Stalker6Recon

Long time since I have posted anything on the site, but once again, you have shocked me with your model building prowess. With all the problems, this bird came out beautiful! As for the size, the first time I got a ride in one, I was absolutely floored at how huge it was. The interior was configured to carry litters in stacks and there was still room to move about. When we took off, the pilot dropped the nose and quickly hit top cruising speed while flying just above treetop level at night in full black out conditions. Needless to say, it was the ride of a lifetime! As for your concerns about missing the exact recreation of the Super 64, I can also tell you from experience in the military, most of us don't expect exact representations, your build is close enough and a fine example of the bird. After all, if we cared so much about accuracy, they never would have issued us M67 hand grenades 🤣

Hello, as others have already stated, I am also sorry for your loss as well. I am an American veteran and see veterans around the world as my brothers and sisters. I am not sure what options you may have, but sadly in todays world, a moment like this seems to be like chum in the water, and the sharks appear. Maybe you will have a better result if you contact local veterans groups and consider a donation to wounded/disabled vets, especially the tools. While this may not put money in your pocket, it would likely help you avoid the sharks and the frustration that comes with it. Just a thought, and again, so sorry for your loss, these are definitely trying times for everyone globally. I have been fortunate that my immediate family has been able to avoid this plague, but I know many people that have lost loved ones because of the china virus. I think that in the end, everyone will be touched by this pandemic, one way or another. Hope this helps, Anthony

Just took a look at that set, pretty clever! One thing though, the price is now $12.95 for the standard size, while the large size is sold out. Apparently the link that gives members a discount, no longer works, at least for me anyway. Thanks for the tip, I will buy one if I can find one here in he Philippines. Cheers, Anthony

Great observation! Thanks again to everyone for their feedback, as a right hander, I think I will ultimately buy the Xuron sheers, when I can get the shipping sorted out. There seems to be an over all consensus that these are indeed the best. If it help make life easier and doesn't break the bank, then it's a tool for me. Cheers, Anthony

Thanks a lot, I will check it out. I also emailed the company direct and they said that because of you know what, they can't ship to the Philippines at this time. Maybe micromark will have a different story, we shall see. Cheers, Anthony

Not sure what the status of this build is, but I just has an idea that might work for you. Replace the rod that holds the rope with a clear plastic rod, strong enough to hold the weight of the model. Make sure the rod is long enough to go all the way through the model and actually cover the distance of the entire diorama. Here is where it gets interesting. You can paint the rod only in the interior portion of the kit, to represent the FRIES rod amd hang fast ropes out both sides of your bird. The rod will also serve to hold up the kit by placing each end into buildings on both sides of the street. If you go through a window in the buildings, you can hide the majority of the rod and get the best stability possible. I think this achieves two things. One, it gives the model (which is rather heavy and large, I have several H-60 kits by kitty hawk) a very safe, stable platform to rest in the air. Two, it gives the diorama the appearance of extraordinary skills to hover in a confined space while men dismount from both sides of the fuselage. If you read the story of their actions in Mogadishu, you will learn that these brave pilots did things that normal pilots would never even consider doing. It is reported that one of the Little Birds dropped down between two buildings in a very narrow street to allow the men in back to exit the aircraft and assist the downed Blackhawk. The street was so narrow, the tips of the rotors actually scrapped both buildings while landing and taking off. That is about the craziest/bravest thing I ever read. They did what had to be done. Anyway, I hope that you succeeded with your plans, I also have ambitious plans for a diorama, a very ambitious plan. So far, I have two Little Bird KH50002 kits, and two Little Bird KH50004 kits, all with figures. That makes four Little Birds in total. Then I have two Blackhawk kits, the KH50005 with figures, but I will probably make that kit into a DAP, using one of my other Blackhawk kits to place the fast ropes on. The plan changes with time, I just hope I can actually pull it off. Good luck with your build! Anthony

I am a former Cavalry Scout, this is the armored vehicle I used, but thankfully only during my 18 weeks of training at Ft. Knox. While it was fun to operate and the main gun certainly made for good times, it was a nightmare to clean after running the hills of Kentucky after a hard rain. The red clay that makes up the soil (if you can call it soil) became thick and damn near impossible to clean from the road wheels and gaps that trapped the mud as we churned up the hills in the vast armor training center. This beast is also not well suited for Scout Recon, very tall and with that diesel engine, could be heard from several kilometers away. Not eactly stealthy. Anyway, it's nice to have an accurate Calvary version of the Bradley, most of the other kits, are infantry specific, now I have something to build that relates directly to my skills during my time in the Army. Thanks for the detailed review, cheers, Anthony

Ray, I bit the bullet and bought the UStar 90633 combo vise/fold from lazada. $18 was a steal, since both items bought separately costs nearly $60 in most online stores. I was nervous about what would actually show up, since everything comes from china and they can't answer simple questions from buyers. Anyway, it just arrived two days ago and she is gorgeous, but smaller than I expected. But it appears to be on par with many other brands. I really bought it for the vise, since I already have a DSPIAE hold'n'fold, but it will be nice to have the fold right in front of me if I need to make a quick bend and don't feel like pulling out yet another tool. I don't have a workbench like most guys do, so I have to clean up everything after I finish working for the day, which really sucks. Anyway, here she is, came with the razor blade as well. Nice packaging helped keep it safe during the travels. Can't wait to see what she can do.

Very interesting, I finally found a bit of time to watch the videos, amazing how they use completely different techniques, but end up with the same results. Plasmo soldering appears better suited for someone like me, its fast and easy. I finally understand how important flux is to soldering, so I will have to go out and pick up new supplies. My soldering iron is a cheapo, plug in and hope not to burn the house down chinese crap, I think an upgrade might be warranted. In the first video, the technique closely matched the way I would sweat coppers pipes for plumbing. I would heat the pipe on the front side, and hold the solder to the back side. Once the pipe was sufficiently hot, the solder would instantly liquefy, flowing around the joint and sealing it up. Soldering is the same, just a much smaller scale. This technique of heating the PE to a point that the solder begins to run, seems slow and prone to damage if not careful. Obviously it isn't safe on pre-painted PE. The plasmo method seems the best to avoid thermal damage to the PE, since the only metal thats heated is the solder itself. If the flux is good, it should fill the gap quickly and relatively cleanly, leaving just a bit of sanding to finish the job. I think that might even be safe on painted PE. I will put that theory into practice, once I get the right gear anyway. Thanks very much Ray, that was extremely helpful. I believe that soldering is the best way to handle large joints, it seems to be a very strong method to keep the parts in place. Cheers, Anthony

I think I am going to pull the trigger and purchase this. I did find a large bending tool by trumpeter for around $20, a very good price. With as many BIG ED sets that I have, it is almost required tool before I begin my builds. As a rotorhead, the amount of PE and resin is off the charts! Once I have the tools in my inventory, I will review the combo vise/bending tool on this thread. At minimum, the vise will certainly be perfect to paint figures, and I have plenty of those, thanks to my cash of Kitty Hawk kits filled with figures. Cheers, Anthony

I have always planned to used clear tape. Put the part on the end of the tape, sticky side up. Place part in tool, where bend is required and lock it down. Then just lift the tape. If that doesn't work, then I will have to buy single edge blades. They scare me though, I would worry about damaging the paint job on pre-painted PE set, which make up quite a bit if BigED sets these days. Cheers, Anthony PS. Found the xuron cutters on micro-tools website, but they do not ship to the Philippines. Its a great price though, so I am considering my options.

I have a sinking suspicion that I will never find that glue, since I live in the Philippines. The bug? I will have to look that one up, but sounds fun! You don't know how happy I am that soldering is not the only answer, I have never used one before, and something tells me that it's an acquired skill over time. I would probably do more harm than good, if I tried that on delicate PE. Thanks Ray, that response on the other thread was just that, my practical mind at work, but I believe the theory holds true anyway. In the Philippines, its difficult to find any tools, I actually made an effort to make my own PE bending tool, but I am concerned about its function being below that of the real deal benders, so I am apprehensive to use it. I found this last night during one of my insomnia search hours. This is from aliexpress. Its a combo of the PE bending tool and a table top vise. Its has UStar printed on the tool, but I am not sure if that is what you would get, aliexpress can be tricky at times, but its one of the only places that I can find tools and kits. The Philippines has a terrible lack of support for modeling. Anyway, here it is. She looks pretty, and the cost it far lower than the tools separately purchased. My friend recommended a table top vise, he can't live without his. I also bit the bullet a few months back, and bought the RP-MAG60 madnetic handle, another item he swore by for painting. I can already see how useful that will become. So the PE bender and the table vise are a few of the tools I need to put in my stable, this looks like a way to kill two birds with one stone. Thanks for helping me out with wisdom, I will watch those videos tonight, right now, I need to head out for donuts. The wife is missing our rides on the motorcycle, so she created the excuse to hit the road today. Cheers, Anthony

That leads right into my next question. What tools do you use to fold and glue PE parts. Is using a soldering iron the only method to seal up PE joints, like boxes made of PE. Is soldering safe for painted PE parts? What size/wattage soldering iron is required for such intricate work? Thanks in advance, Anthony

Thats what I saw on their website. But you have to be careful, the cutters have extentions, like NS (non-serrated) and ET (etch, or photo etch). When buying, its important to get the correct ET version. I would hope that most decent model shops only carry the ET model, but it definitely pays to make certsin they have the correct cutters. I doubt the cutters for Kevlar will hold up against metal, since it's not designed for such work. Upon double checking the site, the NS is still for metal, but the ET is specifically designed for photo etch, as seen in the picture below. Here is a link to their website. https://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/4/78 Cheers, Anthony

Good call, I can buy a tiny board here for about a dollar. Just to be certain, you are talking about the white plastic cutting board found in nearly every kitchen? Thanks, Anthony

Excellent points all, especially like the wax pencil to hold down the part while cutting the stub. You may have the answer for the next question regarding the xuron. It appears that the primary cutter is the 9180, but it apparently comes in different blade types. Serrated blades and non-serrated, the "xuron 9180NS". If I do find one thag doesn't cost me a leg and my first born, what type do you recommend? Well nevermind, I just found the details on xurons website. They make the 9180NS for cutting arymid yarn(sp), basically Kevlar used in fiber optic cables as a pull string. I used to work in IT, so have lots of experience with that. The one modelers need, is the 9180ET (etch, or photoetch). It's difficult, but not impossible to buy here in the Philippines, just got to deal with aliexpress or ebay and hope not to get killed by the shipping cost or ridiculous time it takes to arrive. The average package take more than 2 months to arrive. I will keep an eye out for the ET model, anything to make the job easier is exactly what I need. My hand/eye coordination has taken a tumble as my age goes ever skyward. Cheers, Anthony

Good suggestions all, especially the tape to prevent premature launch to the carpet monster. Sounds like the consensus is a good old fashioned razor knife, so no reason to spend the piggy bank for a specific tool. It seems to reason that no matter what scale PE you work with, the tabs should generally be the same size. Since I work mostly in 35th, the parts remain a bit larger than some of the ship scales, a bit easier to keep track of. I also have several wet stones and even a diamond set of sharpening plates that I have yet to try, probably perfect for razor blades. I will leave the stones for the big jobs in the kitchen. Thanks to all, you have lowered my anxiety quite a bit! Cheers, Anthony

Hello all, I need some advice on what tool works best to cut PE off the sheet? I have seen mainly xuron cutters, but in the Philippines, they are very hard to find. I know that I can also use a flat edge razor blade, and gently rock it back and forth, but I prefer to have the right tool for the job, to avoid accidents/damage and leave the lowest amount of clean up possible. Suggestions will be appreciated greatly, Anthony

I wish someone with more knowledge than I had replied here, but I will give you my two cents. From what I have seen regarding ship building, you probably run into some very small, but long PE parts, like railings and such. In your case, I would recommend that you bite the bullet and go for the big one. Better to have the tool that will most likely cover anything you would run into, than buy a tool that needs to be replaced by a bigger one. At the very least, go with the mid size, but certainly nkt the small one. The other option to consider, is much less expensive, but risky. If I am correct that you face long PE parts that require a bend full length, then a simple straight edge and razor blade can handle those bends, and the rest could be done on a small bending tool. This saves a bit of money, but you have to be care with the straight edge, since you must hold if down yourself. I was a carpenter in another life, one thing I learned very early on, get the right tool for the job, it definitely makes life a whole lot easier. You will get varied opinions on bending tools, with some that absolutely hate them mostly based on price. They are correct, they are over priced, but they do do a good job when needed. Many small parts can simply be bent using a pair of flat nosed tweezers. Its the big stuff that really needs a steady platform to get good bends. Anyway, hope that helps, bit late, cheers, Anthony

While I did buy the original kit (still in my stash), I have been hoping that Kitty Hawk would come out with 1/35 kits for all their 48 helos, but it doesn't appear they are going to do so, at least not any time soon, sadly. Now with their announced closure for an unknown amount of time, the likelihood of these being given the size increase, is pushed further into the future. Nice pictures and explanation by Zach, someone knows their AH-1 family. Its amazes me that it took decades to add a pair of rotors, always wondered why the only had two anyway, makes the helicopters very loud and distinctive. Cheers, Anthony

Hey guys, late to the party, but I figured I would add this bit of detail regarding the kit. For some strange reason, the main gun turret is wrong. On the actual aircraft, the turret is just a wrap around type, not enclosed. Some of you master builders would likely have no issue correcting this problem with precise dremel work or other method, it would be a shame to hide the details of the rotating 20 Mike-Mike! But this change creates another issue. The turret is designed to hold the weight provided, and might explain the mistake, so you would have to find another method of making certain she doesn't become a tail sitter. And I forgot to mention, the gun is represented with the three rotating barrels which affix to the turret exactly where you need to cut out the turret and the gun receiver detail is completely lacking. This would have to be scratch built. It does not look that complex to do, but I digress, I know nothing about scratch building, except that many of you giants make it look so easy. For those with less skills, like myself, there is a solution from Werner's Wings, a correction set that replaces the turret and some components of the cannon, basically the only kit part you use with this correction set, is the barrels, the body/receiver comes with the correction set as resin bits. Anyway, this kit has been out for some time now, but this was not noted in the review, unless my reading is bad. Just wanted anyone looking to buy this kit to have a heads up. The only other noted defect, is the tail number of the hi-vis is apparently off. The decal is "168003", but in reality, it should be "168803". You can steal the 8 from the unused number and replace the "0". Should not be too difficult a task, using a straight edge as a guide should get even someone of my low skills, in the ballpark. Anyway, I had never heard of this brand when I made my return to model making, and their kits just grew on me really quick. The level of detail is incredible in my view, their 35th scale Blackhawks may not be perfect, but the level of detail is leaps and bounds above the older Academy kits, which I have three versions of. I look forward to building this, hopefully in the not too distant future. Nice review Mike, as always, Anthony

I just checked them out, they certainly do look the same, the price is a lot higher than what I have found from the DSPIAE store on aliexpress. I have never used that site and am curious why everyone thinks it's a shady place to buy items? Is there a lot of bad sellers? Some things I buy online in the Philippines, where I live, are COD. This takes all the risk of buying, almost zero. They don't make money unless the item arrives and I pay for it. I would however, trust their shop, since their repution as an honorable dealer is on the line. Anyway, I look forward to buying these nippers, I have their micro drill, and if that is any indication of the quality, this would make a perfect cutter for those in our artform. Cheers, Anthony

I have been trying to buy a pair of these for some time now, having first found them on ebay, along with a bunch of other tools by the same company. I never heard of them either, but the slick color choice, being the bright red that car owners with a similar color can attest (police have an eye for red cars), that makes their tools hard to ignore. Looking over some macro pictures and videos, it's like a masterful culk leader, taking you in, I sprung for their micro drill set. I too was just as impressed with their quality and accuracy. The only downside in my opinion, was the method used to lock the bits into the tool. But that is based more on my ignorance of the type of bits used for the tool, which have a round based and come from the CNC world, so the must be locked into the tool, and DSPIAE uses a small screw on the side. The choice of a typical CNC bit style, makes buying new bit easy. They could have gone with a proprietary method, but have allowed us to buy replacement bits anywhere, which is a nice thing. Companies like Apple could learn a thing or two from DSPIAE, giving the end user the freedom to buy what works for them. The other tools from this company, no doubt carry the same quality level as both the micro drill and these nippers apparently do, I am hoping to collect as many of their tools as possible, with focus on their mitre cutter and PE bending tool. The latter appears to rival one from the bigger companies. As a carpenter, I learned the importance of using the right tool for the job. DSPIAE has created a line of tools that is just that, the right tools. I am not prone to gushing either, but I do know that the most quiet people, are always the happiest (or about to climb a clock tower with a hunting rifle). What I mean to say, all too often, the only voice we hear, are the complaining type. I have made it a habit of being just as loud when praise was warranted. But I don't praise everything, only when something truly exceeds my expectations. I have now, nor ever, received anything free from any company, which is a shame, because I am poor and could use a lot of freebies (hint hint) Thanks for the review, although I quite expected it to be positive. And for those who don't know, there is a newer 3.0 version of these nippers on the market. Cheers, Anthony D'Agostino PS. Does anyone else feel like a naughty kid when they says nippers, or is just the kid in me?

Glad I found this thread, I too have been drawn into their decals, but now that you say they are printed by an ink jet, I am a bit nervous, since I just put in an offer for a set of decals today. Hopefully they reject it, but if they don't, I will have to buy them. I won't be using them anytime soon, but when I do, I will come back with a review. Wish me luck in NOT having my offer accepted. Cheers, Anthony

As soon as I read half of the sentence, my brain kicked in, that's logical now. I guess my brain envisioned a hybrid chainsaw/drill machine made by the gods of some dying star. What you said about the tanks also just clicked, that us why the MH-53E has those giant sponsors, so it doesn't need the extra fuel tanks, another "duh" moment. OK, here is the kicker. In your open, you said this. I am not sure what you meant there, because I have two identical kits. I have been trying to find the CH-53E, but it is gone, no store has them, and the only person on ebay selling one, want nearly triple the price, which I won't be doing, too broke. I guess my only other confusion, is the BIGSET, but I think you confirmed it to me. The PE does work, especially the exterior stuff. The only interior parts that work, are the cockpit. Everything else from the interior set, is useless on this build. Would that be an accurate statement? Anyway, thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful build, she really is a thing of beauty. While I may have two birds, I guess I can configure one in folded position, with engines open etc, just for creative difference. I definely have a lot of time to research out my plans. Since I am unable to truly start the build yet, I think I will start by correcting the lack of surface detail, which can by done long before the build starts. I found Galaxy models rivet tool, which looks a lot better than the plastic trumpeter set. It's a little more expensive, but if the reviews are accurate, probably worth it for durability and ease of use. I looked at some close-up photos of the tail, some places have two lines of revits on both side of a panel line. That is four lines of rivets, together! In some areas, it looks like rivets held together by skin, not the other way around. Finally, the only thing I need to consider now, is whether or not to spend the extra cash on Black Dogs engine/electronics big set. I am sure you have seen them, and it adds a lot of super detail, especially good for those of us that don't know anything about scratch building. Something that I have never done before. Most of what I will be doing with these kits, will be totally new to me. I just hope I can gain skills rapidly, I am already 50, not getting any younger any time soon. Cheers, Anthony