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  1. UH-1N Twin Huey (KH80158) 1:48 Kitty Hawk The original UH-1 is probably one of the most well-known shapes when it comes to rotary-winged aircraft, or helicopters as us civilians call them. The Twin Huey was initially developed to meet a requirement expressed by the Canadians, which saw the Bell 205 stretched to accommodate an additional engine and increased load carrying capacity. After the initial purchase by Canada, there was some political wrangling regarding the manufacturing location of the engines, but eventually around 300 airframes were procured and given the US Military designation UH-1N. It saw service in Vietnam, where its one-engine flight capability gave it the advantage over the single-engined Huey, which didn't fare too well without engines in a combat zone. The US Marines added an electronic stability system to a number of their airframes, removing the stability bar from above the main rotor, which is something to look out for if you're planning on building a particular aircraft. From the 1970s onward they have been in continuous service with incremental upgrades, with USMC remanufactured 1Ns being renamed 1Y and given the aggressive name, Venom, but also being referred to in service as Yankees. There are simplified civilian versions of the 1N, which is known as the Bell 212, and quite a long list of military operators both past and present, including the Argentinians during the Falklands War. The Kit This is a revision and reboxing of the UH-1Y Venom we reviewed here in 2015, and the earlier (but later release) single-engined UH-1D here in 2017. While it arguably shares more heritage with the later Venom, the sprue layout is completely different from the Venom, but includes two of the newer sprues from the UH-1D boxing. The rest are new tool, including the clear parts, the Photo-Etch (PE) sheet and the decal sheet, totalling four sprues in a pale grey styrene, one in clear, a PE sheet, a set of three resin figures in a separate vacformed container, and combined instruction and colour painting guide. The clear parts are also safely cocooned in a flat box with a bag protecting the parts from chaffing during transit and storage. Looking over the sprues there is a lot of really nice detail on the parts, with judicious use of slide-moulding to achieve fine detail in areas such as the underside of the fuselage, nose, rotor head and some hollow parts. Construction begins with the rotor head for a change, which includes the stabilising bar and linkage that was sometimes removed from USMC airframes. The two blades have finely rendered stacked plates at their root, and have a slight droop moulded-in, which are composite so shouldn't droop as can be seen from numerous pictures. The best way of correcting this is heating the plastic in hot water and bending them back straight, then quenching them with cold water. Not a major impediment to progress, but a bit of a boo-boo. The tail boom is next with optional PE slime-lights, the two blade tail rotor and the fins on each side, along with a skid and a pair of sensors at the bottom of the main fin. Two PE mesh grilles are included for the fin root, which will need bending to suit the shape of the recess into which they fit. The crew cab floor is next, and is fitted with a full set of controls for the flight crew with cyclic and collective sticks for each pilot, separated by a central console, and two perforated dividers in the nose, which supports the upper section and allows the detailed instrument panel and coaming to be set in position. The pilot seats are made up from a main chassis, with additional cushion fitted to the back, and the framework added to the back and underside. A pair of PE belts are looped over the back of the seats out of the way, then they are glued into their rails on the floor, and a boxed in section and rear bulkhead are added at the rear, ready for the passenger seats that comprise six positions in a line across the cab, and two pairs either side of the aft section. Each seat is sat on a tubular frame, and has a pair of PE lap belts draped over them, and here annealing them in a flame will help make them more malleable to improve the drape. Attention then shifts to the engine compartment, with the aft end of a pair of Pratt & Whitney T400 turboshafts pushed through holes in the front of the engine compartment, adding some of the detail you will find in there (a canvas for the super-detailer), and the flattened exhausts sitting on top. Another bulkhead attaches to the fronts of the engines on a pair of lugs, with the intake phase added to the other side of the first bulkhead. The cockpit and engine assemblies are then married up and sandwiched between the two fuselage halves after adding the winch bay to the inside. My review sample had received a bit of damage to the thin upper door edge on the port side, but it was easy enough to fix with a bit of glue and some patience as you can see below, but check your example just in case. The forward edges of the side doors are bulked out with additional parts, then the passenger cab's roof, which consists of inner and outer skin, is added and finished off with extra detail at the front, plus the beginnings of the rotor "hump" and intakes on the top. At the rear the long faceted exhaust trunks are glued to the rear of the curved section, with a radiator slung underneath. The exhausts are made up from two parts split top and bottom, and with careful fitting, you can minimise the seam, then take a view on whether it needs further work. The engine compartment is then boxed in with the top cowling, side cowling sections, and smaller PE access panels that you can choose to leave open if you're proud of your work on the engine bays. Boxing in of the nose is next, with the solid upper section, clear lower windows, and the underside panel with the mount for the FLIR turret moulded in. Now we get to play with the resin figures, which are really rather nicely moulded. The two pilots are fitted into their seats after painting, one with his hands on the controls, the other operating the overhead controls. There is another figure included depicting the door gunner, but his location isn't shown although it's pretty clear he's intended to be in a door… with a gun. The crew cab doors are made up from inner and outer panels, plus the clear window in the top section. The smaller front side door is also made up and installed at this point, then the main canopy is fitted out with the overhead console that pilot two is fiddling with, along with a fire extinguisher for…. Fires. Once the cab is complete, the skids are made up and installed under the fuselage in their recesses, adding a number of PE parts for detail along the way. With the fuselage on its back, the FLIR turret, antennae and cable-cutter are put in place all along the underside, with more PE parts such as tie-down lugs added along the way. A similar festooning of the top surface is carried out, including sensors, wipers and grab handles etc. Now for the fun part, the weapons installation, although they're only applicable to two of the decal options, which may colour your decision if you like things that go "BANG!" like I do. There are two installations, one on each side, each attached to the fuselage via a curved bracket that is topped with a gun mount for either a .50cal Browning, or the optional multi-barrel Vulcan mini-gun. A grab bar is attached either side of the mounts, and underneath is suspended one of a choice of rocket packs, holding 19 x Hydra 70 rockets in the wider tube, or 6 of the more modern Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) in the narrow tube. Each pod has a two-part body, and two end caps with rocket and exhaust details moulded in. If you're using the weapons, you leave the side doors back at base, but if you're depicting one of the less combative options, you'll need to put two glazing panels into each one, then fit them in place open, closed, or anywhere in between. All that's left to do after that is add the main rotor assembly from the top, and the tail butts up to the rear of the fuselage. Now for some paint. Markings There are six options in the box, only two of which are geared for war. There is a good selection of colourful options and we're not just limited to shades of grey, which is nice. From the box you can build one of the following: US Navy UH-1N #158278 US Navy Rescue UH-1N #158272 USMC UH-1N #158549 USAF UH-1N #96640 USAF UH-1N #96645 USMC UH-1N #160178 A quick Google search showed #158549 to be fitted with the stabilising bar as shown in the instructions, but sadly, #160178 was lost in an accident along with her crew when it collided with another aircraft whilst using Night Vision Goggles (NVG) on exercise in Oman in the early 90s, with no pictures readily available. The decals are printed closely together on a medium sized sheet and appear in good register and well-printed. There are a few typos in the smaller stencil decals that probably won't notice, but the "Danger Jet Intake" decals have a typo that may well gain some attention, as it says "intke". It's an oopsie we could have done without, and there's no easy way to fix it. The letters M and P on the tail of the first Marine airframe look like they've got a print issue as they're two-toned, but that's correct, due to the darker grey on the leading edge of the tail. The carrier film is printed closely to the edge of the printing, but a few have a slight lip on the upper edge that may be peculiar to my sample. Conclusion Another Huey from Kitty Hawk, and as usual with their kits, as long as you pay attention, test fit and adjust where necessary, it should build into a nice replica of this important and well-loved helo. I'm currently torn between the attractive red/white rescue bird and one of the Marine aircraft that are loaded for bear. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops
  2. 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
  3. Being first in I claim this STGB in the name of the Colonies! I have been waiting a while for this one to come, a chance to reduce the stash by a miniscule (it’s about to be re-filled) and a chance to add another RAAF beast to the collection and finally to build something I haven’t built before. So enter Eduard’s (Hasegawa) Limited Edition 1/32nd Warhawk P-40N……in a ridiculously huge box!!! There’s no photo’s of that as it was the first thing to go! Now in a smaller box with all the non-required parts removed, takes up way less space. I must say it does look to be beautifully moulded with nice fine details……. ……being a Eduard re-box it comes with some nice basic goodies…… ……plus a ridiculously huge decal sheet as well! Why not just do it in two sheets I don't know, it'd make storing them safely so much easier….. …… and finally being a Limited Edition release it comes with these “extras”, a poster of the cover picture along with an embossed metal plate with raised detail in all the right places!!! Is that it…..nup, it wouldn’t be a trickyrich build without some extras ………. ….Eduard’s love new Zoom series IP and Master Model Gun Barrel & Detail set. Finally the scheme, for me it couldn’t be anything else than a RAAF P-40, we used around 840 of them and they were an incredibly important aircraft for us during the war and played a critical role in some battles. So I’ll be using a lovely set of Ventura Decals for a RAAF P-40N Kittyhawk Mk.VI. The actual aircraft is “Watch my form”, a 79 Squadron P-40N-15 A-29-572 off Noemfoor Island (a tiny island just of West Papua) around late 1944. Here is an extract from the ADF Serials website for this particular aircraft; (this is from the decal sheet......... hmmm I wonder what the "Pink Highlights" are they're talking about!! ) served with 80 Sqn and 78 Sqn; on 10/2/44 received by 80 Sqn from 15 ARDRP; on 13/6/44 received by 78 Sqn from 22 RSU where it had gone for an engine change from 80 Sqn; on 19/8/44 while dodging ack-ack fire over the target the starboard wing struck a tree with P/O Richard Roy Cowley (405834) flying it home without further incident; on 13/9/44 received back at 78 Sqn from 22 RSU; on 8/1/45 it crashed while W/O Geoffrey James Bellamy (432737)was taking off at Wama strip Morotai when it blew out the port tyre and at the time was coded HU-P and had inherited the nose art of "Watch My Form"; on 15/1/45 approval was given to convert to components. I’m looking forward to this one, it should be a nice simple straightforward build for me for a change. One final interesting fact, Flt. Lieutenant Clive Caldwell (formally Group Captain) RAAF was the highest scoring P-40 pilot form any air force, 22 victories, he finished the war on 28.5.
  4. In the recently released test shot pictures from the future 1/48th Kittyhawk Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD/PDS "Foxbat-E" - ref.KH80119 - there was also a two-seat Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PU "Foxbat-C" test shot - ref.KH80136. Source: http://www.themodellingnews.com/2013/08/kittyhawks-48th-scale-foxbat1-seater.html V.P.
  5. I have to say first of all this was one of the nicest models I've built for a while, it really was Hasegawa (Eduard re-box) at their very best. Now the sad bit is that they are (the P-40N) no longer in production and what few that are out there command frightening sums! She was built for the Curtiss P-36/-70/-40 STGB and I thought it would be a slowish build but once started I couldn't help myself. So in little over 2 weeks she was done, a real testament to just how nice this model was and how well she goes together. The only extras were Eduard's new Zoom Instrument Panel and Master Model's Gun Barrel set. The decals were from Ventura and are easily some of the best out there, they were just some nice to use. Thanks for looking and lease enjoy. Model: Eduard 1/32nd Curtiss P-40N Warhawk Paint: Mr Paint Lacquers plus Tamiya & Mr Hobby Acrylics, Model Master Metalizer Lacquer Extras: Eduard Zoom Instrument Panel Master Model P-40E-N detail set Ventura decals – AVG & RAAF P-40M & N’s The build is dedicated to the pilots and ground crew of 78 Squadron RAAF.
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. Hi all, When I was eight, my Dad came home from work with an Airfix Kittyhawk in a blister pack, which we built together that evening. It was bare plastic, decals stuck on any old how, but it was fun. It started me on the model making hobby, and ten years later I built the same kit, but this time painted to the best of my ability at the time just to see how much I'd improved. I still have both of those builds, and the second one is nowhere near as good as I thought it was at the time! 34 years later I decided to try again, in 1/48th scale this time, and here's the result. I did make one absolute howler during construction, which was only discovered when it was too late to do anything about it...I'll keep quiet about it unless anybody spots it. Azure Blue and Mid Stone paints were mixed from Tamiya acrylics, and weathering was achieved with a mixture of washes, pastels, post shading and actual chipping. The roundels and markings were toned down by masking around them and fading them with heavily thinned Deck Tan. It's quite heavily weathered in real life, but it doesn't show up too well in photos. So, here's Neville Duke's Kittyhawk sitting in the African sun after seeing quite a bit of action: Evolution...aged eight, eighteen and fifty two: Hope you like it, Dean
  9. Sukhoi Su-17 M3/M4 Fitter-K 1:48 Kittyhawk The Su-17, with its NATO reporting name Fitter was derived from the earlier Su-7 as a project to improve its low speed handling, particularly during take-off and landing. It was Sukhoi's first attempt at variable geometry wings, and when it reached service was the Soviet Union's first swing-wing aircraft in service. To keep the project costs down, the centre section of the wing remained fixed, with the outer able to swing back for high-speed flight, and forward for slow. A pronounced spine was also added to the rear of the cockpit to carry additional fuel and avionics that were necessary with the advances in aviation. The first airframes reached service in the early 70s, and were soon replaced by more advanced models with the designation M3 and M4, designated Fitter-H and –K respectively by the Allies. The M3 was based on a larger fuselage and had additional weapons options, while the M4 was further developed and was considered to be the pinnacle of the Fitter line with a heavily upgraded avionics suite including improved targeting, navigation, and yet more weapons options, as well as improved engines. A downgraded version of the M4 was marketed as the Su-22M4, and was in production until 1990! Although the Su-17 was withdrawn from Soviet service in the late 1990s, it remained in service much longer in its export guise, where it was used by both Iran and Iraq, Libya and Angola to name but a few, where it had variable success, which likely had as much to do with pilot skill and training as the merits of the airframe. The Kit A new Su-17 model has been needed for a few years now in 1:48, and this is a new tooling from Kittyhawk that dropped onto our radar relatively recently. The previous best kit was getting a bit long in the tooth, and needed plenty of TLC to coax a good model out of it. The box is fairly standard Kittyhawk (KH) fare, with a pair of Su-17s in formation on the lid, and inside, plenty of plastic in their familiar pale grey styrene. The sprues are large, and it appears that their annoying habit of folding sprues over while still warm is dying out slowly, with detail and crispness on the increase. Gone also are the large ejector-pin turrets in every intake, although a few are still there in the engine parts, but won't be seen. The fuselage is split fore-aft, which hopefully means we'll be treated to a two-seat UM in due course, but as always don't hold your breath, just cross your fingers. The usual generosity in terms of weapons and stores is still present, with almost a third of the sprues devoted to things to hang off your finished model, which is always nice to see. Inside the box are nine sprues in light grey styrene, one in clear, a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and two decal sheets, one of which is substantially larger than the other. The instruction booklet completes the package, and first impressions are good – it might even get a build review if I can find the time! Construction begins with the ejection seat, which is nicely detailed with PE belts included, which show a lot more detail than previous efforts from KH, which is good to see. The cockpit is built from a series of parts, including the control column, rudder pedals, side consoles and the instrument panel, the last two of which have decals provided for the instrument details. The coaming and HUD are added to the front of the cockpit, with a clear part forming the HUD glazing. Following this the engine is constructed from quite a number of parts, with only the aft end visible if you left off the aft fuselage section, which is possible although not considered in the instructions. The exhaust nozzle is built from sections and surrounded by a ring, showing the actuators around its circumference, which when painted should give a good impression of the original. The engine and exhaust are then sandwiched between the forward part of the aft fuselage, and the aft part of the aft fuselage (confused yet?) is built up with air-brake bays and added around the exhaust. Jumping around somewhat confusingly, the tail with separate rudder is then made up, followed by the nose gear bay, which is again made from individual panels for extra detail. The gear leg is fitted at this stage, but with some care could be left off until later if you feel it would be safer to do that. The cockpit, nose bay and the intake shock-cone (including clear panel) and then trapped between the forward fuselage halves, and this is mated to the aft section, at which point the avionics spine is added in sections, which overlap the fuselage joints for strength. Detailing the fuselage with a host of small, delicate parts seems a little optimistic to this ham-fisted modeller, but if you fancy your chances, go ahead. There are a number of scabbed-on chaff and flare dispensers down the fuselage sides, which are provided with PE attachment brackets that will require a little bending to put in position, so steel yourself if you're not a big fan of PE. The twin prongs on the nose are also added, the pitot probe having all the usual vanes added from styrene parts that are VERY small, so take care not to lose them. The windscreen fits to the sill around the coaming, and the canopy is designed to be posed open, with a styrene fitment to the rear that mates with the notch behind the cockpit. At this stage of the build your Fitter looks little more than a fancy tube with a wheel at one end and a fin at the other. The wings are built as assemblies next, although I'd be tempted to leave off the gear again for fear of breakage, but the instruction advise otherwise. The main gear legs are single parts with three small ancillary struts, one of which stabilises the large captive bay door that hangs down outboard of the leg. The gear bay roof detail is moulded into the underside of the upper wing, while the walls are added separately, as are the optionally open gun bays in the leading edge of the inner wing section. The outer wings are made up from a single centre section with separate flaps and slats, which then attach to a pin in the outer edge of the inner wing section, held in place after the addition of the lower half. A small bay door, actuator jack for the gear and the aforementioned gun bay doors are added underneath, and above the two large strakes fit into their respective slots. Repeat in a mirror for the other wing, and you're done. The wing roots fit into their slots in the fuselage, where you will also find an inner main bay wall, so remember to paint that when you're doing the rest of the bay, or you'll end up cursing. The elevators are both single parts that fit on a pivoting pin, and with the addition of the inner wing flap sections that's the main build done. As already mentioned, there are a substantial quantity of weapons for the many pylons on the inner wings and belly. The decision to place all the weapons on the static parts of the airframe saved money and weight developing rotating pylon mounts such as those seen on the Panavia Tornado. In the box you get the following: 2 x BETAB-500 iron bombs 2 x OFAB-250-SZN iron bombs 4 x FAB-250-M54 iron bombs 4 x FAB-250-M62 iron bombs 4 x SAB-100 flare 2 x RBK-500-250 cluster bomb 2 x FAB-500-M54 iron bombs 2 x Fuel Tanks 1 x SPS-141 ECM Pod 2 x B-13 122mm rocket pod 4 x F2B-250-TS iron bomb 2 x KH-23 Kerry missile with APU-68 adaptor rail 1 x SPPU-22 23mm gun pod 2 x UBK-23 gun pods 2 x B-8M rocket pods 2 x S-25L rocket 2 x UB-32 rocket pods BATAB-500-ZD bunker buster bomb 2 x S-24 rocket 2 x R-73 Archer A2A missile 2 x R-60 Aphid short-range A2A missile 1 x KKR-1T Recce pod Quite a list! The parts are all well-detailed, with separate fins and nosecones where applicable, exhausts and other parts including further adapter rails all supplied. The decal sheet contains stencils for them all, with a double page giving a complete stencilling and painting guide. Markings There are a generous seven decal options with the kit, all of which is detailed in the centre pages of the instruction booklet, folding out to double size, which although it disrupts the flow of the construction a tad is an improvement on their early kits, as you at least get a full set of profiles from the major angles, and it is all of a reasonable size. These pages are in colour, and you can pull them out of the booklet if you feel the need, which I did a moment ago. From the box you can build one of the following: Su-17M3R 313 ORAP based at Vizavi Bagram, May 1988 – green/earth camouflage over blue undersides wearing red 01. Su-17M4 43rd OMShAE, Black Sea Fleet, Gvardeiskoe Field, Crimea, Jan 1998 - green/earth camouflage over blue undersides, wearing yellow 40. Su-17M4 274th APIB, Afghanistan 1988 - green/earth camouflage over blue undersides, wearing blue 23. Su-17M3 Russian Air Force, red 95 – all over natural metal. Su-17M4R 886th ORAP, 15th VA Afghanistan war - green/earth camouflage over blue undersides, wearing blue 07. Su-17M3 red 50 – green upper over blue undersides. Su-17M4 Ukrainian Air Force – green/earth camouflage over blue undersides, wearing Yellow 50. Previously, Kittyhawk's decals have been of variable quality, but there is an improvement in this sheet, although there is a small mis-registration of the white or red that affects a couple of the decals with borders, but it shouldn't notice too much. Otherwise the other colours are in good register, sharpness is better, as is colour density. The smaller sheet contains the instrument panels and some emblems that required a different printing process. Conclusion A modern tooling of this aircraft, with its aggressive look and wide use, was long overdue and this scale and now it's here. Detail is good from the box, the weapons provided are unbelievably generous in scope and quantity, and improvements to the engineering and finish of the kit appear to have been made. I haven't been over the kit with a fine toothed-comb checking each rivet yet, but I'm sure any inconsistencies will come out in the wash, as no kit made by imperfect beings such as us can be absolutely perfect. The discussion has started already in the Rumourmonger forum for those that are interested here. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops.
  10. I'm currently building the new Special Hobby P-40K and was wondering if the RNZAF and RAAF versions would have used US or RAF type seatbelts? Any suggestions? Thanks Peter
  11. 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.
  12. After the sheer enjoyment of building the old Monogram F9f-5 Panther I thought I'd attempt its younger cousin, the F9F-8 Cougar. The drawback was it was a Kittyhawk kit, which I picked up for half price at Telford last year. After last years tussle with the F-101A, I wasn't expecting an easy ride and I wasn't wrong. The kit can be build as a pure fighter or as a reconnaissance machine. It comes with two types of ejector seat and two instrument panel and no instructions which to use on which option. The panel is pretty straightforward to work out but the seats need a bit of investigation as they changed mid production and then were retro fitted. Also intake splitter plates are provided but the machine I was building didn't have them fitted, again not mentioned and the kit is obviously designed to have them. The kit does need a lot of dry fitting and then a lot of sanding and filling, especially if you want the wings in the flying position. The fuselage is moulded to allow for alternative noses and it took a lot of fettling to get a reasonable fit. I used the kit decals as the only other ones I found were too pricey and had 11 options, n bad thing but if you are only building one...... Finally it needs a heck of a lot of weight in the nose and tip tanks to get it to sit on all three wheels. The decals are actually not bad at all but getting them to conform around the tail was an interesting time. I reckon any decals would have been just as much of a trial. I want to do a Twogar later but I'll go and have a lie down in a darkened room before attempting it. Thanks as always for looking
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Being a big fan of the USAF 'Century Series' jets of the 50's I was delighted when KittyHawk models announced their new 1/48th scale McDonnell F-101A/C Voodoo and 15th July 2014 my kit arrived thanks to the always reliable MJW Models. I started it immediately with lots of enthusiasm but it turned out to be a hard slog for various reasons so now six months later I can report it almost finished. Two have already been featured on BM thanks to Jurek Greinart and Sebastien so I am not the first. As always I am not a 'premier division' scale modeller, I tend to work in fits and starts based on enthusiasm levels for the half dozen models I have on the bench at any one time and I have a low attention span. So, how did she turn out? This kit was a challenge to say the least (more later) but the end result is a large and impressive aircraft dating back to 1960. I chose to build my Voodoo as an F-101A Voodoo serial 54-1446 operated by the 91st TFS / 81st TFW out of Bentwaters in Suffolk, East Anglia. The KittyHawk kit gives the modeller four decals options and initially I was going to go for the showy F-101C serial 56-0007 with very 'hi-vis' yellow markings however I had a painting disaster so I went for the more subdued blue markings. Now pleased that I did. I do have to say that I am proud to have completed this kit, when the first reviews came out I remember that one well known reviewer commented that this Voodoo was 'unbuildable' and, yes, she was a challenge for various reasons but I have built her! The sun came out for a short while this afternoon so I decided to take these photos to show off the Humbrol 27001 Metalcote 'Matt Aluminium' which has gone on well and shows off the Voodoo's unique lines. This build is not quite completed because I have lost the ejection seat! Not sure how I managed that, it must be in a box somewhere, I did consider taking a seat out of a previously built old Monogram F-101B but little point in breaking up that model for one seat. A few visible faults, the nose cone has a very poor demarcation between the black and aluminium, the nose gear is tilted slightly backwards and you can see where the entire nose section forward of the cockpit broke off at late stage in construction! The view from the rear is perhaps a little bit better, one of the strong points of this kit for me are the distinctive afterburner cans which make her look exactly like the earlier F-101A/C models. Several commentators have compared the KittyHawk kit unfavourably with the earlier Revellogram F-101B however the cans in that kit are quite primitive compared to these. One very weak area was the airbrakes, these have to be filled in with large amounts of filler then sanded down and if you are like me and detest filling/sanding this is a serious down for this kit. Please to say that I seemed to have overcome this hurdle fairly well and the airbrakes don't seem to attract too much attention. I understand that AM replacements are available if needed. So, knowing now what I know, would I buy this kit again? Oh yes! Without hesitation. Perverse it might seem but I really had a sense of satisfaction when I put this together - faults and all - and if you look at the build and say 'That's wrong' or 'What were you thinking' I humbly agree, the faults are all mine, but I really got a kick out of tackling this beast. Looking forward to the RF-101C 'Long Bird' later this year, the ultimate Voodoo. I would seriously look at purchasing replacement airbrakes as well as a cockpit detailing set to replace the decals supplied with the kit So my last photo... Now where could I have put that ejection seat? ;-) Michael
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. Mornin' folks Just a thought, well a question to be honest: You may remember that I bought m'self the Kittyhawk Bronco a couple of months back, last week, I started idly cutting a few of the larger parts off the sprue just to check the fit etc, and - I'm being absolutely honest here - without trying to, or meaning to, I found after an hour that I had built three of the major sub-assemblies. Which brings me to this - given that it's definitely NOT a main-stream subject would there be any interest here at Britmodeller for a review-as-I-build type article ??? - Just my thoughts as I bring the thing together, not as any sort of expert, (I'm definitely NOT that), just as an ordinary modeller who happens to like the subject. OK, thassit, over to you. Ian.
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. North American OV-10D Bronco 1:32 KittyHawk History The OV-10 Bronco, a rugged, manoeuvrable, twin-turboprop, multi-mission aircraft, served with the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps (OV-10A). The U.S. Navy also used the OV-10. The Navy squadron VAL-4 "Black Ponies" flew them with much success in the Vietnam War. Internationally, the OV-10 served with the military services of West Germany (OV-10B), Thailand (OV-10C), Venezuela (OV-10E) and Indonesia (OV-10F). Designed and built by North American at Columbus, Ohio, the Bronco complemented the performance requirements between jets and helicopters. Faster and more tactically versatile than helicopters, yet slower and more manoeuvrable than jets, the Bronco utilized tactics not possible with either. The OV-10D night observation system (NOS) featured a unique night observation and target marking system that included forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and laser designator/ranger. With uprated 1040 SHP turboprop engines and fibreglass propellers, NOS provided greater range, improved performance and greater survivability. In military operations, the Bronco's outstanding capability to find and hit battlefield targets close to friendly troops made this an aircraft effective against conventional and guerrilla forces. The effective application of the Bronco's versatility, however, did not end with purely military functions. Civil action applications added significantly to the cost-effectiveness of this economical aircraft. Military applications for which the Bronco was particularly suited include anti-guerrilla operations, helicopter escort, close air support, armed reconnaissance and forward air control. In addition, it could be used for utility missions such as cargo paradrop, delivery of up to six paratroops, medical evacuation, smoke screening and psychological warfare with leaflets and loudspeakers. For peacetime operations, the guns, bomb racks and armour could be removed quickly, and the aircraft became a high-performance STOL utility vehicle. Potential applications included aerial mapping, geological survey, spraying, disaster relief and patrol work. Ruggedness and simplicity of operation were emphasized in the design of the Bronco. The fuselage was mounted under the wing and provided tandem seating for pilot and observer. The canopy design afforded better visibility than that of most helicopters. Each crewman was equipped with an LW-3B ejection seat system, also designed and built at Columbus, which was capable of zero-speed, zero-altitude ejections. Armour protection, a bullet-resistant windshield and self-sealing fuel cells were provided for operations in a hostile environment. Twin engines, dual manual flight controls and rugged and simple construction also contributed to survivability and safety. The OV-10 was equipped with seven external store stations and four 7.62 mm guns installed in the sponsons. A variety of conventional ordnance could be delivered in addition to 2,000 rounds of ammunition. The seven external store stations consisted of four sponson store stations, one centerline station and two external wing stations. Sponson accessibility provided rapid loading of stores and ammunition. The wing stations could carry the LAU-7/A launcher for mounting either rocket packages or missiles. The centerline store station also had the capability of carrying either a 20 mm gun pod or a 150-, 230- or 300-gallon (568-, 871- or 1136-liter) external fuel tank. The Model This is their second new tooling of 1:32 aircraft from KittyHawk and an interesting choice of release it is too. Arriving in a very attractively designed box, with one an artists representation the aircraft in flight over the desert, presumably during the first Gulf War. The box is quite deep and its easy to see why, as on opening it is full of styrene. The kit is contained on eleven large sprues of light grey styrene, with one of clear styrene and a small etched brass sheet and a metal weight to prevent the model being a tail sitter. The main sprues, unlike previous kits are not folded over but adjoined at the centre, one so theres no need to snap them apart before inspecting the parts. Detail looks very refined, with engraved panel lines and raised areas where required. The styrene feels quite soft so take care when removing from the sprues. There is no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips, all the styrene looking very clean indeed. The clear parts are very well protected from damage by being in their own separate cardboard box. Construction of the kit is quite complex as there are a lot of sub assemblies and open panels. In fact it seems like most of the fuselage, including the sponsons have poseable panels. The instruction diagrams are very nicely drawn and clear to read, which is always good. The build begins with the construction of the two ejection seats, each made up of eleven parts, plus the etched seatbelts and lap straps. The cockpit tub is a single piece item, onto which the central bulkhead is fitted, along with the two joysticks, throttle and undercarriage levers. The rear instrument panel is then assembled from its five parts are glued into position, along with the two side console aft of the front cockpit and the lower binnacle in front of the pilots position. The rear bulkhead and ejections seats are then fitted. Beneath the cockpit floor is the nose wheel well, which once it is fitted with the front bulkhead can be glued into place. At this point the instructions call for the nose gear to be fitted. This assembly is made up of the main oleo, moulded with one half of the wheel yoke and the whole axle attached. The two piece wheel/tyre is then slid onto the axle and the other half of the yoke attached. The oleo is then fitted to the main leg attachment and fitted into the wheel well, followed by the retraction jacks and nose wheel bay door. Of course you could leave the nose undercarriage off until after painting. Construction now moves on to the assembly of the NOS sensor housing, which looks like an upside down gun turret. This assembly is made up of six parts and when complete is position into the slot in one half of the fuselage. The rear equipment bay roof is fitted out with black boxes on top, then sandwiched between the fuselage halves along with the cockpit assembly and equipment bay floor. The wing centre section is assembled from a single piece upper section and two lower panels. The poseable flaps, made up of three parts each can then be fitted along with the anti IR unit fitted on top of the upper wing centre section. This assembly is then fitted to the top of the fuselage, whilst eh cockpit is further detailed with the inclusion of the pilots instrument panel, complete with coaming and added control boxes, the windscreen and the two curved post to which the glazing will attach. Something else fitted at this point, but probably best left till later are the fitting of the access steps, unless the modeller is choosing to have them closed up. The sponsons are next in the process, each one assembled from a lower section into which the machine gun bays are fitted along with the machine guns, ammunition tanks and ammunition belts. The upper sponson panels are then fitted, as are the outer tips. The modeller has the option of leaving the gun bay doors off should he wish. The completed sponsons are now fitted to the fuselage, along with the centre pylon, nosewheel bay doors and a host of aerials. The rear equipment bay door comes in two halves which when joined is finished off with the bulkhead with associated equipment moulded on to it. The main overhead canopy section is them fitted out with quite a complex gun/bombsight and fitted to the fuselage, attaching o the wing centre section and the rear edge of the windscreen. Id imagine that construction of the fuselage had to be perfect in order to get this part to fit without any gaps fore and aft, which would be difficult to cure. The nose door above the NOS sensor is also poseable and is constructed from two halves, onto which the hinges and pitot probe are added. If it is to be posed open the there are two gas struts provided. If its going to be close, leave the hinges off. The four access panels of the canopy are to be fitted now along with their gas struts, but again, probably best to leave these till the end of the build. Each of the Two Garrett-AiResearch turboprop engines, may be visible if the access panels are to be left open, as such they are both complete representations of these powerplant. Each engine consists of two halves for eth main casing, ancillary parts, cowling fitment rings, engine bearers, exhaust and gearbox assemblies. The complete engines are then fitted to the engine bulkhead which also has a number of ancillary parts fitted. The main undercarriage assemblies are next, each consisting of two wheel/tyre halves which are fitted to the axle of the single piece main oleo. If should be noted that the oleo is in fact flat , as if the nitrogen has leaked out and is indicative of the fact that the subject from which the model was copied may have been a museum ship. Therefore the main oleo gas strut needs to be cut away and carefully lengthened to give the model the correct attitude. With the main legs altered to suit the retraction actuators are fitted into the main undercarriage bays which consist of the roof, sides plus the front and rear bulkheads. The engine/bulkhead assembly is then fitted to the front of the bays and fitted to one half of the tail booms. Before the booms can be closed up a couple of panels need to be fitted from the inside. When closed up the upper boom aft of the wing trailing edge is fitted, as is the engine intake panel at the front. The booms are then fitted out with the engine oil coolers, main wheel bay doors, blade aerials and propellers, which are each made up of a two piece hub, three separate blades, backplate and spinner. Moving onto the out wings, each is made up of upper and lower panels onto which the two piece ailerons and out flaps are fitted as are the pylons and several etched parts. On the upper wing the modeller has the option of posing the unusual airbrakes extended or retracted, with each blade of the airbrakes being an item of PE. The outer wing assemblies are then fitted their respective tail boom the outer wings/booms are attached to the inner wing sections at the same time the three piece horizontal tailplane is attached between the two vertical tails of the booms, all the while ensuring everything is perpendicular with each other. The Bronco was used in a variety of armed roles and KittyHawk have provided a nice varied selection of weapons in the kit to arm your model. These include:- Two AIM-9L Sidewinders, with optional nose sections to build AIM-9Bs One 260l drop tank Two 130l drop tanks Two four barrelled 5 Zuni rocket pods Two seven barrelled 2.75 rocket pods Two Mk82 500lb Snakeye bombs with slick tails Two Mk82 500lb Snakeye bombs with retarded tails Decals There are two sheets of decals one large and one small. The smaller of the two contains the instrument panel decals as well as propeller manufacturers marks and the footstep lines. The main sheet comes with a set of stencils for one aircraft and markings for the following options:- OV-10D of the US Navy in Field green over light grey scheme OV-10D of the US Marines, VMO-2. Ser No. 55479 in a wrap round two tone grey scheme OV-10D of the US Marines, VMO-2. Ser No. 55468 in two tone tan/brown uppers over grey scheme. The decals look very well printed, with good opacity and colour density, in register and without too much carrier film. Conclusion For some reason Ive always like the odd looking OV-10 and with its elongated nose, the 10D is even odder looking. But for some reason it just look right for the job it was designed for. I have always wanted a kit of one, but never thought one would be released in this scale, so this reviewer is a very happy bunny. I realise that having poseable panels is not to everyones taste, but from the builds Ive seen they dont appear to cause too much trouble should you want them closed. Alternatively with all the open panels it is superdetailers dream. There arent too many colour options around for this version but which ever you choose it will certainly stand out in any collection. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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.
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