1/72 Revell OH-58D Finished

You build with an amazing variety and quality!  I'll be following this one.

Toshi

Fermis - 

Looking great there buddy....I have a Huey in the stash so I'll be here the whole time so I can learn from your build. Great looking detail so far on the interior. 

Nice work, Jeremy.  Is this another kit with no collectives?

Looking great so far.

Thanks guys!

jeaton01

Nice work, Jeremy.  Is this another kit with no collectives?

Yes...it was. Nothing a little stretched sprue can't fix though.

Scratched up some final details....cable cutters, a few antennas, and "helped" the tail rotorhead.

To the paint booth!

Its looking really good so far.  One note, the rear door windows on an OH-58D are painted over in the same color as the rest of the fuselage.

A later version than you are building, but the rear door window was/is the same.

HeavyArty

Its looking really good so far.  One note, the rear door windows on an OH-58D are painted over in the same color as the rest of the fuselage.

A later version than you are building, but the rear door window was/is the same.

 

 

I appreciate that...and discovered that is 99.9% true. I thought I was going to have a lot more work ahead of me...not only with that extra detail, but also with having to scratch up some weapons, as well as some other smaller details.

I did find 2 pics of D models with rear windows and no weapons. I was actually searching for a pic of one without the "robot head"...no luck there though.

Here's one with windows (still has a weapons bar though)

Yes...it's an excuse to be a bit lazy!!! I wish the kit did have the more standard version.

Got it painted up.

I got some real nice variation in the paint...camera doesn't even try to pick it up though.

Here's a boring ole green 58...

I appreciate that...and discovered that is 99.9% true...I did find 2 pics of D models with rear windows...

I don't think that is correct.  The only time I have seen the aircraft w/rear windows is when it was on display, not operationally.

This first pic looks to have the blanked off windows/solid doors, just not as dirty as the rest of the aircraft.  I think you may be seeing a reflection off of the sensor that is in that position as well.

This pic looks like a museum bird that has the door from an OH-58C (with windows) attached so you can see the electronics in the back.

Here is another that looks to be on display at an air show or open house that has doors from an OH-58B/C with the windows so the crowd can see the rear area without having access to it.

I have never seen an operational OH-58D with rear windows in my 23 years in the Army.  You can build it how you like, but I stand by my statement that they do not use the rear windows.  All Ds also have the targeting head.

What does the kit have in the rear area anyways?  On the actual aircraft, it is full of wires and black boxes.

I believe you...fully! 

I'm building this as a display/museum piece, that has had all the gear stripped out of the back....yea, that's it!

Like I said, finding a pic or two was enough for me...to be lazy with it! The kit provides nothing, other than a bulkhead with a "bench" for the back. I'm plenty capable of doing the work to make it a more accurate representation of an operational airframe....but, this is a bit of a "decompression" build / break, from a more ambitious project. I do appreciate the input though.

The kit provides nothing, other than a bulkhead with a "bench" for the back. 

In that case, I would paint over the windows so you won't see the nothingness in the back.

Got this one wrapped up.

Marked as this one...

It came out looking good.  It just looks strange to me with the rear windows and w/o weapons hanging off it.

HeavyArty

It came out looking good.  It just looks strange to me with the rear windows and w/o weapons hanging off it.

 

Thanks

..and yes, it does seem odd...especially when you go through google images for an OH-58D. I do like stuff that's just a bit out of the norm though too. I think, had I seen that pic of 24724 earlier in the project, I would have thrown some boxes and wire bundles in the back, as they can be seen in that pic. However, if you don't go looking for it, you don't notice that it's not there! It looks good on my shelf...right where it will stay!

Really nice build!

Toshi

Looks great. And tiny!

Thanks guys!

Nicely done...finish looks great.  The coptors with the Bell Jetranger look have always seemed attractive to me...

Nice !

Very fine work on the little bird.  I agree with Revenant - it is an attractive chopper, but with an added kind of "creepy-ness" with that head on top of the rotor.  

Chris