dragons 1/35 huey

The Panda come Dragon Hueys are pretty good kits.  Dragon added some nice PE (however both have the same PE sheet, which means the N has a D/H model instrument panel PE) and a few other features to them.  The N and D/H are the same boxings with a few different features.  The N has incorrect weapons for a USMC helo though.  The interiors are lacking and really need the Cobra Company upgrade/detail sets.  The rivets are too big and could use a light sanding to knock them down a bit as well.  The rotor blade is wrong for a D or H model too.  You can see how to fix them below, or Cobra Company has a rotor blade correction set.  Also, you have to know which version you are building and what features go on it.  The directions do not point out different parts for different versions and there are parts in the kit to build an early D up through a current UH-1H+ model. 

I have built two so far, a UH-1H Vietnam MedEvac and a UH-1H from White Sands Missile Range as a SAR bird. 

The rotor blades in the D/H kit are the same as the N kit, but are incorrect for the D/H model.  They are easy to fix though.  In the below picture you see the kit blade in the middle (UH-1N or Bell 212 blade).  The bottom blade shows the area in red that needs to be removed for a UH-1D/H (Bell 205) blade.  The top is the corrected blade.

To add to Gino's treatise on the Dragon UH-1D/H, out of the box you basically have all the parts to build the most upgraded version of the Huey, the Huey II.  The Huey II is actually a single engine Huey with a UH-1N (212) tail boom and rotor system. 

  The windshield also has holes in the top for the windshield wiper blades and some folks have found that objectionable.  Also, although the PE is the correct layout for a UH-1H, the instrument panel backing and shroud are correct for the UH-1N but not the UH-1H.  In the UH-1H the instrument panel is assymetrical but the N panel is not.  Anyway, we're probably splitting hairs here and it is the only 1/35 long fuselage Huey kit around.

  The Dragon kit is a scaled-up version of the 1/48 Italeri UH-1D/H kit, so you might check that one out if you have it to get an idea of the basic parts breakdown and such.

      Ray

I agree with all Ray said too.  They are not bad kits, they just need a little TLC to make them come out nicely. 

Here are the Cobra Company sets:

UH-1 Detail/ Correction Set

USMC UH-1N fleet Upgrade Set

USMC Weapons Set

USAF 20th ASOS UH-1N Detail Set

XM-93 Automatic Gun System (goes w/ USAF 20th ASOS set)

UH-1D/H Drive Train Upgrade Kit

UH-1 Heat Suppressor Kit (Strela Kit)

XM-23 Door Gun Set (M-60D) for UH-1

And a couple UH-1B/C sets:

UH-1B backdate set (For Academy/MRC/Italeri UH-1C)

Some other nice pieces can be found at Fireball Modelworks as well.  Joseph has decals, ASE sets, and a bunch of other Huey and Cobra sets.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Anything from Fireball and Cobra Company is top notch.  I should know, I own one of almost everything they have for the Huey

    Ray

Just think, we're only talking models.  Just wait till you delve into the often confusing world of the real machines.  Check this thread for a lot of good Huey links:

/forums/809205/ShowPost.aspx

 If you have any questions, just holler.  We love our Hueys around these parts!

    Ray

PS: PLEASE don't get your Huey info from the Military channel.  Just got finished watching two documetaries on the Huey and Cobra.  Jees, the movies were cool, but the accuracy of the dialogue that acompanied them was rather poor to say the least.

Hey Guys,

To carry this conversation one step further, I recently purchased one of the UH-1N Kits for eventual conversion into a Bell 412.  I know that the 412 has a 4 blade main rotor vs. the two blade Huey.  I have also heard discussion that the nose of the fuselage is incorrect, and needs fixing.  Other than that, any other major differences?  I am trying to decide whether to go with an additional kit for the two blades needed, as well as modified rotor system parts, etc., or the Cobra Company set.  I haven't compared the kit yet to the drawings that I got from the Bell site...  Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.  This will probably be a civilian fire service/ medical unit, or one recentlydelivered to the Delaware State Police.  Thanks in advance.

David

David,

  You have your work cut out for you making a 412 from a 212.  The biggest problem is the rotors. It isn't just two 212 rotors attached to the rotorhead, but 4 smaller blades with a totally different shape.  Also, the transmission fairing is totally different.  You are talking a pretty significant mod there.  Check em out.

    Ray

   412: