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Cobra AH-1G SH 1/72


iwik

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Hi y'all

 

Well, if you want to build a Cobra in Vietnam, you don't have much choice. A nice one that is. Nothing interesting in either 1/48 and 1/32 (yet). So I decided to build the Special Hobby one. And it's a beauty. However, I decided to add the Brengun photoetched parts and the air intake, much more accurate than the kit's. I also added the CMK pilots. At this scale theinterior details are limited, so the addition of pilots will compensate for this.

Unfortunately, these are sculpted for those who want to use drybrushes and washes technics. Angles are very sharp and folds deep. Not my cup of tea. I've done what I could.

 

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You can basically keep your putty in the drawer. All you need is careful sanding and a bit of white glue here and there to fill in some gaps, that's it.

However, to make sanding easier on the bottom of the helo, I decided it best to completly erase the acces panels and redo them in fine plastic card parts.
 

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The fuselage halves assembled with the accurate brengun air intakes.


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I've also started to paint some of the armament.


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I've also bought the brengun resin chin turret, but as an idiot, I closed the fuselage without putting any lead in the nose... So I eneded up using the kit's turret (which is actually just as nice) and fillied it up with as much lead as I could.


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A piece of advice here for those who would want to build this kit; don't glue anything in the cockpit. Everything can be glued in the end and that will prevent any accidents from happening during the many handling of the kit. Like almost losing the dashboard.


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And now the paneling. Such a thrilling moment.....NOT!

I've used as many as 5 OD shades.

 

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I've applied masking fluid with a piece of a sponge ont the edges of the masking tape for each panels prior to painting them over the base color. Once you remove them you get a nice effect of wear. Once the whole kit was done, I've again applied masking fluid along all panel lines and sprayed some OD+black along them. 

 

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The top of the tail has received a layer of very dark grey and different shadings.

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That's it for the moment.

By the way, that's the version I want to do.

 

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Unfortunately, that's the only picture I have of this particular aircraft before its accident (shark teeth applied, and tail rotor on the left side). I have three other pics of Wretched Mildred but after the accident. Moreover, the decals are not very accurate when compared to the picture above. 

If you had any other pics....
Ciao
Iwik

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16 hours ago, neil5208 said:

Good work on a excellent kit but nose weight is not needed.

Hi Neil.

I'm surprised. When I test fitted the skid it was definitely tail heavy....

Ciao

IWik

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Hi y'all! 

 

Almost done here...

Those darn pilot's heads are too big for the canopy to fit... Had to use the kit's...

 

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After I've applied the decals, I let a black oil wash run along the panel lines, except on the tail where I used gray. The tail took a much darker look than when first applied. Oh well...


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Before putting together all the sub assemblies and spraying a matt varnish, I've applied another pin wash of dark brown oil paint along the panel lines around and on the engine acces panels.

Then I've sprayed the exhausts stains on top f the tail.
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Another few bits here and there and I'll be done!
Ciao
Iwik

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Hi y'all!

 

After adding some tiny bits such as different handles, here it is finished at last!

Hope you'll like it.

 

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Thanks for watching and see you soon!
Ciao
Iwik

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  • 2 months later...

I've just tripped over this searching for another thread, pleased I did too, what wee gem. It really is a kit I should have, these were very much a part of our reality when I was a youngster, beamed into our living room every night in news coverage as the Vietnam war was & not surprisingly, these things seems to feature frequently, I guess they made for good visuals. I really do like what you've done with this, very convincing. 👍

Steve.

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Nice build.  I have one of these in the stash.  built the old Monogram kit in 72nd for one of the local museums and did a 90 minute quick build on the on Revell 32nd scale kit back in my teens.

 

ICM just released a really nice 32nd scale kit if you like bigger.

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Iwik, congratulations on the Cobra build. The differing shade of OD look really good. The darker tail looks like a replacement. As you say, 1/48th scale is being ignore. Some kit bashing between the old Monogram S and one of the Fujimi kits might be a way to go.

 

Colin

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  • 1 month later...

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