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  1. TAH-1F Cobra Flying Bulls Revell 1/48 build within and for the great, just finished Huey group build Bell Huey STGB Work in progress at Airpower16 - Hangar 7 Salzburg/ Austria Kit: Revell Monogram Aftermarket: none, inner pylons scratch Paint: Tamiya rattle can (black), Revell Enemels
  2. My entry for this GB is going to be based on the venerable old 1/48 Monogram AH-1S Cobra, which despite it's age and raised panel lines is an accurate representation of this classic gunship. Here's a picure of the box top followed by one showing the contents still sealed in the original plastic bag. And here is the decal sheet I will be using from Two Bobs. And a close up of the option I will be using for the decals for my build. Not that I intend to be finishing it like this, I've found something much more unusual, this one! Gotta love that temporary winter camo! I hope to make a start on her this evening and I am really looking forward to the build, there are already some really good models being built for this GB I hope mine grabs your interest as well. Thanks for looking in. Craig.
  3. TAH-1F Cobra Flying Bulls Revell 1/48 with the danger of non approval by the BG mods for unlikeliness of finishing the Super Cobra, I am gonna start another one while I am waiting for decals to arrive as already mentioned in the chat thread, I saw this one perform marvelously at Airpower 16 last month I just "found" the Flying Bulls TAH-1F Cobra in the stash.... looks like a fast and straight forward build some impressions: https://youtu.be/0S12SEE9tD4?t=143 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2TCnws7lnI the scheme is of course a bit gaudy..... BUT there is a Cobra flying a very spirited display! the only one anywhere to be seen at the airshow circuit in Europe! box contents: standard Revell/ Monogram AH-1F which is about to be ok. They "just" did not provide most parts of the weapons, including the inner stub wing pylons which would have been needed :facepalm: decals look a bit complicated but well printed in all its glory at Airpower 2016: hope you approve my model even as I assume that this was not in the original mind of the GB ... but I think it fits the rules..... best Werner
  4. Hi all, Here are some pictures of my latest build, Monogram's venerable 1/48 scale AH-1S Cobra which I have finished in the markings of the 1st Anti Tank Helicopter Unit of the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force which is based at Obihiro on the island of Hokkaido which is Japans most Northern island, hence the temporary winter camo scheme. I have built this as part of the Huey GB which has some great models in it and is well worth checking out, here is a link to the wip; Anyway enough waffle here are the pictures! Thanks for looking in guys. All comments and criticisms are gratefully received. Craig.
  5. Thanks to Aaron (Milktrip) for letting me join the GB; I'd like to chip in, if I may, with the Special Hobby AH-1Q Cobra... Here are the box contents; the clear parts, instructions, transfers and a couple of resin parts for this particular variant: ...and the other parts: It's been a long time since I built a helicopter - incidentally it might well have been the Matchbox Cobra back in the late 1970's - and I have no idea regarding the accuracy or otherwise of this kit so will not concern myself with it, all being well I can do a straight OOB build and produce a reasonable model at the end of it. Cheers, Stew
  6. Hello everyone, This helicopter was originally to be painted in desert sand but I wanted to make the US Army version which is a very dark green that almost looks like dark grey, sometimes even black. After such attempt that including shading for what I later learnt was moisture, I decided to paint the helicopter black again and put on the Israeli livery. Brush painted, lots of trials and errors on it.
  7. Alright gents, So I'm going to go ahead and throw my hat into it (or try at least). I am only ever able to put a model together when the stars have aligned just right, and I guess the galaxy has done me a favor for once. I finally finished putting my office/ hobby room together the other day and aside from some necessary equipment for my airbrush, I'm going to build me a model dangit. Anyway I had a choice of either a -T, -J, -W, -F, or even a -G( Cobra Company kit), and alas I am going to try my hand at the -F. Although now that I think about it the -G probably would have been a lot easier as all it is is the resin conversion kit and OOB basically. On to the build! I'm using the Monogram kit for starters plus: - Werner's Wing's decals, TOW's, Cobra update set, M-260 Seven Shot Rocket Pods, and IPS & Debris Deflector - Fireball Modelworks ALQ-144 IR jammer - Master Model M197 20mm barrels - Wingman Models "Tzefa" update set (Not building a Tzefa, just want some of the parts off it) - Trying my hand at some scratch building as well, especially in the cockpit area Here we are with a little overview. I have not done much except for some sanding and cutting out the plastic mesh, etc. No construction or painting as of yet. Next are just some close up of the minor minor work I have done One thing I have noticed for sure is that with the newer reboxing of this venerable old kit she is definitely starting to show her age in the molding. There are a lot of parts that have just poor corners and flash everywhere. Good thing you can still pick up original boxings of it for pretty cheap prices. And alas here is an example of what the final product should look like, not this exact one, but the same Squadron.
  8. Well I decided to dig this out to use as a stress reliever build to go alongside my Days of Thunder build and well, just look what happened in 3hrs Ok so it was a stalled build from last year lol. Better explanation to come in a WIP I'm going to start about a Capri with a Turbo Eye's peeled everyone lol. TTFN Ashley
  9. Good day to all! Here's another one of my model. Model pleasantly surprised. Almost everything was going fine. Cannon "Vulcan" looked awful. I replaced her. I used miniguns barrels in 48 scale Mini World production . It seemed to me, they are very similar. It is also used aphotoetched set and resin pilots seat. The model was painted Tamiya and MR Hobby paints. Weathering- oil dots, pigments and salt dots.
  10. Ardpol is to release a 1/48th PZL Bielsko SZD-39 cobra 17 resin kit - ref. 48-020 Source: http://ardpolmodels.com.pl/produkt/48-020-szd-39-cobra-17-wkrotce/ V.P.
  11. Well, she's finally done: And finally a couple shot with a different lens that should be a better approximation of what a human eye sees looking at one of these: A really nice base kit, noticeably enhanced by the Fine Molds white metal parts. Thanks for looking! bestest, M.
  12. Fellow Modellers, Finally had some time to photograph the first finished example of a series Westlands Wessex helicopters.. As extras are added the Cobra cockpit and interior. Almost completely empty with just a few seats . Thanks to Mr. Evans from Whirlybird I was able to add the extra long range fuel tank to the port side. This little gem adds so much importance to the model. It will be accompanied in a diorama by Bedford Tactical Refueller and some figurines. Excellent decals from L Decals Studio and the box decals from Italeri. The FOD cover is constructed from MiliPut. RBF tags are from Eduard. Paints as usual from the Xtra Color range. It represents XS484, 771, RNAS Culdrose 1984. I would like to thank all the forum modellers that contributed to answer all my questions. As for example, the discussion about the yellow rotor blade Next, the RAF version. Regards,
  13. Well hello there everyone, what can I say, having just taken part in my first ever GB with being part of the F-5 STGB I have enjoyed the experience so much I have decided to dive straight back in with my first ever attempt at building a helicopter. For this I have decided to use the AZ Models TH-1G Training Cobra kit that I picked up the other week. I will be representing her as TH-1G c/n 34270, 70A scheme as shown on the box art. I've had a quick look at the kit and it looks quite nice, the instructions are a little confusing but compared to the Tiger Hobbies sheet I have been working off lately they're almost encyclopeadic in comparison. Anyway heres my box and sprue shot, all layed out and ready to begin when I get in from work tomorrow!
  14. This is my 1/72 AZ Models TH-1G Training Cobra I have built as c/n 34270 in the 70A scheme as shown on the box art for the kit. I built this for the helicopter group build currently underway. I picked it up for much cheap on a special offer over at the big H to build as my first ever helicopter kit and when I saw the group build it seemed the perfect opportunity. There are quite a few things I would like to improve but I get the feeling that it doesn't matter how much I touch this one up its not going to improve it any, truth be told it would probably end up making it look worse. Almost all of the issues I had were of my own making, fits really nice, details good and it comes with a small fret of PE. Decals are few and far between but are ok to work with. It's completly out of box with the exception of the light next to the main rotor which is just clear sprue stretched and painted. Painted with Tamiya acrylics and finished with Newton & Winsor acrylic varnish. Here's a couple of pictures for you, there is more in the build thread here, although I am waiting for some decent natural light before I add any photos to the group build gallery. I hope you like her!
  15. Guadalcanal Cobras Dual Combo 1:48 Eduard Limited Edition The P-39 was developed to meet a proposal in 1937 for a single engine high altitude interceptor having the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude. Specifications called for a level airspeed of 360mph at altitude, and a climb to 20,000 feet in under 6 minutes. Armament was to be heavy including a cannon, the engine was to be liquid cooled, and the aircraft was to feature a tricycle undercarriage. Bell had previously designed the YFM-1 Aracuda featuring a mid-fuselage mounted engine to free up space for a large calibre 37mm cannon which would fire through the propeller hub. This was unusual as fighters were normally designed around an engine, not a weapons system. The Bell XP-39 would make its maiden flight in April of 1938 reaching 20000 feet in 5 minutes and maintain 390 mph. However it was found that top speed at 20000 feet was lower than the original proposed 400 mph. Bell would change the aircraft configuration for production to remove the turbo charger so production aircraft were only fitted with a single-stage, single-speed supercharger. Its been argued that Bell did this to save money, though its been said that testing showed aerodynamic issues with it. As a result production aircraft performance declined above 12000 feet and it was never able to serve as a medium level let alone high level aircraft. The RAF ordered the aircraft based on the XP-39 specifications however limitations of the "new" aircraft became apparent, and despite modifications it never was deemed acceptable. Only one Squadron No. 601 would use the aircraft operationally. All UK based aircraft would be sent to Russia, along with aircraft being built under contract in the US. In contrast to the UK, the USSR appreciated the P-39, although they would use it primarily in the ground attack role. The tactical environment of the Eastern front suited a low speed, low altitude aircraft much better. As well as in ground attack the USSR developed successful group aerial fighting tactics for the aircraft. 5 out of the 10 high scoring Soviet aces scored a majority of kills flying P-39's. Contrary to popular myth the Soviets did not use the aircraft for Tank Busting as the US did not supply any armour piercing rounds for the aircraft. The US requisitioned 200 aircraft from an order based for the UK, they called these aircraft the P-400 as they were advertised with a top speed to 400mph. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour these aircraft were deployed to the South West Pacific. Despite being out classed by Japanese aircraft the aircraft excelled in the ground attack. Pilots would fight Zeros and the aircraft were fairly even in the low level environment. By the end of 1942 over 80 Japanese aircraft were credited. These aircraft would go onto fly from Aleutian Islands, and serve in the Panama Canal Zone. The 81st & 350th Fighter Groups would fly in the Mediterranean TO but mainly on maritime patrol missions. Later the 81st would transfer to the Burma TO. The Kit The Eduard Cobra kit has been with us for a while now but it is still up to their excellent standards. It is being re-issued here in a dual combo boxing with added photo etch and resin parts. The two plastic kits come on 3 sprues each of olive drab plastic, and a clear sprue. Also in the box are two larger sheets of photo etch, two smaller sheets, two sets of resin wheels, and a set of masks. A total of eight different marking options are included in the boxing. It should be noted that depending on which sets of markings the modeller chooses that the plastic wheels in the kit may need to be used as the 2 sets of resin wheels will not allow their use over all options. Construction starts shockingly enough with the cockpit area. The prominent radio area behind the cockpit is the first area to be built up, and the radios installed. The bulkhead behind the pilots seat is then installed. Careful selection must then be made for the correct PE parts for the instrument panel as it would seem these varied a lot between the models. The pilots seat then as PE seat belts attached to it, before being installed into the cockpit along with the instrument panel. There are quite a few PE details for the whole cockpit area to add at this stage as well. The front gear well is attached to the front of the cockpit along with the propeller shaft. Weight is indicated to be needed in this area due to the tricycle undercarriage, however there is no indication of exactly how much is recommended! Once the cockpit/wheel well assembly is completed it can added to the fuselage, and the two parts closed up around it. Construction then moves onto the main wing. This is of a conventional single part lower with to which top left & right wings are added. The insides of the main wheel wells are added along with the oil coolers which are in the wing leading edge. The right inserts will need to be added depending on the armament of your chosen option. If the modeller is going to add underwing tanks or bombs, then the holes will need to be opened up at this point. Once the wings are completed they can be added to the main fuselage along with the tail planes. The last job on the wings is to complete the underside cooling vents. Construction then moves to the main landing gear. As mentioned at the start of the review two sets of brassin wheels are included in the kit. One set is for markings options A/C/E/F/G and the other for B/D/H. Thus you cant build A & C using the resin wheels or B & D etc. The plastic wheels for the kit however can still be used. The wheels consist of both resin and PE parts and once completed can be added to the model along with the multipart main gear doors and their actuators. Once the main wheels are completed the nose gear can also be constructed. Again two different resin wheels are provided which match the same options as the main ones. PE parts are again used on the nose wheel and leg. This can then be fitted to the main fuselage along with the two bay doors. If bombs or fuel tanks are to be fitted (and the modeller remembered to open up the locating holes before!) then these can be added at this point. The main canopy is then added (full canopy masks being provided) along with the engine exhausts and cockpit side doors. The final touches are to add the pitot probe, wing guns, and lastly to assemble the propeller. Different bosses are provided for the different armament options. PE & Resin Sets Decals There are markings for eight aircraft in the kit. P-400, BW151, 67th FIS / 347th FG, Guadalcanal, Oct 1942. P-400, BW146, 347th FG, Guadalcanal / USA 1944. P-400, BW146, 67th FS, New Caledonia, May / June 1942. P-39D, 12th FS / 18th FG, Guadalcanal, Spring 1944. P-39F, 70th FS / 347th FG, Fiji & Guadalcanal, Late 1942 / Early 1943. P-39F, Panama Canal Zone, Late 1942 / Early 1943. P-39K, 24275, 70th FS / 18th FG, Guadalcanal Spring 1943. P-39N, 42-18799, 12th FS / 18th FG, Salomon Islands, 1943/44. Conclusion The Eduard Cobra has been a round for a while now and its good to see it has had the Eduard PE/Resin treatment and comes in a double boxing. It is also good to see that the slightly forgotten use of these aircraft in the Pacific is getting some attention. Recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  16. AH-1G Cobra "Over Vietnam with M-35 Gun System" 1:72 Special Hobby Most modellers will instantly recognise the Bell AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter. The AH-1 was the first production Gunship or Attack Helicopter to see service. During the Vietnam war the US Army began to see the need for armed helicopter to escort its unarmed UH-1 Hueys into combat. In parallel to this Bell Helicopters had been investigating helicopter gunships as early as the late 1950s. In 1962 Bell displayed a mock up concept to the US Army. This Helicopter featured a 20mm gun pod, and a ball turret mounted grenade launcher. It was felt by the Army to be lightweight, under powered and not suitable. Following this the US Army launched and Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) competition. This competition gave rise to the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne heavy attack helicopter. However this proved to be to advanced for its time and was eventually cancelled in 1972 after 10 years of development (some things don't change!). Despite the AAFSS programme Bell stuck with its idea of a smaller, lighter gunship and invested its own money developing the AH-1. They used all of the proven components they could from the UH-1 platform, adding these to a newly designed fuselage. When The US Army therefore asked for pans for an interim gunship for Vietnam Bell was in a fortunate position to be able to offer the AH-1, or the Bell 209 as it was then called. Given the work Bell had already done the programme was completed in a relatively speed eight months and won the evaluation against the competition. In 1966 the US Army signed an initial contract for 110 aircraft. Some slight modifications were made to the production airframes. The heavy armoured glass canopy was replaced by Plexiglas with an improvement in performance. Wider rotor blades were fitted and the original retracting skids were replaced by simple fixed units. The G model was the initial 1966 production model gunship for the US Army, with one 1,400shp (1,000 kW) Avco Lycoming T53-13 turboshaft. Bell built over 1100 AH-1Gs between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras would go on to fly over a million operational hours in Vietnam, approximately 300 were lost to combat and accidents during the war. The U.S. Marine Corps would use AH-1G Cobra in Vietnam for a short period before acquiring twin-engined AH-1J Cobras. The M-35 Gun System was a single M195 20mm cannon (a short-barrelled version of the six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan) on the port inboard pylon of the AH-1G. 950 rounds of ammunition were stored in boxes faired to the side of the aircraft. The system was primarily pilot controlled, but featured dual controls to be either pilot or gunner controlled. For this purpose the pilot was provided with a M73 sight. The AH-1 went on to serve the US Army until it was replaced by the AH-64 Apache. The last one leaving active service in 1999. The Kit The kit arrives as two major sprues, and 3 smaller sprues if light grey plastic, with a single clear sprue. All of the parts are very well moulded with no flaws I can see or flash. There are parts for other Cobra models on the sprues so care needs to be taken to select the right parts. Construction does not start with the cockpit (shock I know!) but with adding some small parts and the exhaust nozzle to the left fuselage half. We then move reassuringly back to the cockpit! The rear bulkhead needs to be removed and replaced with the right one for this boxing. The multipart seats with their armour plating shields are made up and added to the cockpit tub, along with instrument panels and control columns. The instrument are represented by decals. Once the cockpit tub is made up it can be placed inside the fuselage halves and they can be closed up. If you wish the main rotor to rotate then the head is placed into the fuselage at this point. If the modeller does not wish for it to rotate then this step can be left until later on in the build. Following completion of the main fuselage the stub wings/weapons pylons are made up and added to the fuselage. The nose turret is also completed and added at this point as are what look to be armour panels at the side of the cockpits. Construction then moves to the tail section. A left and right handed tail are supplied on the sprues so make sure you select the correct one (right hand for this kit). The tail is constructed and the tail rotor added, along with the tailplanes. Intakes and exhaust details are also added at this stage. Next its time to arm up your Cobra if you so wish (it would be naked without armament tho !). The armament in the kit is two M18 7.62mm Minigun pods, two M261 2.75" Rocket Pods, two M158 2.75" rocket pods, and the 20mm M-35 Gun System. The modeller will need to consult their references to get the exact combination s for the Cobra they are modelling as I suspect not all of these were used at the same time. Once your cobra is "tooled up" the canopies can be added. These are multi-part and can be displayed open as needed. The landing skids are also added at this time. There are different skids for different decal option in this kit so please select the right ones. A nice touch in the box is the addition of ground handling wheels for the skids, and a vehicle tow bar. Great if you wish to add a little something to the model, or included it in a diorama. Canopy Rather than a one part canopy the canopy is a single part main centre piece with two parts for each side. This will allow the modeller to pose the canopies open if they wish. It will though make for a more difficult construction. The parts are quite thin, and very clear. Decals Decals are provided for four Cobras; 67-15536 "Thor's Hammer" A Troop, 7th Sqn, 1st CAV, Tra Vinh, 1968/72. 67-17068 "Cindy Ann" C Troop, 1st Sqn 9th CAV, Phunoc Vinh, 1970. 68-15031 "Pandora's Box" 2/20 Aerial Rocket Artillery, later 238th Aerial Weapons Company 1971. 68-17075 "The Gladiator" C/16 CAV, Can Tho 1972. Conclusion These new Cobras from MPM/Special Hobby are excellent kits of an important Helicopter type. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Bell AH-1G Cobra 'Marines' Special Hobby 1:72 The US Air Force started to use helicopters early in the Vietnam War as offensive platforms. Following a failed attempt to provide a dedicated attack helicopter in the guise of the Model 207 Sioux Scout in the early ‘60’s, Bell independently invested $1m into a new helicopter using some of the technology of the infamous UH-1 Iroquois, or more affectionately known ‘Huey’. This was in spite of the fact that the Army was more interested in a Lockheed venture with the AH-56 Cheyenne in response to Bells previous failure, however that didn’t come to fruition. Only 8 months later, the Model 209 made it’s first flight and subsequently won over its rivals in evaluation. The 209 was to become the infamous sister to the Iroquois, the Cobra. The airframe took the rotor, gearing and turbine engine from the Huey, but incorporated a new tandem seat cockpit arrangement with armoured panels to go some way to protect the crew from ground fire. Other key features were stub wings to carry a variety of suitable attack weapons and an under-nose turret housing a 20mm cannon and in some cases a grenade launcher. In 1967 The first of over 1100 Cobras entered US Army service and provided much needed fire support in the Vietnam War for ground forces amongst other specialised activities such as forward ‘Hunter Killer’ teams working along side OH-6A scout helicopters searching out ground forces. The AH-1G also initially entered service with the Marines, although they wanted the extra reliability of two engines, so service in the Marines was short lived until the twin engines ‘Super Cobras’ became available. Whilst the US Army retired the last of its single engine AH-1’s in 2001, nine overseas operators included Israel, Japan and Pakistan. Israel widely used the Cobra, in particular in the 1982 Lebanon War against Syrian forces, but they too retired their fleet in 2013. Pakistan still operate their Cobra’s and Japan still operate their licence built versions too. The kit This is the 5th boxing of the UH-1 from Special Hobby. It comes securely packed in a top opening box with 5 medium grey sprues and a separately packed clear sprue. First impressions indicate a very good quality kit. Very sharp moulding with finely recessed panel lines and intricate detail is apparent with a coloured A5 sized instruction booklet on glossy paper. Presence of flash is negligible and I couldn’t find any sink marks on any exterior surfaces. There are a lot of optional parts included that aren’t used for this version, so fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your preferences, the parts use is much less than initially thought. Whilst the instructions are colour with good diagrams, the images are quite small and some of the locations for small parts are a little vague, so some studying before steaming ahead with the glue may be necessary. The paint guide refers to Gunze colours. There are decal options provided for 4 machines. Parts breakdown is quite traditional with two fuselage halves and separate tail. Construction starts with the cockpit. I would say that the detail in the cockpit is adequate. Separate seats with additional side armour parts are provided with the forward cockpit getting collective and cyclic controls too. The rear bulkhead in the cockpit tub requires removal and an alternative part is provided to replace it that includes a padded surface effect The side panels on the cockpit tub are quite minimalistic, so the optional pre-painted PE set advertised in the instructions are an option you may want to consider. The instrument panels have recessed instruments and the instructions indicate a decal for both panels is included, but I can’t find them on either of the two decal sheets provided. With the tub assembled, it locates between the fuselage halves. Pleasingly, the halves have location pins unlike some of the early short run kits my SH/MPM kits making assembly a little easier. The surface detail in the fuselage exterior is a mixture of nicely recessed panel lines, raised panels and rivet detail. If one was to be critical, you could say the rivets are a little excessive in size, but under some paint, should look fine in my opinion. Two rotor mast base designs are provided, however there’s no explanation of which one would be fitted to which versions included. As I’m far from an expert on the Huey, I couldn’t help out on this. Personally, I’d go for the more detailed one! Two separate tails are provided to accommodate either the left or the right sided tail rotor, depending upon which option you intend to build. The tail parts simply but on to the end of the tail boom of the main fuselage. The stub wings are equally well moulded with good surface detail despite their small size. The instructions call out for the fitment of both the XM-158 and XM-200 rocket launchers (7 and 19 2.75” rockets respectively). However there are also two XM-18 minigun pods, two XM-157 rocket launchers and an XM-35 stub wing mounted minigun included on the sprues which may go to good use. Three of the four schemes included call for the combined minigun / grenade launcher turret to be installed, however one of the versions is a test aircraft using a blanking part. This is provided as an additional resin part. Not called for in the instructions, but provided is a minigun only turret too. The nose section calls out for a weight to be added. Take care here, I for one often forget this or don’t notice the instruction! A great addition is the parts included to add the ground handling pack. This includes 2 x two wheeled bogies that locate on the skids and a trailing tow bar. Unlike Cobras provided by other manufacturers, the canopy is provided as all separate parts. This does make assembly trickier, but gives much better opportunity for an open cockpit display. The parts are very clear with minimal distortion. There are also several tiny clear parts included on the sprue, but fortunately, you only need a few of them with this kit as they are very small and would probably end up feeding the carpet monster! Decals The two decal sheets included have good register. The text on the stencils is a little vague, not as sharp as some I’ve seen, but again, I’m being critical here. Schemes are provided for 4 rotorcraft: AH-1G 68-17108, VT-26 HMA-367 Scarface, USMC, Vietnam 1969-70 AH-1G 68-15194, US Navy Test Pilot School, NAS Jacksonville 1974 in midnight blue scheme AH-1G 68-15045, ex USMC HMA-773 assigned to US Navy Test Pilot School, NAS Patuxent River ‘75 AH-1G 68-17105, HMA-169 (VMO-2), USMC Camp Pendleton, California, ‘72 Conclusion This is a very nicely detailed kit, arguably, the best on the market currently with no less than 4 schemes to choose from. I matched the main parts up to drawings in the Squadron Publication for a ball park check of accuracy and there were no obvious errors to raise attention to. There are lots of additional options on the sprues to venture in to aftermarket schemes if you can get decals, and the spares box will also be treated to some new parts too. The small parts and none-single piece canopy make this a more challenging kit for young or beginner level modellers, but a joy for anyone with a few builds behind them who possess a good set of tweezers. Without too much effort, this could be built into a superb little diorama given the open canopy and ground handling pack included. Also included in the box is a 25% discount voucher for 'Cobra- The Attack Helicopter' hardback book by Mike Verier, RRP £25 adding even more value for Cobra fans Review sample courtesy of
  18. Hi Everyone, Here is my next project : Revell 1/25 Shelby GT500 Normally this kit is painted in Ferrari Red with Black decals, White with Blue decals or Brown/Steel mix with White decals. I am not doing any of these colour schemes. I am going with a Gloss Black body with the Blue decals from the kit. All of the chrome accent parts are going to be used. This is my dream car, so I am doing it as a custom build for me. Anyway here are the sprue shots. I have aready started painting the engine components so will be starting assembly of the engine components later and then its onto the chassis etc. Photos tomorrow. Thanks for looking, Rick
  19. Bell AH-1F Cobra, sometimes referred to as the Modernized Cobra. Pics taken at The Don F Pratt Memorial Museum, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, USA by Rick (infofrog)
  20. Call me insane, but here is my 6th and final entry. (Unless I find another gem on eBay cheap ) I've just won it, so until Mr Postman pops it through the door and it's in my grubby little hands you'll have to make do with an eBay photo. I built one of these in the late 80s but the skids ended up a bit lopsided, I was using Revell Contacta Pro and unfortunatly didn't leave it long enough to set. Those were the days before I trusted myself to use superglue. (I now live near a hospital as well...) I can't wait to get started on this one, the AH-1G is a beautiful looking aircraft and with my move to 1/144 (mainly) it's not often I'm going to get a second chance at building a kit from my early modelling days. ***Update*** Now I've got the kit here's a photo of my lovely sealed HueyCobra
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