Search the Community

Hello gents, Let me say it straight. I waited 50 years for this kit. The RF-101 has been one of my favourite airplanes since, as a schoolboy, I saw one roaring over our home in Saigon like a giant lizard. So when last year Kitty Hawk released their 1/48 Voodoo, I knew the wait was over. Of course, the kit is not perfect. People in forums complained about the multiple inaccuracies, the terrible fit, the bucketload of putty needed,… but then … this my chance of a lifetime to build it. So I took the plunge and do what we, old timers, have always done: buy the kit, marvel at the box art, fondle the plastic, correct the mistakes, add some detail and voilà. This is not a step-by-step WIP per se, rather some notes about problems I encountered, how I fixed them and also about the inaccuracies, how I corrected them. I hope some of you will find it helpful. FIRST IMPRESSIONS The kit looks very nice: the light gray plastic is smooth, rather soft and easy to work with. The surface detail is delicate as are the panel lines. The parts are well moulded while being rather basic, are accurate and cry out to be detailed. The fit the main parts is very positive, no Tamiya but definitively Hasegawa. Like other new kits from China, the assembly is very precise – there is almost no tolerance. Parts have to be carefully prepared before gluing. Frequent dry fitting is a must! Like with most recent kits, the instructions are drawings only – no text. I suggest you only use them to locate the parts. At any time do not follow the assembly sequence. Instead study the kit and the way the different components fit together. Make up your own assembly sequence. Apart from the Eduard Interior photoetch set, I'm not using any aftermarket stuff. Printed documentation come in two ancient magazines lent by old IPMS comrades. The main documentation comes from the internet. Thank you for watching, Cheers, Quang NEXT STEP: THE COCKPIT

RAF Pilot Sitting in Cockpit with Monkey on Shoulder + 2 Mechanics Western Desert for Special Hobby Kittyhawk 1:72 CMK Special Hobby's Kittyhawk is a rather lovely thing, so it's great to see the Czech manufacturer bring the model to life with these resin figures. The figures are nicely detailed and beautifully cast, but I think someone at Special Hobby has been monkeying around. Let's dispense with the obvious first. The mechanic has what appears to be a chimpanzee (possibly a bonobo) on his shoulders. Both species are native to central Africa, so it's a mystery as to how this pilot acquired his new friend. I would have thought a barbary macaque would have been the obvious choice, but I could well be wrong. There are chimpanzees at Whipsnade Zoo, and that's nowhere near the Western Desert. So there; never let it be said that we reviewers are reluctant to point out possible glitches in the products we receive as review samples. Watch this space for a tutorial on how to convert a minute resin chimp into a different species of ape. Conclusion It's great to see that some manufacturers can surprise us and bring a little bit of fun into the hobby. Nothwithstanding the fact that it would be downright dangerous to take to the air with a great ape on board (this is exactly why Tarzan never flew), this item will be a fantastic addition to a mini diorama. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

RF-5E Tigereye (KH32023) 1:32 Kitty Hawk The original F-5 design was lead at Northrop by Edgar Schmued who previously at North American had been the Chief designer of the P-51 and F-86. The F-5 was designed to reverse the trend of bigger and heavier fighters to produce a small, agile, high performance aircraft. It was also recognised that life cycle costs, and the ability to upgrade the design needed to be thought out at the beginning. Thus after winning the International Fighter Aircraft Competition in 1970 to provide a low cost effective fighter to America's allies Northrop introduced the F-5E or Tiger II. More than 3800 aircraft were built and served with the US Forces as well as their allies. Indeed the F-5F & N still serve in the adversary role today. The design of the F-5 would later go on to influence the YF-17 and F/A-18, as well as the late unsuccessful (in sales) F-20. The RF-5E was developed to give a fairly low cost reconnaissance aircraft using the F-5E airframe. Cameras were installed in a lengthened nose with the radar and one 20mm cannon being removed. Additional weight was needed at the rear to balance the new nose. The programme was a private venture by Northrop which had anticipated more sales than we actually generated. The test aircraft was leased from the USAF was converted. Saudi Arabia bought 10, and Malaysia 2. Singapore converted 8 of its F-5Es, and the ROC 7. Part of the problem with the new low cost aircraft was that the RF-5E cost about 50% more than an F-5E. The Kit This is a complete new tool from Kitty Hawk, The kit arrives on 6 spures of plastic with a small clear sprue, sheet of PE and two decal sheets. There are in addition resin exhaust nozzles add two resin crew figures; one seated and one standing. Construction starts as one would expect in the cockpit. The seat is first put together from an impressive 20 parts. Next up the cockpit tub is built up from another 20 or so parts not including the instrument panel and coaming. Once together the canopy raising parts are also added behind the seat. Following this the complicated nose gear bay / gun bay is built up which goes on front of the cockpit. All the detail is there for the nose mounted 20mm cannon including their ammo boxes and feed chutes. Once built up this section and the cockpit can be added into the front fuselage halves after some PE detail is added to the sides first. The nose section can then be built up with the cameras added in, this can then be added to the front. If wanted the seated resin pilot figure can be added. The canopy is then added at this stage in the instructions though I suspect most will leave it until the end. The canopy retraction mechanism is only in the raised position so if you want the canopy down some surgery will be needed. There is then the option to display the gun bay panels open if you wish to show off all that detail. Moving on to the centre fuselage two complete engines are built and installed. This seems a bit strange as no intake trunking is supplied and they will just sit there inside the fuselage. The main gear wells are made up and installed before the top of the fuselage is added. There are some optional vent panels to be installed but again its a case of checking your references as the instructions are of no help. For the rear the modeller can choose to build up plastic exhausts or use the resin ones. The two fuselage sections can now be joined and at the front the intakes added. Next up the wings are constructed. The main gear bay walls are added to the inner parts and the outers then added over the top. The main gears are made up and added along with the leading edge and separate flaps. The wings, tail planes and vertical tail are then added to the fuselage. The tail has a separate rudder. The kit has underwing pylons and a whole range of missiles and bombs are provided. These include AIM-9 & AIM-7 missiles, Cluster bombs, dumb bobs and fuel tanks. All that is probably needed for the Tigereye are the wingtip missiles and a drop tank so there will be plenty for the spares box. Decals The large decal sheet (and smaller additional sheet) look to be well printed. There is minimal carrier film and the colours are sharp, everything looks colour dense. From the box you can build one of five aircraft Company Demonstrator USAF 11420 Malaysian Air Force Republic Of China / Taiwan Air Force Republic Of Singapore Air Force. Conclusion The plastic looks great, and there is an impressive array of marking options available. The addition of PE and resin parts including good figures makes this an all round exciting package from Kitty Hawk. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Available soon from major hobby shops

AH-6M/MH-6M Little Bird Nightstalkers 1:35 KittyHawk KH50002 The Hughes OH-6 was developed from a US Army technical specification calling fir a light observation helicopter (LOH) which need to fulfil the roles of personnel transport, escort & attack, casevac and observation. The prototype first flew in 1963. The helicopter entered service in 1966 and almost immediately went to war in Vietnam. Crews soon nicknamed the helo "Loach" after the LOH acronym. Out of the 1419 built for the US Army 842 would be lost in Vietnam, mainly due to hostile ground fire. Following the disastrous attempt to rescue the American hostages in Tehran in 1980 the US Army's 160 Special Operations Aviation Regiment began developing a special aviation task force to prepare for what was then to be a second attempt at the rescue. They identified a need for a small helicopter to land in restrictive locations, and be transported by Air Force Transport aircraft. The OH-6A was selected for this and given the name Little bird as it was much smaller than the MH-60 & MH-47 aircraft they had. In the end there was no second rescue mission but the Army decided to keep the unit it had formed, and this would eventually become the 160th Aviation Battalion. The helicopters used for transport would become MH-6, and the armed ones AH-6. Later when Hughes would become part of MD helicopters a newer helicopter based on the OH-6 the MD-500 would arrive. This would feature a five bladed rotor and T tail. These aircraft would be produced as version for the Special Operations teams starting with the MH-6E. This would lead later to the AH/MH-6J. This improved helo based on the MD500MG would be used for transport and attack, it features an improved engine, FLIR, and GPS/Inertial navigation. The Ah-6 can usually be seen equipped with a lightweight universal mounting platform which has two M134 mini guns and two M260 7 shot Hydra 70 rocket pods. However they can carry a variety of other weapons including Hellfire missiles, stinger missiles, 40mm grenade launchers or .50 cal machine guns. The AH/MH-6 also referred to as the Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB), it is a highly modified version of the MD 530 series commercial helicopter. The Kit This is a re-issue tooling from KittyHawk who seem to be bringing us helicopters we want just recently. The kit arrives on three sprues of light grey plastic, a clear sprue, two smallish sheets of photo etch, and a small decal sheet. Included in this boxing is a set of six resin figure. Even in 1/35 scale the helicopter is not what you would call large, hence the "Little Bird" name. It was hoped these vaients would be tooled as some of the parts were in earlier boxings. Construction starts with not with the cockpit but with the engine and its mounting. The 16 part engine is first constructed, this is then attached to its mounting. The engine bay is then made up and the engine added. The modeller can now breathe easy and move back to the cockpit / cabin interior. The centre instrument console is built up with instruments and MFDs being supplied as decals. In this scale I think PE might have been better suited to this. The cyclic controls are also connected to the centre console at this point. The forward bulkhead is then made up with the pilots seats added, PE seatbets are supplied here. Collective controls and other parts are added at this point. The rudder pedals are now made up and attached to the cabin floor. The modeller is now faced with two choices for the back of the helo. Either the cross member support and side planks are fitted for carrying troops, or the lightweight universal mounting platform is added for mounting weapons. The weapons support is the more intricate structure as it contains the weapons mounts and ammunition boxes. The mountings and centre console are then fitted to the cabin floor. If fitting for weapons then an additional ammunition box is mounted in the back. The engine and bay assembly is then added to the cabin floor. Moving on to the fuselage halves holes need to be opened up for various parts, once done the cabin assembly can then be fitted into them, and they are closed up. The main nose glazing can then be added along with the front doors. Its worth noting that in most pictures of these helos the doors are not fitted, but consult your references as always. The clamshell doors for the engine compartment can now be added. These do have detail inside of them and it would seem a shame to close them up and cover all the engine detail. If making an armed helo then the next stage deals with the various armament options, though it would seem only the mini guns are dealt with in instructions? again here its really upto the modeller to consult their references as the weapons fits differed from mission to mission. If fitting the mini guns then the PE sheet has detailed feed chutes for these, but they are supplied in plastic, though the way they run in the instructions is not the same as photos I have seen. The skids are built up and added next. Various and multiple aerials are added to the fuselage along with the back doors (if you want to fit them). The tailboom and tail rotor is then made up and added to the fuselage. The last item then to finish is the main rotor assembly. The mount is made up and then the five blades are added to the hub. The blade which are nicely curved fit onto pins on the hub which seems a positive step. The whole assembly can then be mounted to the top of the helo. Clear Parts These arrive in the now trademark cardboard box for added protection (something other kit manufactures should take note of). At first glance they do not look that great, and certainly not as good as the UH-1 I recently reviewed. The large single front part does appear slightly pebbly at first, but when held the appropriate distance as would be used on the model the appearance does improve some. Decals Decals are provided on one small sheet as these aircraft due to the nature of their work dont carry many markings, Decals are provided for 4 machines; AH-6M - 25358 US Army MH-6M - 25377 US Arny MH-6M - 25361 US Army MH-6M - 25356 US Army Figures There are 6 resin figures compete with weapons supplied with the kit. There are two helicopter crew men; the Pilot seated in the helicopter, and the Co-pilot standing outside with his personal weapon. There are then four Special forces who are by the looks of them withdrawing to the helicopter foe extraction. On figure carries an incapacitated one, while two others proved cover (one standing and one kneeling). Where the figures are carrying/using weapons the hands of the figures are moulded to their weapons and not the figures. The quality of the sculpting and casting for the figures and their weapons is excellent. There is however no information about them in the instructions at all. Conclusion A comprehensive kit of an iconic helicopter which is let down slightly I feel by the instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops

KittyHawk is to release a 1/48th MJ-1, MHU-83, MHU-141 & MHU-191 Munitions Lift Truck set - ref. KH80160 Source: https://www.facebook.com/song.wang.5076/posts/2267178793540733 V.P.

I've got myself the new Special Hobby 1/72 Kittyhawk Mk III (P-40K) and I want to check the colours for the RNZAF one on the box art. The instructions say Foliage Green on top and Grey-Green (I think they mean RAF Sky Type S) underneath. Would this be correct? The Special Hobby P-40 kits are brilliant btw, everyone should make one! thanks Mike

Kitty Hawk / Panda Hobby catalog 2019... A glimpse Sources: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2376754302583181&set=a.1874930699432213&type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/groups/369828906819827/permalink/689993798136668/ https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68170&start=12000 A recap of (past) informations and rumours. Time will tell... (updated on September 12th, 2019) 1/72 - ref. KH16101 – Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II link - ref. KH16102 – Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II link - ref. KH16103 – Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II link 1/48 - ref. KH80107 – Eurocopter SA.365F Dauphin II link - released - ref. KH80123 – Kamov Ka-52 Alligator "Hokum-B" link - ref. KH80124 – Bell UH-1Y Venom boxing 2.0 link - ref. KH80125 – Bell AH-1Z Viper boxing 2.0 link - ref. KH80133 – McDonnell Douglas F2H-3/4 Banshee link - ref. KH80136 – Mikoyan MiG-25PU "Foxbat-C" link - released - ref. KH80139 – CAIC WZ-10 link - ref. KH80152 – Vought F6U Pirate link - ref. KH80153 – Vought F7U-3/3M Cutlass link - ref. KH80155 – North American FJ-2 Fury link - released - ref. KH80156 – North American FJ-3 Fury link - ref. KH80158 – Bell UH-1N Twin Huey link - released - ref. KH80159 – Ural 4320 + APA-5D link - released - ref. KH80160 – MJ-1/MHU-83/MHU-141/MHU-191 Munitions Lift Trucks link - released - ref. KH80161 – Russian weapons loading carts link - released - ref. KH80163 – Sukhoi Su-27SM "Flanker-B" link - ref. KH80164 – Bell AH-1W Whisky Cobra link - ref. KH80166 – Sukhoi Su-25K "Frogfoot-A" link - ref. KH80168 – Sukhoi Su-27UB "Flanker-C" link - ref. KH80169 – Sukhoi Su-30MK "Flanker-C" link - ref. KH8016? – Sukhoi Su-25T "Frogfoot-B" link - ref. KH80175 – Shenyang J-11 PLAAF "Flanker" family link - ref. KH80177– Sukhoi Su-25UB "Frogfoot-B" link - ref. KH801?? – Sukhoi Su-57 "Felon" link - ref. KH801?? – Grumman F-11 Tiger link - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-28 "Havoc" link - ref. KH801?? – Kamov Ka-50 "Hokum-A" - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-24D/V "Hind-D/-E" link - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-24P "Hind-F" - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-35 "Hind-E" - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-24V "Hind" - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-8 "Hip-C" - ref. KH801?? – Mil Mi-17 "Hip-H" 1/35 - ref. KH50001 – Bell UH-1D Huey link - ref. KH50004 – Bell AH-6J/MH-6J Little Bird (with figures) link - released - ref. KH50005 – Sikorsky MH-60L Black Hawk link - released - ref. KH50006 – Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk link - released - ref. KH50007 – Sikorsky SH-60F Ocean Hawk link - ref. KH50008 – Sikorky MH-60R Sea Hawk link - ref. KH50009 – Sikorsky SH-60B Sea Hawk link - ref. KH50010 – Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk - ref. KH50010X – Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk HSM-78 "Blue Hawks" - ref. KH50010X – Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk HSM-71 "Raptors" - ref. KH50010X – Sikorsky MH-60S Knight Hawk HSC-4 "Black Knights" - ref. KH50015 – Sikorsky MH-60S Knight Hawk link 1/32 - ref. KH32017 – Grumman F-11 Tiger link - ref. KH32020 – Dassault Mirage 2000C link - released - ref. KH32021 – Dassault Mirage 2000B link - ref. KH32022 – Dassault Mirage 2000D/N link - released - ref. KH32023 – Northrop RF-5E Tigereye link - released - ref. KH32025 – Focke Wulf Fw.190A-5 link - ref. KH32026 - Focke Wulf Fw.190A-8A-8 link - ref. KH320?? – SEPECAT Jaguar A link - ref. KH320?? – SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/.3 link - ref. KH320?? – SEPECAT Jaguar E/T.2 link - ref. KH320?? – Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter link - ref. KH320?? – Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter link - ref. KH320?? – Republic RF-84F Thunderflash link - ref. KH320?? – Republic F-84F Thunderstreak link V.P.

Well I finally finished my attempt at the Kittyhawk Voodoo. my thanks to Nikolay Polyakov and bentwaters81tfw for there advice, knowledge and inspiration. The kit is a mixture of good and bad, partially as a result of trying to produce the whole F-101 family from a set of moulds. So the intakes are just plan wrong for the A/C models and needed cutting back to the earlier, squared off shape, the slime lights needed removing but mainly the fit took a lot of work even to get it to my botched up state. I used Caracal decals for the scheme, as I tried a few of the Kittyhawk ones and didn't like the colours, though the stencils were fine. As always the Caracal decal were fabulous to work with. The machine I chose to depict ids from a photo on another thread from Bentwaters81tfw and show how they looked later in their brief career. It seems the front section was painted silver, the mid section was Air Defence Grey and the rear was left natural metal. It was a therapeutic job masking and painting this . I'm glad I got the kick up the rear to build this stash sitter but I don't think it will encourage me to buy another one. I've also just noticed I forgot to finish decaling the serial number on the port side. I have been looking at the thing all afternoon but it took a photo for me to spot this!!!! As always thanks for looking.

Have been avidly following the thread by Nikolay Polyakov with his fabulous build of this kit. Sadly he seems to have gone off air, which was a shame as he was inspiring me to build this stash sitter. So it is time for me to step out of his shadow and take the lead. I'd also like to publically than Bentwaters81tfw for his fabulous photos of the type throughout its operational life, which have decided me on the machine I want to model. Here was where I left it on the thread I haven't taken any photos recently not expecting to post a build thread. You can see the issues with the fit, the lines of filler show the major joints. the starboard panel below the cockpit coming had to be sanded until paper thin and I was scared that I would literally tear it. by this stage I had already removed the slime or formation lights from the nose and tail mouldings as they were not fitted to the A model. So this is where I was in early June. Here we are today. the machine I want to do is from very late in the types usage. The nose has been repainted but the tail and wings are still in the original natural metal. The centre section is finished in ADC grey. The intakes have been cut back and squared off as have the splitter plates as Kittyhawk chose to give this early model the same intakes as the later B model. I make no pretence at accuracy as I cut where I though based on photos rather than plans. The wing parts fit together really nicely, but the strange hook like tabs forced the wings away from the fuselage so they had to be opened up to get a better fit. Generally the fit of the individual section isn't at all bad, but the five major components, tail, centre section, nose and wings is problematical, probably because the manufacturer is trying to get A, B and RF models out of the basic moulding. This has some positives as my kit has a full weapons suite for the B model included so I have some nice Genies and Falcons for my Revell Monogram kit. Next on the to do list is the undercarriage which I felt was too fragile to stand up to all the filling and sanding I knew I would need to do, test fitting of the main legs looks good but some work be need in the nose bay.

Can't resist coming in with this. I started basics a while ago alongside building my Airfix P-40B at Christmas but it's well below the 25% rule. I have previous with this kit, in ended in it eventually becoming damaged and binned so I'd like to get this one done and added to my other pair of P-40s.

I wanted to complete this build in time for the arrival of the first F35b in the UK. Boy I cut it close. This build was designed to show off the complex internal bay systems and array of weaponry it could carry. Using the KARL cockpit and weapons bay sets really enhanced the detail, along with the dream hobby engine nozzle and eduard PE set for the lift fan and brimstone missiles. All in all I enjoyed the build but need to source a new canopy as I am not totally happy with the finish.

Resin Upgrade Sets for Special Hobby P-40/Kittyhawk Kit 1:72 CMK We've just taken delivery of the first examples of Special Hobby's new P-40/Kittyhawk kits, and rather good they are too. Special Hobby seem to have taken a leaf out of another great Czech manufacturer's book by releasing a veritable feast of resin goodies to go with the new kit. Pretty much everything you could think of is represented here. Without further ado, let's take a look and see what's what. P-40E Engine Set The first set contains a complete Allison V-1710 V12 engine for the P-40E. The set comprises the engine itself, as well as the prominent chin-mounted radiator, the firewall, engine subframe and replacement parts for the kit's plastic engine covers, which have to be cut away in order to fit the engine. All of the cutting follows panel lines, so it should be within the abilities of most modellers to be able to use this nicely detailed part. P-40 Undercarriage Set This set includes a choice of two different main landing gear bay inserts for the Special Hobby kit, as well as the fabric cover for the tail wheel assembly. The resin has a clean, crisp quality which will add a little extra zip to the finished kit. P-40E/K/M/N Armament Set This set includes six .50 cal machine guns, as well as the structural detail for the gun bays and replacement covers for the wings. As is the case with the engine set, the modeller is required to remove panels above and below the wing in order to expose the additional detail provided with this set. All of the cuts are along panel lines, which should be within the capabilities of most modellers. P-40 Control Surfaces This set provides replacement landing flap and ailerons for the main wings, as well as complete replacement horizontal tail planes with separately case elevators. While the latter are a straight swap for the kit parts, the former will require the removal of more plastic from the wing. Get a fresh scalpel blade and a ruler and whatever you do, make sure you don't slip! P-40 Cockpit Sidewalls and Control Column This set does not require the removal of any plastic from the kit. Instead, the parts are a straightforward (and more detailed) swap for the kit parts. Just drop them in an enjoy! P-40 Wheels - Diamond and Hole Tread These wheels are another straight swap for the kit parts. Naturally they are much more detailed than their plastic counterparts, with a lovely crispness to the tyre tread. Flat spots can be filed where the wheels are removed from the casting blocks. P-40/Kittyhawk Seats There are four replacement seats available, for theP-40 E, K, M and N-1; P-40N-5 to N-40; Kittyhawk I, Ia, II, IIa and III; and the Kittyhawk IV. Most, but not all, have harnesses cast in place. Conclusion CMK can be relied upon to turn out some good quality resin, a fact to which these sets testify. Detail is top-notch, casting is flawless and I have no doubt that the fit will be equally good. If you have the new kit, or are planning on acquiring it, then it's good to know that these sets are out there and that you can pick and choose which to pick up. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After the F-5E/F Tiger II (link), Kitty Hawk has the project to release 1/32nd Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter kits. Source: https://www.facebook.com/736521713066784/photos/a.736556396396649.1073741827.736521713066784/1623005921085021/ V.P.

Finally finished it! Quite an awful kit which requires lots of extra work and some aftermarket goodies - Eduard PE's and Matra Magic II missiles, Master pitot tube, L'Arsenal resin Raphael SLAR pod and Colorado decals. But in the end it's a great looking jet Best regards from Czech and happy New Year to everyone. Andrew

AH-6J/MH-6J Little Bird Nightstalkers 1:35 KittyHawk The Hughes OH-6 was developed from a US Army technical specification calling fir a light observation helicopter (LOH) which need to fulfil the roles of personnel transport, escort & attack, casevac and observation. The prototype first flew in 1963. The helicopter entered service in 1966 and almost immediately went to war in Vietnam. Crews soon nicknamed the helo "Loach" after the LOH acronym. Out of the 1419 built for the US Army 842 would be lost in Vietnam, mainly due to hostile ground fire. Following the disastrous attempt to rescue the American hostages in Tehran in 1980 the US Army's 160 Special Operations Aviation Regiment began developing a special aviation task force to prepare for what was then to be a second attempt at the rescue. They identified a need for a small helicopter to land in restrictive locations, and be transported by Air Force Transport aircraft. The OH-6A was selected for this and given the name Little bird as it was much smaller than the MH-60 & MH-47 aircraft they had. In the end there was no second rescue mission but the Army decided to keep the unit it had formed, and this would eventually become the 160th Aviation Battalion. The helicopters used for transport would become MH-6, and the armed ones AH-6. Later when Hughes would become part of MD helicopters a newer helicopter based on the OH-6 the MD-500 would arrive. This would feature a five bladed rotor and T tail. These aircraft would be produced as version for the Special Operations teams starting with the MH-6E. This would lead later to the AH/MH-6J. This improved helo based on the MD500MG would be used for transport and attack, it features an improved engine, FLIR, and GPS/Inertial navigation. The Ah-6 can usually be seen equipped with a lightweight universal mounting platform which has two M134 mini guns and two M260 7 shot Hydra 70 rocket pods. However they can carry a variety of other weapons including Hellfire missiles, stinger missiles, 40mm grenade launchers or .50 cal machine guns. The Kit A brand new tooling from KittyHawk who seem to be bringing us helicopters we want just recently. The kit arrives on three sprues of light grey plastic, a clear sprue, two smallish sheets of photo etch, and a small decal sheet. Even in 1/35 scale the helicopter is not what you would call large, hence the "Little Bird" name. It is interesting to see there are 6 rotor blades on the sprue, that and the fact the kit is moulded with cutouts for the larger back door would leave us to believe a H-6M is on the cards from KH as well. Construction starts with not with the cockpit but with the engine and its mounting. The 16 part engine is first constructed, this is then attached to its mounting. The engine bay is then made up and the engine added. The modeller can now breathe easy and move back to the cockpit / cabin interior. The centre instrument console is built up with instruments and MFDs being supplied as decals. In this scale I think PE might have been better suited to this. The cyclic controls are also connected to the centre console at this point. The forward bulkhead is then made up with the pilots seats added, PE seatbets are supplied here. Collective controls and other parts are added at this point. The rudder pedals are now made up and attached to the cabin floor. The modeller is now faced with two choices for the back of the helo. Either the cross member support and side planks are fitted for carrying troops, or the lightweight universal mounting platform is added for mounting weapons. The weapons support is the more intricate structure as it contains the weapons mounts and ammunition boxes. The mountings and centre console are then fitted to the cabin floor. If fitting for weapons then an additional ammunition box is mounted in the back. The engine and bay assembly is then added to the cabin floor. Moving on to the fuselage halves holes need to be opened up for various parts, once done the cabin assembly can then be fitted into them, and they are closed up. The main nose glazing can then be added along with the front doors. Its worth noting that in most pictures of these helos the doors are not fitted, but consult your references as always. The clamshell doors for the engine compartment can now be added. These do have detail inside of them and it would seem a shame to close them up and cover all the engine detail. If making an armed helo then the next stage deals with the various armament options, though it would seem only the mini guns are dealt with in instructions? again here its really upto the modeller to consult their references as the weapons fits differed from mission to mission. If fitting the mini guns then the PE sheet has detailed feed chutes for these, but they are supplied in plastic, though the way they run in the instructions is not the same as photos I have seen. The skids are built up and added next. Various and multiple aerials are added to the fuselage along with the back doors (if you want to fit them). The tailboom and tail rotor is then made up and added to the fuselage. The last item then to finish is the main rotor assembly. The mount is made up and then the five blades are added to the hub. The blade which are nicely curved fit onto pins on the hub which seems a positive step. The whole assembly can then be mounted to the top of the helo. Clear Parts These arrive in the now trademark cardboard box for added protection (something other kit manufactures should take note of). At first glance they do not look that great, and certainly not as good as the UH-1 I recently reviewed. The large single front part does appear slightly pebbly at first, but when held the appropriate distance as would be used on the model the appearance does improve some. Decals Decals are provided on one small sheet as these aircraft due to the nature of their work dont carry many markings, Decals are provided for 4 machines; MH-6J - 95-25371 US Army in Somalia. AH-6J - 16 th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, US Army. AH-6J - 90-25362 US Army in Somalia. AH-6J - 90-23635 US Army in Somalia. Conclusion A comprehensive kit of an iconic helicopter which is let down slightly I feel by the instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops

Kitty Hawk is to release a 1/35th Sikorsky UH/SH-60 family. Announced so far: - ref. KH50005 – Sikorsky MH-60L Black Hawk - ref. KH50006 – Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk - ref. KH50007 – Sikorsky SH-60F Ocean Hawk - ref. KH50008 – Sikorky MH-60R Sea Hawk - ref. KH50009 – Sikorsky SH-60B Sea Hawk - ref. KH50010 - Sikorsky HH-60H Rescue hawk - ref. KH50010X - HSM-78 "Blue Hawks" - ref. KH50010X - HSM-71 "Raptors" - ref. KH50010X - HSC-4 "Black Knights" - ref. KH50015 – Sikorsky MH-60S Knight Hawk - ref. KH500xx - Sikorsky MH-60M DAP Black Hawk - ref. KH500xx - Sikorsky S-70C-2 Black Hawk - ref. KH500xx - Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk RoCAF - ref. KH500xx - Sikorsky S-70A-27 Black Hawk Hong Kong Government Flying Service - ref. KH500xx - Sikorsky UH-60J Black Hawk JGSDF Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1614705148581765&id=736521713066784 3D renders V.P.

Just finished, my Airfix Defiant and Kittyhawk. The Defiant is the outstanding kit that I've tackled recently, maybe ever. Beautifully designed and detailed with near-perfect fit, it was a pleasure to build. The turret is an extraordinary model in its own right. The decals are very good as well. The Kittyhawk is the old Otaki mould which has been in the stash for years. I can't remember where I bought it - I guess secondhand, maybe I was sorry for it with its squashed box. I thought it would be a quick and easy build but both fuselage halves were distorted around the removable engine bay hatches, so I had to use the hatches to coax them back into shape. Then I dropped it on the kitchen floor! The impact shattered the filler on the wing roots so I had to start again there. I did think of the Japanese toolmaker making the zillions of tiny countersunk rivets - what dedication. The worst part was the cockpit glazing which was not very satisfactory. I was surprised that the kit decals were fine after so long. Both are from the box apart from an Eduard harness in the Defiant and a tape one in the Kittyhawk and are brush painted with Humbrol and Revell enamels.

Greatly abbreviated WIP here This is the Kittyhawk 1/32 Bell Airacobra kit converted to my interpretation of an RAF Airacobra MK1 The WIP lists all the changes I made Kit was painted with Xtracolour paints using masks by Maketar for the codes and national markings Exhausts and wheels came from Mastercaster, and all gun barrels came from Master save for the 20mm cannon barrel which is aluminium tubing Whilst the kit does not fall together out of the box I had little trouble with the assembly Thanks to all those that fallowed the build Bruce IMG_0068 , IMG_0065 , IMG_0063 , , overall view ,

UH-1D "Huey" 1:48 KittyHawk Lets face it, IT’S A HUEY! The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is the Iconic Helicopter following its use by the American Army in Vietnam. Thanks to this it can now rank alongside such aircraft as the Spitfire and Mustang, and is recognisable by most people not just aviation enthusiasts. The Bell 204 was developed to a 1952 US Army requirement for a medical evacuation helicopter, trainer and utility helicopter. Originally designated as the HU-1 (Helicopter utility) troops quickly shortened this to Huey and it has stuck ever since. While the original Huey was a success the Army wanted a Helicopter which could carry more troops. Bell stretched the Huey by 41 inches and was able to fit in four extra seats next to the transmission taking the total to 15 including the crew. The extra room enabled 6 stretchers and a medic to be carried in the Medevac role. In place of the original single window main door the newer longer main door would feature twin windows. The new helicopter would be called the 205 by Bell and the UH-1D by the Army. Many armed forces all over the world would use the Huey. Notable users would be Germany and Japan. The D model was license built by Dornier. The Army used it as a utility Helicopter, and the Air Force for Search & Rescue. Japan would use the UH-1H which was a D model with an improved engine. The Kit A brand new tooling from KittyHawk, who have done their best to make it the best 1/48 Huey. It arrives on three sprues of plastic, one clear sprue, one sheet of photo-etch and 2 sheets of decals. Construction starts with the main cabin in the crew area. The collective and cyclic sticks are added along with the rudder pedals. The main instrument housing between the pilots is built up and installed along with the main instrument panel. Following this the transmission housing is also built up and installed at this time with the transmission and rotor head linkage on top. The two seats behind the pilots are built up and added at this time. The other rear seats are now built up and added along with the armoured pilots seats. Seat belts where needed are provided as PE. Next up the doors and windows are added to the main fuselage sides. The engine exhaust is added along with wells for the cargo hook area. Next up the engine deck is built up and the turbine engine added. Now the engine deck and main cabin interior can be added into the fuselage sides and the main fuselage closed up. The tailboom is made up as is the cabin roof. These are then attached to the main cabin. The solid nose parts are also added at this stage. The main glazing is added along with the engine covers with PE mesh areas. If using the door guns these can now be made up, added to their mounts and attached to the fuselage. The skids are made up and added along various aerials cable cutters as required. Lastly the main rotor is assembled along with the tail rotor and these are added on. Clear Parts These arrive in the now trademark cardboard box for added protection (something other kit manufactures should take note of) they are clear and with no defects. Decals Decals are provided on one many sheet, and a supplementary sheet for the instruments and nose art. The look to be well printed, in register and colour dense. Marking are provided for 4 US Army examples, and 3 overseas users; UH-1D - 121st Assault Helicopter Company US Army. UH-1D - 117th Assault Helicopter Company US Army. UH-1D - 174th Assault Helicopter Company US Army. UH-1D - 170th Assault Helicopter Company US Army. UH-1H - Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces. UH-1H - Taiwanese Air Force. UH-1D - Hubschraubertransportgeschwader 64, Luftwaffe, Althorn Conclusion A comprehensive kit of an iconic helicopter. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops

KittyHawk is working on a 1/48th North American FJ-2(?)/3/3M Fury kit - ref. KH80155 Source: https://www.facebook.com/song.wang.5076/posts/1917304511861498?pnref=story V.P.

22 June 1995 marked the dissolution of EC 3/12 Cornouailles. Here's Kittyhawk's Mirage F1 CR/CT kit dressed up with Eduard etch, Scale Resin Wheels, Master Pitot and finished off with Berna Decals : and here it is on its display base : Thanks for looking. mike

I'm trying to do Neville Duke's airplane AK578 as depicted on the Xtradecal sheet, Early P-40-Part 2. The problem comes in when I did some research that apparently AK578 is a Kittyhawk and not a Tomahawk. Is Xtradecals wrong? There is conflicting information on the 112 page. One place has it as a Tomahawk with the picture of only the front end. The picture is difficult to make out if it is a Dark Earth/Middlestone/Azure or TLS scheme. Then in the serial number portion of the page it describes AK578 as a Kittyhawk Mk.I. Another of my trusted sources, Roy Sutherland at Barracudacals, has GA D as a Kittyhawk as well. I'm so confused. Can any of you shed light on this subject aircraft? Is it a TLS "D" or a DE/MS/AZ GA D? I want to do this right. Or do I need to pick another aircraft. I really want to do a sharkmouthed desert scheme 112 aircraft. I'm trying to use the Xtracals as I never have and they were given to me for this build. Thanks Floyd

Gday All Latest project to hit the Cutting Mat is the Kittyhawk P-39 Airacobra. kittyhawk boxart , Ive always liked the look of the P-39 in RAF colours, so will be doing this kit as a Mk1. American aircraft - to me - always look better in pommy colours anyway! Something like this hopefully. P -39 Collection - A Cash Peter Arnold 050c_zpslqoqxkgy , The kit looks fantastic in the box, hopefully it builds up nicely too. Kittyhawk allow you to build a model with engine cowlings, gun access panels, cockpit doors, radio access panels, oil tank hatch and radiator flaps open. In addition, landing flaps can be displayed in the lowered position as well as separate elevators and rudder. I plan to take advantage of all of this! Despite this multitude of open panels, I decided I needed more. Quite a few photos I saw of Airacobras being serviced show not only the main rectangular cowling that Kittyhawk supply as a separate part off, but also the triangular panel behind it, so the first thing to do was separate this with the aid of a scalpel cowling removed , YIKES!!! Thats quite a large hole Of course this then meant I had to actually build the additional structures you might see. Why do I do this? Anyway, some interior structure was knocked up using plastic strip. , Im certainly not a super detailer or even decent scratchbuilder. It took me about six goes to get that bulkhead the right width! To me it looks a little over scale, but the strips were the only sizes I had, and , yes, I know I should have laid the stringers down first, then done the ribs but honestly, once its all said and done, I don't think you will notice. I just wanted some structural components visible rather than a blank opposite wall. I also purchased the Eduard sets for the kittyhawk kit. On the exterior set Eduard supply the fastening framework for the cowlings so I combined both to outline the open panels on the one side. The centre divider has a plastic strip behind it. The other fuselage half has the cowling and radio hatch glued in the closed position with no fit problems , To Be Continued Bruce

Hi all! I have figured out which P-40 type is called what in RAF service: P-40 B/C = Tomahawk P-40E (4 guns) = Kittyhawk Mk. I P-40E (6 guns) = Kittyhawk Mk. IA P-40F (shorttailed/Merlin-engined) = Kittyhawk II P-40L (longtailed/Merlin-engined) = Kittyhawk II P-40K = Kittyhawk III P-40M = Kittyhawk III P-40N = Kittyhawk IV So far - so good. I also understand that there weren't many Kittyhawk II (P-40F/L) delivered to th RAF. Now here's my question: Would a P-40F/L delivered to the RAAF be called a Kittyhawk II? Or was it still a P-40F/L Cheers Hans J

Etendard IVP/IVM 1:48 Kittyhawk The Étendard was the final iteration of a number of similar designs that were initially intended as a light fighter for France, with possible customers in other NATO countries, which when beefed-up was considered for naval aviation, with ruggedised prototypes constructed soon after. Named the Étendard IV, the French navy ordered IVM fighters, and a smaller number of IVP reconnaissance variantsf or operation from their carrier fleet beginning in the early 60s. They were well-liked by their pilots, as they excelled in manoeuvrability and were a joy to fly. A quick look on YouTube will find you plenty of footage of pilots enjoying themselves at the controls. Originally scheduled to be replaced by the Jaguar M, this plan was sabotaged by Dassault lobbying, who just happened to have the Super Étendard waiting in the wings. The SuE replaced the Étendard on the carriers at the beginning of the 80s, with the last airframe withdrawn from service toward the end of the decade. As France was the sole operator, there were no Étendards left flying at that point, with a few finding their way to museums around the world. The SuE has now been replaced by the Rafale M in turn after a long career, with the last flight in 2016. The Kit Having already kitted the Super Étendard, so it was only natural for Kittyhawk (KH) to kit her older sibling due to parts commonality, and here she is, fairly soon after the SuE, which you can read about here. This new kit shares many of the sprues with the SuE due to their common heritage, but this kit has been moulded in a slightly different grey. The box is standard Kittyhawk fare, and inside are five sprues, two of which are still joined together after being folded over - a bit of a pet-hate of mine, even though it is easily resolved with a pair of sprue cutters. The clear sprue is separately bagged, and the two sheets of decals are supplied in a ziplok bag that also contains the Photo-Etch (PE) sheet. The instruction booklet has a glossy cover, and in the centrefold is a 4xA4 fold-out painting and decaling guide that can be pulled off the staples for easier reference if you like. Construction begins with the seat and cockpit tub, which builds up from individual surfaces for improved detail, and a set of crew belts are added to the well-detailed seat from PE. Decals are supplied for the main instrument panel and side consoles, which have a black background for your ease. The nose gear bay is also built from individual walls, and the nose leg is added now, although it can be left off if you wish. The nose wheel is fixed between the two-part yoke, which attaches to the end of the main leg, and is braced in the bay by two more struts. The nose section of the fuselage can then be closed up, and here you have a choice of either the recce nose for the IVP with the fixed fuel probe and camera ports, or the pointed nose of the IVM with the retractable fuel probe and the blade-like ECM antenna. The main gear bay boxes and the shallower air-brake bays are then installed in the man fuselage lower surface from the inside, with the former made up from individual panels for added detail. The removable aft fuselage halves are then joined around a diagonally placed rib and the arrestor hook and fairing are glued to the underside in preparation for final fuselage assembly. Before that however, the complete basic engine is built up from two halves, front and rear faces, plus stator blades at the rear in PE, which is mated to the exhaust trunk and tail-pipe. This assembly is held inside the fuselage by a bulkhead at the front and a pair of large pins at the front of the exhaust section, allowing the exhaust to project from the fuselage. While joining the fuselage halves, a spine insert is included, as well as a lower tray at the front of the underside, which meshes with the nose section, blending the two together. With the glue dry, the remainder of the spine and both intakes are fitted along with their splitter plates, and the aft fuselage section that was built up earlier, which although it isn't mentioned in the instructions could be left off to expose the engine in a maintenance diorama, or just for the hell of it. The large tail has an insert with a large probe added to the leading edge, and has a separate rudder that is added after the two halves are mated. The elevators are both single parts, and have a PE swash-plate between them and the tail, as well as a pair of large blade antennae and their base-plates in PE too. The tail fits via a standard tongue-and-slot fixture, and a couple of little clear lights are added to the sides of the rear fairing and to the spine in front. At this point the canopy is scheduled for installation, with small pegs on the windscreen part to help with registration on the lip, and a separate canopy that can be set in the open or closed position. Now for the wings. The wings are built from the upper and lower halves, with leading-edge slats as separate parts, the folding tips, flaps and ailerons too, with a PE spoiler on the upper surface. Clear parts are added to the wingtips, and they are fitted to the root slots in the fuselage along with an additional section of the root that isn't moulded in. The main gear legs are simple struts with separate oleo-links, and a separate brake detail that fits outboard of the two part wheels. These wheels are a bit "wooden" looking, with sparse detail that might benefit from some aftermarket when it becomes available, but once on and hidden under the wings you may decide not to bother. These are fitted into the newly installed wings and then surrounded by the bay doors, which each have hinge and operating struts included, as do those for the nose. The underside is festooned with little antennae, ports and intakes/outlets, as well as a pair of optional camera bulges that run along the centreline. The airbrakes are incorrectly identified by the instructions as left and right canopies, but as it's obvious what they are, it's not a hindrance. They are made up from a styrene outer, with PE inners that have detail etched in to them for better scale effect. As a useful addition, a nifty little crew-ladder is included in the box to help you out. The weapons sprues are no strangers, and have been seen on the SuE, Jaguar and probably other kits that I can't remember too. From the box you get the following: 2 x 68mm Rocket pods 1 x PHIMAT pod 2 x Magic.2 missiles 1 x Barracuda pod 2 x twin 250kg bomb carrier (4 bombs in total) 2 x BL755 bombs 2 x Fuel tanks 2 x AS.30 missiles A full set of pylons are supplied for the weapons, with a different style for the fuel tanks, and separate adaptor rails for the Magics, plus moulded-in rails for the two types of pod. A diagram shows which pylons could take each type, but do check your references to establish a likely load if you are going for accuracy. Markings Another kit from Kittyhawk with a generous decal option count, with five available from the box. Four are in the centre pages of the instruction booklet, with the final option on the back cover, which folds out to accommodate the double-page profiles. From these options you can build one of the following: IVM White 117 of Retirement Flotille 16F – gray/grey blue over light grey blue. IVM White 118 of Retirement Flotille 16F - gray/grey blue over light grey blue. IVM White 118 of Retirement Flotille 16F, 2000 - gray/grey blue over light grey blue, with a white streamer painted down the fuselage sides and a red arrow head on the nose. IVM White 9 of Retirement Escadrille 59S, 1981 – Blue over white. IVM Retirement Escadrille 59S – NAS Hyeres – Blue over white with a red/white/blue stripe down the tail and fuselage 1961-1991. Two special schemes and three in-service airframes is a good mix, and as mentioned in the Su-17 thread, the decals are improving. The decals are sharp, in register with good colour density, but the black section of the ribbon that starts in the tail has some fine crazing if you look under magnification, which will in all probability cause no problems with application, but is worth noting. The smaller sheet contains the instrument decals and some decorative shield, and here the printing of the carrier film has drifted out of register so that the top of the instrument panels have been exposed, and great care will be needed to ensure that the delicate printing doesn't break up on application. Hopefully this is a one-off, and doesn't affect the whole batch. Conclusion Another welcome modern tooling of an important French Naval marque that will please many modellers French or otherwise. Detail is good, construction is sensibly arranged, and with five decal options and a sheet of PE completes the package. If you're PE phobic, the only folding needed is in the air-brakes, so you could always leave those closed and avoid any folding. Who will know? Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops