Revell kits and build the HobbyBoss or Hasegava kits instead.

For sure, few would by spitfires with bad canopys. Just take a look on the discussions about "qualityproblems"regarding Airfix last Vampire and Lightnings...

So how would you solve the problem with those windows? Or would you just let them be... ? You mentioned that you have noticed that those windows doesn't fit. How fun is it to build an Blackhawk or Seahawk that never gonna look nice by that notice?

In this kit those windows (part 33 and 34) are actually to small to fit well. I fact, they do not fit at all. That means in most cases that the builder gets tired of the kit and send it to the trashbin. I have never found an building review of the Italeri kits and I think the answer is that the builder gave up because those windows...

//André

Edited by Andre B
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I ride the fence on this one. On the one side, if I bought the kit unknowing, I would probably make the best of the situation as I am not a perfectionist. On the other side, knowing what I know now, I would have to try the Hobby Boss entry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

Huge Hawk family fan here, just bought this one.

I opened the box and had a hunch that it`s the old Italeri rebox - parts are pretty shitty to say the least, but hey, it`s a hawk in 1/72

I`ve checked also the side windows and they look like they fit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another problem is exhausts they look bad. And the lower part as a lot of missing bumps. But the only others kits Hasegawa and Fujimi aren't good too. For Navy you have Hobby Boss a lot better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...