The alternative Apache. Bell YAH-63

[Jabba]

For this GB I will be using the Anigrand kit to make the Bell YAH-63, which was the helicopter that lost out to the AH-64 Apache. The YAH-63 was largely base on the earlier King Cobra. In accordance with the Army's specifications, the YAH-63 was powered by the same engines and carried the same armaments as those used by the competing YAH-64. The first prototype made its first flight in 1975, but crashed during test the following year. The aircraft was repaired and along with the second prototype, enterred the fly off against the YAH-64. As the Army did not want to divert Bell AH-1 Cobra production, the YAH-64 was selected as the winning Advanced Attack Helicopter design. In 1976, both YAH-63 prototypes were returned to Bell.

 

I also have a spare Apache kit which I may be borrowing a few bits and bobs from.

 

The kit box.

 

The main parts.

 

The canopy and decals.

 

The instructions and colour scheme.

 

[81-er]

Great to have you joining us, Mark, and with an interesting subject  I think this might be the first resin kit in the GB too

 

James

[jackroadkill]

Very cool indeed!

[Celestialsphere]

I'm looking forward to your build. Will you be using the resin undercarriage legs? 

[Jabba]

At the moment yes, but I have not really had a proper look at these yet.

[Stick]

That's a large rotor surface, this will look good. 👍

Stick

[stevej60]

Very "Hokum" like Mark should be an interesting build, I was thinking of the Commanche for later in the GB there's a kit in the stash.

[Jabba]

   Thanks all for your faith in me. After sorting out a few things with the parts, putting related ones into bags I have stared on the cockpit. Although I have goggled this a few times I did not get any real pictures of the insides. So knowing that the pilot sat in the front with the gunner in the rear I have used the decals from the spare Apache kit that I had and placed the appropriate ones in those areas. I know that it is not really right, but it is at least something rather than nothing. The seats have also been painted and I will fit some belts to these before fitting to the cockpit floor. I have also been doing some trial fittings of the fuselage halves and the engine covers and so far all seem reasonable.

 

 

 

[81-er]

It's a good start, and those decals definitely look better than having nothing there. I also think it's highly unlikely you'll encounter an expert on the cockpit of that particular helicopter to point out it's not right

 

James

[CliffB]

Another interesting subject for the Group Build (aren't they all ?).

It's great too, that we're seeing several non-mainstream kit manufacturers being represented - I guess that's an inevitable consequence!

 

Cheers

[Jabba]

Thanks again all.

 

          Last night I managed to finish off the cockpit and then fitted it to one fuselage half. I then offered up the other fuselage half and with a bit of superglue it was fitted. I thought that I had lined up the front parts of the fuselage, but unfortunately I did not get it quite right and although I did try to adjust this area it would not budge. Hopefully filler will sort this out. Oh the wonders of super glue in that you can get parts stuck togethr quickly, but do make sure that you get it right even with slower setting stuff. A bit of filling and sanding now before I start fitting the engines and a few other parts.

 

 

 

 

[81-er]

Have you got any debonder? it might take a couple of goes, but it should loosen up the joint enough to juggle the alignment and save you some filler

 

James

[Jabba]

Unfortunately I do not have any, so I will be going with filler. Hopefully I will not run into undersurface air bubbles.

[Jabba]

After sanding the fuselage, I have added a few moree bits. These include the engines, stub wings and the fin. All have also been filled and sanded down, well watered down with a cotton bud. I have also noticed how chunky the stub wings are and also the strange angle that they sit at.

 

 

 

[Stick]

Very shark-like in its current form.

Looking good 👍🏻

Stick

[81-er]

It's really starting to look like the picture on the box now  And very shark-like

 

James

[Jabba]

I had not seen the shark thing until you both mentioned it, but now I can really see it especially when the fin has been added. Anyhow a few more parts have been added, but I will leave thw gun turret off until late as I may be able to squeeze some weight in there if required. I will have to tackle the canopy soon as I this needs to be add this before I start painting.

 

 

 

 

[81-er]

She's coming along nicely

 

James

[jackroadkill]

Some great progress there.  I think it looks very smart.

[Marklo]

Great progress. When will they realise that if they’re given an odd designation they’re not going to win, I mean YF17, YF23….

[81-er]

17 hours ago, Marklo said:

Great progress. When will hey realise that if they’re given an odd designation they’re not going to win, I mean YF17, YF23….

Maybe because the F-15, F-101, F-105, F-111, F-117, A-7 etc all made it?  

 

James

[Marklo]

1 hour ago, 81-er said:

Maybe because the F-15, F-101, F-105, F-111, F-117, A-7 etc all made it?

Ah well it was a specious argument anyway 😀

[Jabba]

On 07/08/2024 at 21:51, 81-er said:

Maybe because the F-15, F-101, F-105, F-111, F-117, A-7 etc all made it?  

 

But those ones were not in a competition unlike the ones that @Marklo mentioned, plus you can add to that the A-9 which lost out to the A-10. 

 

Anyhow I have got the canopy cut out so that it fits reasonably, but I think is a little too narrow at tha bottom edge. Whichevrer way I fit it the other side is short of the fuselage edge. I am at a bit of a loss as to now to fit it. I am thinking of gluing it all around apart from the offending edge and then glue that. But what to use as glue? I am afraid of using super glue due to fogging issues and obviously I would be unable to use liquid poly as it is a resin kit. Any suggestions?

 

I was also thinking of cutting up the strut of the offending edge and then pulling that side out and gluing, then back filling the gap with some Kristal Klear or something similar.

 

 

 

[Marklo]

2 hours ago, Jabba said:

But what to use as glue? I am afraid of using super glue due to fogging issues and obviously I would be unable to use liquid poly as it is a resin kit. Any suggestions?

For canopies regardless of materials I stick to ( no pun intended) Kristal Klear. You could try CA but you need to be very careful where you apply it.

[81-er]

That's a really frustrating problem. I'd go with Kristal Klear or another PVA-type adhesive. As for making it fit, could you cut the front panel out and then make another from clear sheet once the rest of the canopy is firmly glued & set in the correct place? Pictures of the real thing seem to show quite a ridge in the framing, I'm guessing for a thicker armoured front screen?

 

James