Uh-1h/Eh-1h

Hi Jack, the model you want to do is posible, but it's a bit of work.  Fireball models. has decals for a Kern County Helicopter that is painted just like Cal Fires'  copters. Thiers is just painted with blue stripe. But you can follow the paint guide. using red instead of blue.  The marking for the Cal Fire will be a problem unless you have access to someone decal stash.  The interior is pretty generic. The changes Heavyarty pointed out are right on for almost any UH-1H ( 205++ )fire copter, most all have the extended skids to clear the water tank. Just to clarify also the  205++ has the uprated engine.(won't see any change on the model) 212 rotor, mast and transmission. 

 regards

Air5

Jack,

  I assume you are talking about 1/72 since you mentioned Hasegawa and Italeri.  Really there are no great 1/72 kits of the UH-1H, but I like the lines of the Has kit better.  The Italeri/AMT/Esci kit has the engine cowling too wide and just doesn't look as accurate in outline as the Has kit.  However, the Has kit has a bad rotorhead and I'd get the rotor from the italeri kit to replace it if I could.

  I assume this is the bird you want to build:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2129/2543232959_6fe580988c_o.jpg

If so, I'd check HERE for a nice walkaround.

I'm going to assume that this is the bird you want to build.  It has the Fastfin mod, 212 rotor, tail boom strakes, and high skids among other big mods.   If it's got to be a 1/72 build, you can get the rotors from the Italeri UH-1N kit.  Otherwise, I'd recommend using the italeri 1/48 UH-1D/H as a starting point.  It already has a 212 rotor.  The Fastfin will have to be made from the kit [parts or scratchbuilt.  The high skids will also have to be made.  the tailboom strakes shouldn't be too much of a problem.  You can get most of the other parts you'd need in the Fireball Modelworks ASE update set in either 1/72 or 1/48.  there will be bits you won't need for the civilian version but Joseph's stuff is some of the best around.   Anyway, that's my 2 cents.  if I have the wrong helo, please let us know.

    Ray

PS: Check HERE halfway down on the left for info on the Fastfin and strakes.

From what I can tell, it is a UH-1H++ (Bell 205++) with high skids to fit the water tank under it.  That means it has  212 blades.   It also looks like 406 has a Fastfin and strakes down the side of the tailboom too. 

They also have wire strike kits and particle seperators on the intakes, both available from Fireball in their update sets.  The Italeri and Hasegawa UH-1D/H models are both pretty good and both have a few flaws.  Fireball Modelworks makes a correction and update set for the 1/48th Italeri one and a few in 1/72 for various kits as well.

Cobra Company has the Fire Fighting Tank in both 1/72 and 1/48 as well.

Good luck.