PK-9 BELL HUEYCOBRA - Is Nostalgia what it used to be? - DerekD --- finished

[Derek D.]

This is a 1973 Kit and was in the first batch of kits released by Matchbox. It was probably the 2nd or third Matchbox kit I bought, I'm sure the first was the Zero. Less than a 100 yards from where I lived there was a row of neighborhood shops. Supermarkets as we know them were a new concept and the range of local shops included drapers, hardware, grocery, pharmacy and newsagent. The local newsagent was also the sweetshop, toy shop and tobacconist. We had two locally and one of them, Martins, had the ubiquitous spinning rack of Airfix and Frog Baggies, Behind the glass counter were the Airfix boxed kits. One Friday myself and my cousin who lived locally, headed to Martins to spend our two weeks pocket money (2 shillings which had recently become 10p but was always called a florin here in Ireland). This was a little more than we needed for a baggie and the shopkeeper wanting to get all our money showed us this new range of product from Matchbox, which was in coloured plastic and only moderately more expensive than Airfix baggies and it was in a box.... we were hooked. The biggest drawback was that there was only a very limited range and we quickly ran out of choices over the following month. We still built Airfix but Matchbox became a big part of those years. 

When I dabbled again in kit building in the early to mid 90s the whole industry was in decline due to the developments in computer games. I bought a lot more than I built back then and managed to accumulate a few Matchbox along the way.

 

The kit

plastic in great condition, not confident about decals, canopy will be dipped in Gauzy glass agent.

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Derek D.
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[Derek D.]

a quick start

I don't normally bother these days but I've painted the "little men" as my wife calls them. About as good as I can paint little men these days, luckily I collected the new prescription

specs this morning....    

 

The point of 2 colour plastic is moot when you prime everything in black. Mig Ammo One Shot.

 

 

I was going to use some cockpit  parts from an Italeri Super Cobra kit that I have in the stash which is missing its clear parts but decided to build as Matchbox and the Modelling gods intended.

 

 

[Ned]

Your little men look a lot more burly than my spindly little RAF fellows. I am jealous.

[JOCKNEY]

Great start Derek

It just wouldn't be right without a cobra represented.

Best of Luck.

Cheers Pat

[Rob G]

3 hours ago, Ned said:

Your little men look a lot more burly than my spindly little RAF fellows.

 

Well... 'Murrica, innit. 

[Rabbit Leader]

4 hours ago, Ned said:

Your little men look a lot more burly than my spindly little RAF fellows. I am jealous.

 

That's because the Yanks can afford Chocolate! 

[Rabbit Leader]

Great intro Derek and we are sincerely delighted to have the Matchbox Cobra in this mammoth GB. I don't recall seeing this kit built the last time around, so it's great to see PK-9 represented here.  Nice start so far. 

Cheers, welcome aboard and best of luck.. Dave 

[Derek D.]

Don't know why I haven't done more of my Matchbox stash, this is going together better than my "classic" Airfix efforts.

 

Cant remember whether this has a tendency to rock towards the tail or not so a little liquid gravity to put some weight over the skids secured with some PVA glue.

 

 

Sides attached and clamped, a little Revell Contacta used as wasn't sure ET would hold.

Seams look OK.

 

 

I recall when I first built this as a kid, I couldn't believe it was a real helicopter when I saw how narrow it was...

This photo shows it needs a bit of work on the cowling!!!!

 

 

Winglets and tail attached, canopy masked. 

Will leave everything to set fully before applying some paint.

 

Speaking of paint. I need to decide whether to go with the Matchbox Green or Tan scheme or to apply the 3 colour Viet Nam camo of Tan, Dark Green and Olive Drab.

 

Derek

[Wings unlevel]

1 hour ago, Derek D. said:

Speaking of paint. I need to decide whether to go with the Matchbox Green or Tan scheme or to apply the 3 colour Viet Nam camo of Tan, Dark Green and Olive Drab.

It looks the business in black - any decs available for the Red Bull Cobra?! 🤭

[Derek D.]

A coat of black primer for the canopy frames, filler requirement exposed

 

 

 

a clean up and sand followed by a cot of AK IAF Dark Tan with some white added, This is for  the marines version of the kit. Having Airbrush problems....bubbling followed by splatter and jamming...been an ongoing issue for a few weeks with my H&S Evolution, I've stripped and cleaned it over and over, I think the nozzle is done for.

 

 

The lighter colour exposed more filling requirements. I have completed this and left it to settle overnight.

[klr]

On 1/12/2022 at 8:27 PM, Derek D. said:

Don't know why I haven't done more of my Matchbox stash, this is going together better than my "classic" Airfix efforts.

 

Cant remember whether this has a tendency to rock towards the tail or not so a little liquid gravity to put some weight over the skids secured with some PVA glue.

 

 

Sides attached and clamped, a little Revell Contacta used as wasn't sure ET would hold.

Seams look OK.

 

 

I recall when I first built this as a kid, I couldn't believe it was a real helicopter when I saw how narrow it was...

This photo shows it needs a bit of work on the cowling!!!!

 

 

Winglets and tail attached, canopy masked. 

Will leave everything to set fully before applying some paint.

 

Speaking of paint. I need to decide whether to go with the Matchbox Green or Tan scheme or to apply the 3 colour Viet Nam camo of Tan, Dark Green and Olive Drab.

 

Derek

I didn't realise the Cobra had sported the 3-colour SE Asia scheme, but a quick Google reveals all. I also have this kit in my stash, and the 3-colour scheme looks very tempting, especially as I have an Italeri USMC Sea Cobra lined up for the Bomber and ground attack GB, albeit with a different 3-colour scheme. So I may yet add PK-9 to my build list, but not for a while.

 

[Derek D.]

I have been toying with the idea of the 3 colour finish but I think ill go with the original options for nostalgia sake. Ill get the AZ or other kit for a more adventurous finish.

Another dusting of my TAN mix, using a cheap Chinese Airbrush due to my H&S issues. Happy enough with the outcome.

Went with green for the rotor blade as this seems to be what the instructions indicate and the weapons also as I think it will look good against the overall tan.

Just needs a coat of varnish, decals and assembly of the bits... maybe a light panel wash to bring out some detail.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Derek D.

[Derek D.]

Applied a coat of gloss varnish (Vallejo) and time for decals. I wanted to use the least number possible from the sheet as I didn't know how it would behave. I needed the Marines decal and if possible the serial. The intention was to use insignia from an aftermarket sheet. I painted the markings for the rotors.

 

 

As it transpired the decals worked OK and I could not put my hand on the aftermarket sheet so I went ahead with insignis on the sheet and they went on well.

I used plenty of micro sol and set. 

 

 

After 24 Hour I gave it another coat of varnish and when it was dry started looking at how to give it some depth. I didn't wan to overly wear or weather. I lightly  applied Tamiya weathering master silver to some panels, around the intakes and exhaust. As the panel lines are over exaggerated i didn't want to go mad with pin washes or panel liners

I attached the skids and remembered issues in the past with this as the positioning and levelling of the skids is very vague. I thought I had them level but when i came back the next day they were uneven. I removed one carefully and refitted with the aid of superglue. Fit the weapons, another coat of varnish. Remove the canopy masking to reveal other problems!!!

 

Adding the rotor is a difficult task as the main support is too big for the receiving hole and not very strong in supporting the rotors. The pin provided for the tail rotor is unusable so I cut a metal pin to link this to the tail. Clean up the canopy as much as possible..... and call it done. 

 

Looks better to the eye than in the photos taken with a Galaxy s21..... as someone remarked in another forum today...close up photography isnt good for the moddeling ego...

Built in the spirit of those early days of Matchbox when green was green and tan was whatever you thought it was, with no regard for FS, BS or RLM....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rabbit Leader]

That’s come up very well Derek and so good to see a Matchbox Cobra finally built. You don’t see many these days, so it’s always nice to have another look at one of these classic kits. Don’t worry about the close up photographs, our kits always look better to the naked eye and even better when you get older and your eyes deteriorate further (hence why I keep putting off that eye test!). 
 

Cheers and well modelled.. Dave 
 

 

[Rob G]

This was the kit that ignited my love for HueyCobras (blah to your ugly Apaches!) way back in the late 70s. When I did mine I didn't paint it (couldn't afford paint) but I was as proud of it as it was possible to be. I keep trying to find another at a reasonable price, but no go so far - it'll come though. 

 

Well done that man! Nice to see an early Cobra all gussied up.