RAH-66 1/48 Italeri - NAVY version :)

[Artoor_K]

This is my RAH-66 from Italeri 1/48. Gun is from MASTER. Painted with Tamiya paints. Weathered with Tamiya sand stick and Tamiya paneliner. Model wasn't user-friendly but possible to put together after all :) Hope you'll like it :)

[Tophe]

well done!

[LemonJello]

Very nice!

I have this kit in the stash, ready for service in the USMC...what were the major issues you found while building this kit?

[Brian da Basher]

Most excellent Artoor! The subtle paint work is some of the best I've ever seen!

Brian da Basher

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

[Artoor_K]

Thanks a lot, guys:)

...what were the major issues you found while building this kit?

From the beggining...I had problems with glueing wire meshes for intakes. Even with CA. Then fit of the cockpit tub. Fitting it's back wall into fuselage is difficult which brought me to next issue. While painting weapon bays I heard a scary sounds:  "CRACK" , then "rattle, rattle"...This f**** wall had dropped out from cockpit floor. I had to remove canopy and find a way to glue it once more...I found a way but I had to cut it in two places (luckily , unseen from outside . So glue these parts very firmly :)
Cockpit glass doesn't fit to fuselage, especially cockpit doors. I had to glue them using CA. There are some issues with Hellfire rails inside bays. Be careful while mounting them because instruction is unclear there. Finally , there are two parts of rotorhead. You'll need a lot of putty to make seam invisible...Thant's all I think :)

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Great work Artoor!  Glad you were able to overcome the obstacles during construction. 

Excellent choice on switching over to a three-barrel Vulcan to replace the rather silly looking two-barrel unit included with the kit. 

I concur on the HellFire shapes, they are horrible.  I tossed the things in the garbage or donated them (sorry to whomever got those) and sourced some from a Monogram kit to replace the things. 

[FAAMAN]

Nicely done :)

[Gingie]

Nice one! You hardly ever see this kit in 48th!

[Volkodav]

:)

[Old Wombat]

So, how do you fold the rotors, exactly?



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Looks good! :)

[elmayerle]

Beautiful work and it looks quite capable of operating from the helo deck of any number of reduced-observables combat vessels.  I am particularly reminded of the Sea Comanche aircraft that played a role in James H. Cobb's Choosers of the Slain and sequels.

[GTX_Admin]

Excellent choice on switching over to a three-barrel Vulcan to replace the rather silly looking two-barrel unit included with the kit. 

Dare I suggest that the RAH-66 was originally planned to have a twin barrel cannon (see photo below - click upon twice to get expanded version).  This was later upgraded to a three-barrel unit - the XM301.

[GTX_Admin]

quite capable of operating from the helo deck of any number of reduced-observables combat vessels. 

I could easily see these operating from LCS

[Artoor_K]

Excellent choice on switching over to a three-barrel Vulcan to replace the rather silly looking two-barrel unit included with the kit. 

Dare I suggest that the RAH-66 was originally planned to have a twin barrel cannon (see photo below - click upon twice to get expanded version).  This was later upgraded to a three-barrel unit - the XM301.

I remember Revell kit based on that mock-up :)

[Volkodav]

If I recall correctly one of the reasons they switched to three barrels was stiffen the gun up an improve accuracy.