going to do a "Night Stalker" build. need advice

The MH-6 is not the bird that the 160th SOAR uses. They use the AH-6 Little Bird. I believe the Little Bird is a modified OH-6 that the 160th has modified for their own specifications. They have the two M-134 miniguns and two seven shot rocket tubes with all the needed mods like gunsights and ammo boxes. They also do not have the targeting system that is on the front of the Academy kit for the Hellfires, but they do have FLIR. I am not real sure if there is any external differences other than the armament and some other things. Maybe someone can shed a bit more light on this.

Yea, that's why I was confused when the kits says MH-6 attack. Because the MH-6 is used as a short range troop carrier. so maybe the kit is actually an AH-6 since it has the full weapon load.

Thanks for your info. I'll keep looking into it. 

WarHammer25 wrote:

The MH-6 is not the bird that the 160th SOAR uses. They use the AH-6 Little Bird.

That's not quite correct: the 160 uses both the MH and the AH. First is, as gmcookvt says, a "troop carrier" while the AH is the attack version.
The "Little Bird" was developed on the "Loach" airframe, but has become something completely different nowadays.

As for the armament the "standard" load out is two M-134 Miniguns and two 9 FFAR pods. The only variation I have seen depicted is a three barreled .50cal machine gun on each side, without rocket pods.

Regarding the kits I don't know them, since i "work" 1/35.
But as far as the Black Hawk goes, I heard you'd be better off getting Italeri's Pave Hawk kit and Cobra Company's update set, since the Italeri's "kilo" doesn't have the miniguns.
There are also two phtot etch sets by Eduard one for the interior and one for the exterior.
You also should get Cobra Co's decal sheet, because the one in the kit has black lettering and it's hard to see black stecils on a black background!!

HTH

My good buddy Avus is all over it.  Sorry, I don't know about the 1/48 kits either.  Like him, I only "work" in 1/35 as well.  I have done an MH-6J and an MH-60L DAP in 1/35 using the Cobra Company sets.  I can vouch for them, they are great sets.  You can see mine at my Showcase II link below.

Good luck and let us know if you need any more help.

Thanks guys! I'll check out those AM parts.

Avus wrote:

WarHammer25 wrote: The MH-6 is not the bird that the 160th SOAR uses. They use the AH-6 Little Bird. That's not quite correct: the 160 uses both the MH and the AH. First is, as gmcookvt says, a "troop carrier" while the AH is the attack version. The "Little Bird" was developed on the "Loach" airframe, but has become something completely different nowadays. As for the armament the "standard" load out is two M-134 Miniguns and two 9 FFAR pods. The only variation I have seen depicted is a three barreled .50cal machine gun on each side, without rocket pods. Regarding the kits I don't know them, since i "work" 1/35. But as far as the Black Hawk goes, I heard you'd be better off getting Italeri's Pave Hawk kit and Cobra Company's update set, since the Italeri's "kilo" doesn't have the miniguns. There are also two phtot etch sets by Eduard one for the interior and one for the exterior. You also should get Cobra Co's decal sheet, because the one in the kit has black lettering and it's hard to see black stecils on a black background!! HTH

Thanks for that. I wasn't real sure if it was the MH-6 or the AH-6 that gmcookvt was referring too, wether it was the attack bird or the transport, and I was not aware that they used 9-shot rocket pods instead of 7-shot pods. I don't know of any 1/48 AH-6 kit available, just the Dragon 1/35. Academy seems only to make a MH-6. I imagine with some modifications and adding the M-134 Miniguns and the FFAR pods, you could make a good AH-6 out of the MH-6.

I was not aware that they used 9-shot rocket pods instead of 7-shot pods.

 

Whoops, missed that.  They use the standard 7-shot pods, not 9.  You're slipping Avus.

Ok, ok! I got that one wrong!

I was assuming that being "special" they had two more rockets!

Avus wrote:

Ok, ok! I got that one wrong! I was assuming that being "special" they had two more rockets!

 

We'll let you slide on it....this time!!!!