Author Topic: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)  (Read 3805 times)

Offline kitnut617

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AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« on: January 07, 2019, 04:39:15 AM »
I decided to take a short break from my AV-22 project and just build something OOB. This kit was at hand, mainly because it's camo scheme I'm thinking of using it on the AV-22, but also having looked at the plastic a fair few times, decided that it looked simple enough, small part count and something that I could build quickly.

I started it Jan 1st 2019, and now all I have to do is apply the decals, so here's a few pics of it as it is now.

This is the Italeri 1/72 kit of the AH-1W. Once the decals are on I'll take photos of it outside in the sun. I'm wondering if anyone can spot the "well, almost" part I've done -- hint - it's very plain to see and it's not whiffed.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 04:41:12 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline Kerick

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2019, 06:23:55 AM »
Nice work!!
Did you paint it by hand?

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2019, 06:26:46 AM »
Thanks kerick, yep, painted with a hairy stick using Humbrol enamels of the equivalent FS numbers that the instruction sheet calls out. I did use ModelMaster metal paints for the exhaust though, Jet Exhaust on the outside and Burnt Metal for the inside.

« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 06:48:49 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2019, 06:49:03 AM »
This is my first AH-1 I've built but I do have another four (or was that five) other versions to build.

Offline FAAMAN

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2019, 06:53:16 AM »
Nice Cobra  :smiley:  is the 'almost OOB the full pitch on the main rotors ?
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Offline Old Wombat

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2019, 07:26:21 AM »
Very nice build! :smiley: 8)

(But, then, I am a Cobra fan. ;))


I'm thinking you added the rotor pitch rods, which probably weren't in the kit.
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2019, 07:50:20 AM »
Thanks guys - and you rumbled me. The Italeri kit (and Revell boxing of it) has a dead flat pitch to the rotor (top pic which is of someone elses build) and it just didn't look right at all for a static posed model. The rotor pitch rods were included in the kit mast part although they were removed for the conversion then glued back afterwards. The rotor hub and blades are all in one in this kit.

I had to do some careful cutting of the rotor mast and hub, then lots of very small hole drilling and pinning to correct it. Now it looks like all the photos I was looking at for references. I gave the tail rotor the same treatment although I had to fore go the pinning part (way to small)
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 07:59:18 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2019, 08:35:50 AM »
Awesome build Robert!

And these helos's take up so little shelf space you could build 100's.
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Offline finsrin

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2019, 09:02:36 AM »
Congrats mastering blade pitch redo.  Result is realistic.  :smiley:
Sense so much is waiting to go wrong doing that mod.

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2019, 09:58:12 AM »
Work in progress ::

I am giving up listing them. They all end up on the shelf of procrastination anyways.

User and abuser of Bothans...

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2019, 10:23:09 PM »
Thanks Bill, Carl ---

The easiest way would have been just to shorten the pitch pushrods and then twist the blades, but I did it the harder way. I had already glued the blades/hub to the mast which is when things started to look weird (especially after viewing photos because I wasn't sure of some of the colours the instruction sheet was calling out). I carefully removed the pushrods first making sure they didn't get eaten by the carpet monster, then I moved the swash plate down by removing about 2.5mm of mast below where Italeri have placed the swash plate, then drilling holes and pinning the bits together again. I then glued the small piece of mast I had cut out, to the top of the mast and then added a bit of round styrene to the top of that. I had done three cuts with the razor saw to get it this far, and the little bit of extra styrene is to replace the gaps that the saw blade makes. This was then all drilled and pinned leaving enough pin showing to add the hub afterwards. I glued the pushrods back on and noticed that the tops of the pushrods were level with the top of the revised mast, so using this as a reference to set the blades at their new pitch.  I cut the blades off the hub where they rotate in real life, then drilled and pinned. Then glued the blades back on so the bottom of the hub and the bottoms of the pitch levers were all level (and making sure the blades were in line with each other).  Gluing the blade assembly back on was just a matter of lining up the pitch lever ends with the pitch pushrods and waiting for the superglue to dry.

I've got two other Italeri kits that will need the same done to them from what I can remember of them. I'm not sure about the Hobbycraft, Fujimi and Hasegawa kits, can't remember what the parts look like on them at the moment, I'm going to dig out all the other AH-1's I have and have a look at them all, if they're as easy as this Whiskey to build I may just start a little production line up  ;D
« Last Edit: January 07, 2019, 10:26:14 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #11 on: January 08, 2019, 05:17:03 AM »
Correction to the above post, I've got one more Italeri AH-1, the 'Tango'.  But in my defense, the Fujimi  'Juliet' and Hobbycraft 'Zulu" are very similar on how they go together, just like the Italeri. However the Hobbycraft 'Golf' is entirely different and more like how the Hasegawa 'Sierra' parts come.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2019, 08:13:56 AM »
Spent a short while putting the decals on (they're a bit minimal in quantity though), and then I got all the bits out of all the other AH-1's I've got to do a comparison.

One thing I won't be building is the Hobbycraft Zulu kit, sometime ago someone had mentioned that the tail boom was a bit short and some other things that were wrong with the kit, but after matching parts up, my opinion is it's not 1/72 scale at all because nothing lines up with the Tango and it's all smaller. I think it's closer to 1/75 (or even 1/76), which is a lot like their Avro Arrow kit.  I'm not sure it's a Hobbycraft mastered kit either, I think it might be the Kitech kit reboxed ('course, that could be the other way around too)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2019, 06:29:27 AM »
Well it's all done, just need a bit of sun and I'll get the finished photos taken.  That started the year off good --- now I just need to keep it going with some other builds.

Back to the Hobbycraft Zulu I've got, I was reading an article where someone has used the rotor from the Kitech kit to make a 1/72 UH-1Y, and I think it is the rebox of the Hobbycraft kit, because the box art for each kit is remarkably the same. Well I've just assembled the rotor and measured the diameter using the 1/72 scale I have and it is 42'-0" and in inches it's 7 1/32". But in the wiki article on the Zulu, it says the rotor diameter is 48'-0". Converting that, it would appear the kit is actually 1/82 scale.

A question now, does anyone have a good 3-View drawing of the Zulu. Or know where I can get one so I can check.

« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 07:19:19 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2019, 07:22:07 AM »
I found a nice png file that I could calculate from. The Hobbycraft kit parts are virtually useless to use in any 1/72 kit of an AH-1 to make a Zulu.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2019, 12:41:46 AM »
Still waiting for a lot of sun but here's a couple of it finished from inside the house.  Last pic is of it next to my CH-151 Thunderbird

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #16 on: January 14, 2019, 07:36:21 AM »
Remember the Thunderbird from way back when.  :-* Loved the chocolate chip camo then. Still do.

Interesting bit about the Hobbycraft Zulu. Confirms my suspicions. Opened the kit and thought it was a bit on the small side.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2019, 08:30:06 AM by ChernayaAkula »
Cheers,
Moritz

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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #17 on: January 14, 2019, 08:50:24 AM »
Great stuff Robert and your paintwork as always is simply masterful.

Brian da Basher

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #18 on: January 14, 2019, 08:55:11 AM »
Thanks guys ---

This is the first time in a long while that I've actually finished off a model in a flat finish, most of mine are either satin or glossy. I used Humbrol clear flat but I had thinned it out almost 2/3rds thinner.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #19 on: January 15, 2019, 07:44:09 PM »
Very nice job, mate! :smiley: :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline kitnut617

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Re: AH-1W Cobra, an OOB build (well, almost)
« Reply #20 on: January 15, 2019, 10:52:28 PM »
Thanks Guy ---

Yesterday I was carrying on going through the stash to record what was in each box (I've got to 24 at the moment) to make it easier to find kits I'm looking for (my Excel spread sheet has got all mixed up somehow and I need to sort it out too). I found I had bought a Bell 412 in RAF SAR colours (all red and yellow), I left it out close to hand  ;)

Mind you, I've manage to convince swmbo that I should move the hobby room into the other half of the basement (that's the whole half  ;D )
so my son can use the other three rooms in the other half (the hobby room was one of the small rooms in that half. That means I can assemble all the shelving I had bought a long time ago and have the stash more readily available.