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+++ Finished!!! +++ Marines attack helicopter AH-1G Cobra, Vietnam 1970 (AZ Model, 1/72)


jrlx

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EDIT:

This was going to be my entry to the Bell Huey GB, back in 2016, but I only managed to start the build after the GB. Shortly after, I stopped working on it and it's been in the shelf of doom till now.

 

Hopefully, I'll manage to finish it now.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Dear fellow modellers,

 

This was intended to be my entry to the Bell Huey GB but I lost my modelling enthusiasm after returning from my summer holidays, back in late September, so I didn't even start a thread in the GB.

 

However, I managed to start the build, though late in October, and have been very slowly working on it since. Below I'm showing the work done till now.

 

To start with, here is the kit and sprues. It's the AZ Model 1/72 "Marines" version and looks good in the sprues, with a good level of detail and nice moulding:

y4me_oAnl7I40qyhcOt2th6EMXfMsxAW9NtyV_PV

IMAG4519

 

There's a small PE fret in the box (on the right in the picture below) but I bought a more complete PE set from Bregun (on the left):

y4mmzLH_6jZTtJ7_k7YGBM2uMZ6M_P7LPfQeIYkh

IMAG4520

 

Here are the decals, which look good:

y4mGeAHydrH15zyWSPHPyX2ot31fun6g75m5Mg8a

IMAG4521

 

The kit provides three versions to choose from, with colour schemes on the back of the box. The top version is a training aircraft, while the other two are operational machines used in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970. I'll do the last one, on the bottom of the colour diagrams, just because it has more decals to apply (why simplify things when we can make them more complicated? :)😞

y4mcROwPmP-P27FdsIg3fAwcNDhy8NnadfpSWvJn

IMAG4522

 

Starting with the build, I removed the main parts off the sprues:

y4mWwTPxe-2IszYT5dDlKiayCkyPM0L3EPo6eJV7

IMAG4524

 

and did a quick dry fit test. Fit seemed to be good:

y4m0A_vkJXdvi38JhXZTr539XQxqSwml_5FXpQ7J

IMAG4525

 

Attention moved, then, to the cockpit base. There are a few PE bits to apply but, first, some raised detail must be removed, as per the PE instructions:

y4mztn9cwRqX4hCRNjN71FJUBwbQ7Baec9f38Oyo

IMAG4526

 

Removal done:

y4mwiyqHLUOGFFRST_jGMp3Jw0EX8FOWJn_cs5J-

IMAG4528

 

The instrument panels also come with raised detail :

y4mIXMlYGIcXHRg7MxjFq5CkgOtjUTjjDMsfTium

IMAG4529

 

which must be removed, in order to later apply PE instrument panels:

y4m6ROJhFmG-5SGdbh4vigy_KpUJ_2ztp_8POXek

IMAG4530

 

Next, the seats where removed off the sprues, cleaned of moulding lines and flash, and glued to toothpicks in order to be painted:

y4mMerqm7DVnVB3ZYGDG6hxMcGet-yGgN30M9hg1

IMAG4531

 

The part that forms the fuselage's underside also has raised detail that must be removed:

y4maXUlp_R478mVyYI7gP4hGin8S2Tqzckp6OBML

IMAG4541

 

turning out like this:

y4m5pzSy2eH_QJIpKjqRchuwlOi1eNL1ISa-U1dY

IMAG4542

 

Next, I glued the pilot's sight to the top of the instrument panel's cowling. It's solid plastic, so I'll try to replace it later by a piece of acetate:

y4mAXsWbq6LADMruNpK2YF_wSXR5Ygt2M3GFcZA9

IMAG4543

 

The pilot's control column was also removed from the sprue, cleaned of moulding lines and glued to a toothpick for painting:

y4mYZWhzKBkyeWmXk-SpgoL_iQMTywri2WOWDlIr

IMAG4544

 

Then, I started with the application of PE bits. First was the adjustable device that existed in the arms officer cockpit (an aiming sight?). It's made up of plastic part 31 and PE part 13, as shown here:

y4m0Mi8aB5HcGDbFB-C8R_z7EBqbistJWxa6vlEx

IMAG4545

 

The PE part must be bent, as per the instructions:

y4m2LTh00m0--CjMzmR7H3745zn_bMwHcaXpPirG

IMAG4546

 

and then glued to the plastic part. Here they are, ready for painting:

y4mfxf64fV5CoVWYpf969dykd6Fg4DC3Z2f1ug6b

IMAG4547

 

PE parts 4 and 5 are used to detail the side panels in the cockpit:

y4mP2ZbOqzWDbiGZuWQAU_5aRfVjNSBbTPWGmRDx

IMAG4548

 

Here they are after bending into shape:

y4mTf8EuwTuTUmSy5o9XOZS9bKm8cc-0pnrgyp-K

IMAG4549

 

Finally, they're glued on the side panels of the cockpit base:

y4mgM4f0eTKMZ50XuuTvbr_6-ZqmdsFTg48Pu2cS

IMAG4550

 

Next, I removed from the sprue and fret the parts that make up the main rotor:

y4m3GJSUxJI7V1dZEJVmeL-x83mw6wwFvjetDYQw

IMAG4551

 

I still have to finish cleaning the moulding lines from the plastic part, before I can glue the PE parts in place.

 

That's all for now. Thanks for looking.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
56 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

Great stuff Jaime

I hope that canopy is nice and clear so we can still see all this detail later on.

Good luck with the build

Cheers Pat

Thanks for the welcome, Pat!

 

While the build stayed in the shelf of doom, I bought a vacform canopy, so it should ensure a good view into the cockpit. I also bought a Master's brass + PE cannon.

 

I hope to resume the build this coming weekend.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

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4 minutes ago, CedB said:

Nice to see this one (and you) back Jaime! :) 

Thank you Ced! I'll be doing my (hopefully) last German Exam on Friday. I should have plenty of time for modelling after that :)

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

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40 minutes ago, CedB said:

Good luck with the exam Jaime - I'm sure you'll do well :)

 

Thanks Ced! I hope so, but it won't be easy 😓

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3 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Good luck Jaime, im not sure if we have any German members in this GB, we could get them to give you some unofficial coaching !

Cheers Pat

Thanks for the best wishes and for the suggestion, Pat. We finished classes last week and now me and my classmates are having almost daily video-meetings for practising.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

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On 24/06/2020 at 12:15, Col. said:

That looks to be a nice kit and the metal parts are giving you some good upgrades Jamie :) 

Thanks Col. :) Hopefully, I'll resume work today.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

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1 hour ago, Hockeyboy76 said:

Great work. Got to love all that PE. 

Thanks! I must confess I'm a bit obssessive with detailing my models, so I always use PE or resin or whatever is available to improve detail.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello,

 

I've resumed working on this build.

 

As I said elsewhere, while the build was stored away on the shelf of doom, I've bought Master's brass gun for Cobras. However this gun is for later versions and won't be used with this kit. Now I have a good excuse to buy Dream Model's AH-1Z Viper :)

 

I also bought a vacform canopy for this specific kit:

y4mP-DTjeNF6-Xl2I40rDxQ8scoDlrWia7fybhFD

IMAG6829

 

To start with, I cleaned the moulding marks from the main rotor shaft and cut the plastic piece which served as head-up display:

y4m5Za5gva9W6uS8kSJytlQcVn45d822cibZTSIH

IMAG6831

 

The HUD will be replaced by piece C of this acetate sheet, where instrument panels are also shown:

y4mzO2Pj40jk1ng36Pec8WzpCT0XGhScl4fLX29H

IMAG6832

 

The backs of the instrument panels were painted flat white.

 

Some additional work was needed in the cockpit. The pedals are replaced by PE parts nº 27:

y4mMfBhEFSoO1do0QnpTxrUIe1383cHvey9NClhD

IMAG6834

 

Here they are, glued in place:

y4mYCs4EboiT-KIQzePiCw05OJCxrdKrY6u6MFNz

IMAG6835

 

PE part nº 11 is to be glued inside the canopy but must be bent to shape before installation:

y4mNT3SS39gwvvm4OJbk9yMwi6k0AGodTXyLsmbA

IMAG6836

 

Final shape, ready for painting:

y4m_t2pJ8KbIsAUaJtlWSamE68SAxDRrS7DT_aae

IMAG6837

 

A lever for the pilot station must be scratch built. The instructions suggest using stretched sprue but I used plasticard rods. The diameters suggested in the instructions seem to be out of scale (1,5 mm and 1,0 mm diameter). My first attempt used 1,0 mm and 0,66 mm but it also looked out of scale. So, I used 0,75 mm and 0,5 mm for my second attempt. The picture below shows the instructions and the two attempts glued to a toothpick, ready for painting:

y4m5yW1za3itZCfUd_ZzvTGfkVSOUZHzqutzuk8y

IMAG6844

 

The insides of the pod parts were painted black:

y4m8WNvAOr4ICxrbYEcEYEsqfdaVjqKd1wiPxTge

IMAG6833

 

The paint was allowed to dry for a few days and, then, the pods parts were glued together:

y4mY9X-Q9LECxGYOVfm57sxOi3lYul2Iuqs3PxRS

IMAG6845

 

Clean up of the seams and some filler will be needed.

 

There is a PE part to apply to the bottom of the cannon turret:

y4mDVUef5z26p3d90df7wGpmRAEMLQPD3kAXAqow

IMAG6842

 

The PE part was glued in place:

y4mn5lg51rwF3867ZnUbRsgE1NYS9--Xy6mUGQWl

IMAG6842

 

The openings on the bottom of the turret were made:

y4mCi2-0rbS4SoFsvMxSrYfcfnRRkylTsZAppuAt

IMAG6847

 

There are some grids to install on openings around the engine. I chose to use the PE parts that came with the kit, instead of the same parts from the Brengun fret, because the grids are actually perforated:

y4mz1qcGw_Dh-E2qt0-iz8PexRwNAx_Ziv9LWM38

IMAG6838

 

Here the grids are glued in place

y4mNaa4vJ9se10oI1bTfzsdadcKnwPnyRl_f7rIx

IMAG6839

 

That's all for now. Thanks for looking.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Great stuff Jaime

 

Can i ask what you use for folding your PE into shape ?

 

Cheers Pat 

Thank you very much Pat!

 

I'm using these tools for folding PE:

y4mhVv9rwZqlHZdxAMoSeIrvaVGEbOJuDIs5Yl5V

IMAG2578

 

The PE parts are held by the "fingers" of the PE-holder and the shaving blade-like piece is used to fold the PE parts.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

 

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Hi Pat - this had me looking too; I needed a smaller bend for my 1/72 Hurricane recently.

 

There's an old thread on them here:

 

These things are not cheap.

I have the Master Tools bug and it's pretty good - like this one for about £30.

I also have Radu's Flip-R5 which I'd forgotten about (rats) which, for €15 might do if you don't do much bending of big stuff.

 

Jaime linked to his tools in his Do-17 thread but the bender link's broken now. 

I think it's the Small Model Shop 5-5-5 and they have stock here at £75. Yikes.

 

HTH

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6 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

That looks the business can you tell me who makes it and where i could get one please.

Hi Pat,

 

Sorry for not providing the link right away. @CedB provided the updated link to the bender I have. It is expensive but I believe it's worth the price. The quality of the tool is very high and it's made of solid machined metal.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

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