AH-56 Cheyenne Heavy Attack/Recon Helicopter

[CMSCHLOM]

Hello everyone, since I have been locked down for another month, due to COVID-19, I have been reducing my back log of kits that I wanted to build.  This effort was the old AH-56 resurrected by Atlantis Models who acquired the molds from Revell-Monogram, who acquired them from Aurora.  This was a lot of fun!  But for the exception of new decals, the kit is the same from 1967.  So lots of scratch building, new cockpit with some old photo etch, new weapons lay out including a new 30mm gun and turret, 7.62 Cal minigun, 500 lbs. Snakeye bombs and 19 shot 2.75 inch rockets and pods.  This bird had a lot of stenciling, so into the decal spares box I went.  In real life, this was the best Army Aircraft the US Army never bought.  Mainly due to cost overruns and extreme political pressure from The USAF, the project died in 1972.  This bird gave birth to the AH-64 Apache, however.  The USAF felt this compound helicopter was getting too close to a fix winged attack aircraft.  

 

On to the pics! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by CMSCHLOM

[Parabat]

Very, very nice. I've always been fascinated by this heli and you've done a great job.

[CMSCHLOM]

Me too!  Closest the Army came to having its own "A-10."

[Unfinished project]

Love it. Superb build of my favourite helicopter of all time. Thank you 👏👏👏

[Ad-4N]

Superb!!!  I gotta build one of those.  I had one back in 1970 or so.  

[CMSCHLOM]

1 minute ago, Ad-4N said:

Superb!!!  I gotta build one of those.  I had one back in 1970 or so.  

For a few dollars, its well worth it!

[TheyJammedKenny!]

That's a fine, fine finish.  How well did it go together?  It looks like the real thing was an incredibly complicated beast and maintenance nightmare.  RE: the USAF--Darn Key West Agreement!  You did the Cheyenne justice!  A.

[SAT69]

You took an old kit and made something truly awesome out of it! Inspirational, to be sure!

[CMSCHLOM]

1 hour ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

That's a fine, fine finish.  How well did it go together?  It looks like the real thing was an incredibly complicated beast and maintenance nightmare.  RE: the USAF--Darn Key West Agreement!  You did the Cheyenne justice!  A.

It went together really well, no surprises.  It was designed to be built and flown in an afternoon! 

 

I actually have a Pilots Operators manual, 662 pages.  But once they worked the bugs out, it was simple to maintain in the field and carried a huge punch!  Why the USAF wanted to put the kabash on the whole project.  USAF is always ruining our fun!

Edited April 28, 2020 by CMSCHLOM

[DJJunis]

That turned out very nice. Thanks for sharing!

 

All the Best!

Don

[Space Ranger]

Excellent!

[PhantomLover]

Very cool build!

[Alan P]

Very fine finish on an old kit. Looks very sharp indeed. 

 

Interesting design and fascinating aircraft, many revolutionary features ahead of their time. Sadly was Lockheed's last foray into rotary wing. 

 

Well done all round 👏👏👏

[F-32]

A classic, great job!

[CMSCHLOM]

10 hours ago, Alan P said:

Very fine finish on an old kit. Looks very sharp indeed. 

 

Interesting design and fascinating aircraft, many revolutionary features ahead of their time. Sadly was Lockheed's last foray into rotary wing. 

 

Well done all round 👏👏👏

It was considered the father of the AH-64 Apache.  Now, Lockheed Martin is coming up with another compound helicopter to replace the Apache and Blackhawk, called the RAIDER.  I think the Cheyenne was more attractive.

 

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/s-97-raider-helicopter.html   

[whiskey]

Probably one of the cleanest builds of this model I've ever seen. My dad was a Cobra pilot in the 70's and worked with the Comanche program in the mid 90's so I heard a lot about the Cheyenne while growing up. He always had great things to say about it and even to this day is bitter about the Pentagon's decision to scrap it in favor of the Apache. I really like what you did here with the weapons configuration and improved cockpit pieces. Well done.

 

Would really be something if we ever saw this aircraft in 1/48.

Edited April 28, 2020 by whiskey

[CMSCHLOM]

6 minutes ago, whiskey said:

Probably one of the cleanest builds of this model I've ever seen. My dad was a Cobra pilot in the 70's and worked with the Comanche program in the mid 90's so I heard a lot about the Cheyenne while growing up. He always had great things to say about it and even to this day is bitter about the Pentagon's decision to scrap it in favor of the Apache. I really like what you did here with the weapons configuration and improved cockpit pieces. Well done.

 

Would really be something if we ever saw this aircraft in 1/48.

Thank You! Your dad sounds like a true man among men!  I was a Huey pilot for a good chunk of my Army career.  The AH-56 is a fantastic aircraft, kind of like the Army's A-10.  The USAF just couldn't handle that.  Now Lockheed Martin is building the Raider, another compound helo.  Lets hope they do well.  Your dad my like this link:

 

 

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/s-97-raider-helicopter.html

[SpeedyGonzales]

Beautiful model of a beautiful machine.

[whiskey]

4 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

Thank You! Your dad sounds like a true man among men!  I was a Huey pilot for a good chunk of my Army career.  The AH-56 is a fantastic aircraft, kind of like the Army's A-10.  The USAF just couldn't handle that.  Now Lockheed Martin is building the Raider, another compound helo.  Lets hope they do well.  Your dad my like this link:

 

 

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/s-97-raider-helicopter.html

 

Huey and Cobra pilots are not really different in my perspective and I am sure you had more than your share of fun in them! Thank you for your service.

 

I got to tag a ride or two as a kid when he would be flying slicks out of Hood during his stint there. Never got a chance fly in a Cobra. Hopefully that'll change with these ones on the airshow circuits.

 

And your're absolutely right about the AH-56, it really wasn't the AH-64 that killed it. The A-10 program and the brass at the USAF did it in. Fixed wing, super fast, stepping in their territory (even thought the Army flew fixed wing aircraft the whole time), etc. etc. The blunders of the past always seem to outlive those who made the decisions. Now the USAF wants to get rid of the A-10. My, my, how karma has come back around. What I don't understand is why hasn't the USAF chimed in on the S-97 Raider already since it's almost a contemporary version of the Cheyenne? So many questions and head scratching. It'll never end.

 

BTW if you ever want to build a 1/48 AH-1F, check out Floyd Werner's company Werner's Wings. The decal sheet he has for Cobra's has a few that my dad flew in or commanded during the first Gulf War.

[adey m]

I have always wanted to see one of these helicopters built up, you have done a superb job on it and beautifully photographed too.

 

A fantastic build.

 

regards, adey

[CMSCHLOM]

8 hours ago, adey m said:

I have always wanted to see one of these helicopters built up, you have done a superb job on it and beautifully photographed too.

 

A fantastic build.

 

regards, adey

Thanks Adey!

[bryanm]

Great to see one of these built - a forgotten kit of a forgotten helo.  I had one for years but never made it and guess I must have sold or swapped it.  There's a series running on Smithsonian at present called 'Aviation Warriors' and one of the episodes has some period footage of the Cheyenne with a section on the story, but I can't remember if it's the one about the A-10 or the one that covers several attack helos including the Apache - probably the latter but they're all worth looking out for.

 

 

[CMSCHLOM]

These were/are great references.