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Fujimi 1/48 Army AH-1G (Kitbash)

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18 replies
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  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 6:26 PM

excel build -O! Love all your whirly birds for sure. Guessing from the pics i think you exagerate at 3' lol definitely measure that in inches. Some nice paint and weathering work there that really shows well. Looking forward to your next bash!

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2010
Posted by Stazie190 on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 11:06 AM

Hi O,

 

Yes, that does help the next ECS hoses I make, thanks. What is always difficult was to replicate the raise wire band of the hose, and in a different color and always used the kit part, but always looked sloppy and not what the hose really looked like.
 
 
You are in luck if you build the single engine US Army Cobras and I can help untangle the spaghetti. I was a crew chief on all US Army models, except the G model and have all the manuals and tons of reference materials you can use including my own Army pictures. I took a lot knowing I wanted to build the models later in life. Except I don’t have a means to share pictures from a shared photo ap yet.
 
 
Most of the manuals are available for free on-line at liberatedmanuals.com and you can search for AH-1 and look for TM 55-1500-234 and -236 manuals and I can help point you to what you’re looking for. I predominantly build US Army Cobras, but as well have all the Marine Cobra versions in 1/72 and 1/48. I think I have about 45 total cobra kits, both Army and Marine versions. I evaluated each kit extensively to kit bash down to the S(Mod), round canopy, TOW version.
 
The Fujimi kit fuselage worked the best at the time as a base frame since the Revell has raised panel lines. Way too much sanding and rescribing, but you can steal many parts from it.
 
 
Special Hobby’s new 1/48 G released right when I was finishing up the S(Mod) which would have been a better choice to use. I’m actually in the final stages of their 1/48 G and 1/72 S(Mod) now, they incorrectly call the S(Mod) a Q though and lacks a lot of accuracies of that version. I’ve been e-mailing Special Hobby about it and they are interested in releasing a 1/48 S(Mod) in the future and a cowls open version with engine and transmission. I still have two more of their 1/48 Spanish Gs and 2 of their Hi-tech M-35 gun version kits to build and can wait to see if they release a S(mod).
 
On bench next is a 1/48 AH-1P and E.
 
Let me know if I can help if you do a S(Mod), P, E or F kit.
 
Thanks,
 
Tom
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Posted by oortiz10 on Saturday, December 17, 2022 10:20 AM

Hey Tom, sorry for the late reply. I haven't have a chance to check the forums lately. I like your idea of the mods for the S. One of my modeling plans is to build all the USMC Cobra versions. So far I've done their -G, -J, and -(4B)W demonstrator. I have the -T (non-TOW), -T (TOW), -W and -Z in the stash. I'd like to do something similar with the Army versions, but their lineage is more of a spaghetti knot to me. I'd have to spend some time learning the differences.

Anyway, to answer your question, I first cut off the molded-on details. I used some shaped styrene to replicate the nozzles. For the hoses, I used some thick(er) wire wrapped in thinner wire. Once they were wrapped, I shaped them to fit before painting them. And...that's it! Hopefully that made sense. If you have any questions, just let me know.

Good luck with your projects!

-O

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

  • Member since
    January 2010
Posted by Stazie190 on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 3:26 PM

Hi O,

 

You did a nice job converting Fujimi's kit down to a G model. I know it's a lot of work, but well worth it when you finish. I like your ECS hoses. How did you make them?

I recently kit bashed the same Fujimi S step 1-3 kit to an S(Mod), or the model betwen the AH-1G and the AH-1P. I ended up using 5 other kits mainly Revell's F model and Italeria's T model, well just the playtpus nose, and spent 18 months scratch building a lot of other parts. It was fun.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by Silver on Saturday, May 22, 2021 12:21 PM

Great work on such an old kit.ICM has rolled out a 1/32 scale AH-1G which looks great against the old Revell kit.But:It looks like it has the wrong engine.Anyway , I,ll give it a try.your model looks realistic and great.Thanks for the pick's.

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Back to the bench on Saturday, February 27, 2021 7:49 PM

oortiz10

 

I know it's not perfect, but I think it's another solid 3-footer for my collection. Comments, questions, and criticisms are welcome. Thanks for looking. 

Cheers!

-O

 

 

Looks way better than a 3 footer to me. Very nicely done and very well photographed!

I just saw that ICM is releasing a 1:32 scale version of the 1G

Gil

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Friday, February 26, 2021 10:54 AM

Rotor issue aside, that's one sharp looking bird right there. 

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Friday, February 26, 2021 3:41 AM

Hello O!

It's because I'm preparing to start a 1/72 Vietnam Cobra build - and so I have all those books and pictures before my eyes, so to say.

Thanks a lot for the pictures you posted - they will help me with my preparations.

So what's next, O? Whatever it is, good luck with it and have a nice day!

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Posted by oortiz10 on Thursday, February 25, 2021 6:27 PM

You know what, Pawel is correct. I went back and looked more closely at my references. At first I thought it was because it was a Right vs Left tail rotor. As it turns out, the gearbox on my "G" is inaccurately shaped. This "teardrop" gearbox looks to have become standard on the Army's S and later and USMC J models.

The early and late Gs looks to have had the same cover but, after the switch, on opposite sides. It differs from the one described above. 

Here are a couple of pictures to show, more clearly I hope, Pawel's point.

Early L-side rotor:

Late(r) R-side rotor:

Good catch Pawel!

-O

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, February 25, 2021 5:21 PM

Hello Gentlemen!

I hope it is understood that I don't want to play down O's excellent work on this Cobra in any way... I still have the feeling there's something wrong with that housing. Of course when I tried to google images of the real thing it turns out that's not such an easy task, you mostly get shots of newer machines. But I have found this picture on youtube to convey my point:

Vietnam-era movie footage

I think the image Gino posted shows a restored machine using a newer type tail - it's kinda "kitbashed" too.

It still impresses me how hard to find on the net are some Vietnam-era references.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Posted by oortiz10 on Thursday, February 25, 2021 1:47 PM

Hey everyone, thanks for looking and the kinds words. It's all very appreciated.

I agree that the gearbox looks OK, but the tail rotor doesn't. I'm no expert, but the tail rotor on the 1:1 Cobra looks "leaner." A bit thinner and maybe longer, although the length might just be an optical illusion. I have some extra tail rotors from the conversions, but it looks like Fujimi included the same tail rotor in all their Cobra boxings. I'm a 3-foot modeler from the If-It-Looks-Like-A-(Insert-Airframe-Here)-Then-It's-A(n)-(Insert-Airframe-Here) school so I'm OK with the tail rotor.

Again, thanks for looking. Feel free to continue sharing your thoughts. 

Cheers!

-O

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:16 AM

stikpusher

Early Cobras had the tail rotor on the left side of the tail. At some point they swapped it over to the right side.

Correct.  I was using the picture to illustrate the size of the 90 degree tailrotor gearbox housing though.  To me it looks similar to what is on the kit.  The tailrotor itself does look a bit too wide and chunky though.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 10:10 PM

Early Cobras had the tail rotor on the left side of the tail. At some point they swapped it over to the right side.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 7:24 PM

One minor point - the tail rotor somehow doesn't look right and it's gearbox housing is definitely "marine". 

Maybe not.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 5:09 PM

Hello O!

That's a sharp lookin' snake you got there! You pulled off a pretty seamless kitbash. One minor point - the tail rotor somehow doesn't look right and it's gearbox housing is definitely "marine". Sure would be easier with a kit of a -G - but somehow the Vietnam subjects aren't fashionable anymore :-(

Thanks for sharing and have a nice day

Paweł

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 4:33 PM

Oh very nicely done! Somebody really needs to do a proper G Cobra in 1/48 so this approach is no longer the only way to build one.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: East Bethel, MN
Posted by midnightprowler on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 4:30 PM

Beautiful. 

Hi, I am Lee, I am a plastiholic.

Co. A, 682 Engineers, Ltchfield, MN, 1980-1986

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

Ask me about Speedway Decals

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 4:11 PM

Very nice.  It looks very good.  Good job w/the kit-bashing.

Gino P. Quintiliani - Field Artillery - The KING of BATTLE!!!

Check out my Gallery: https://app.photobucket.com/u/HeavyArty

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Between LA and OC, SoCal
Fujimi 1/48 Army AH-1G (Kitbash)
Posted by oortiz10 on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 1:22 PM

Hey whirlybirds, here's a project I submitted as a "crossover" for the CAS and VTOL, STOL, STOVL GBs. Since some of us don't always get a chance to visit the GB forum, I figured I'd share some photos here too.

This is a kitbash using Fujimi's -1S and -1J boxings. This is the second time I've attempted this. The first time represented a USMC AH-1G. I used a set of TD resin gun pods and Fireball Modelworks' PE rocket pods. This was my first time using a PE set. I know they're not perfect, but I think they look OK for my first attempt. (I learned a lot!) Scratched parts include the pitot and stinger o replace the lost and broken (respectively) kit pieces, some ECS hoses in the cockpit, and the chin turret. The turret was made using some card and tube to represent the backing and grenade launcher. The minigun is from the spares box. A piece of brass tube replaced the kit's terrible exhaust. The intake screens are thin strips of Tamiya tape laid over some random PE screen. Markings are cobbled together from random sheets I have laying around. Paints are MM and Testors enamels. Weathered with pastels and Flory washes. 

I know it's not perfect, but I think it's another solid 3-footer for my collection. Comments, questions, and criticisms are welcome. Thanks for looking. 

Cheers!

-O

 

-It's Omar, but they call me "O".

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