soar blackhawk

Lone Star Models bought the existing Cobra Company stock and masters.  He is or will offer all the products.  The M230 is listed as available on the below website.

http://www.lonestarmodels.com/Cobra-Company.html

Where can I find a cobra company M230 cannon for my DAP? I understand they went out of business in 2016 and I am in desperate need of one to finish my DAP. 

One thing: do you think it's better to add the equipment and wiring before making the mold or make separate molds so evry'one has to build up the roof ?

I think it would be easier, and the parts would be more crisply molded, if it is done in separate pieces.  Good luck.

HeavyArty wrote:

Thanks for the back-up Klaus.  How is that roof coming anyways?

You're welcome.

As I said I'm not really 100% satisfied and besides I can't figure a decent way to make mold.
This week I'll have a couple days off and hope to make some progress on some of my work, one of this is the Blackhawk roof.

One thing: do you think it's better to add the equipment and wiring before making the mold or make separate molds so evry'one has to build up the roof ?

Sorry for stealing the thread!

Thanks for the back-up Klaus.  How is that roof coming anyways?

 

Yes, the names on Venom (Super 64) and others were in a ghost or gunship grey, not white either.

viper_mp wrote:

As to the decals, are you sure they are OD?  They really do look yellow.

Let me jump in on this. Since I made the decals (with Gino's help) they are OD. Probably the light condition and the color variation make them look yellowish, but I can assure you they are OD. (You'll see the remarkable difference if you compare them with the ones in the kit)

With help of intruder_bass' schematics I'm working on a ceiling, too (I probably got AMS since I'm never satisfied with what I get). I used 0,5mm and 0,25mm thick plasticard: the thicker one for the framework and the thinner to cover it.

Names of the helos are not white, they are grey (ghost gray or something like that).
BTW some helos during "Restore Hope" had red tail numbers.

arkhunter2002 wrote:

ah so... thanks...   and is that a "two strut" ESSS on Southern Comfort?(<-perks up with excitement...) Take care, Austin

I believe it is.  Kinda odd though, I dont think I've ever seen a SOAR Hawk [or a DAP Hawk] with anything other than the single "stub" wings.

ah so...

thanks...

 

and is that a "two strut" ESSS on Southern Comfort?(<-perks up with excitement...)

Take care,

Austin

I'm positive it is OD.  Yes, the 365 on the tanks are the yellow kit decals.  Razor's Edge and Sothern Comfort were/are OD as well.

Super 68, Razor's Edge:

Southern Comfort:

I would have to admit, it does show up yellow, but not as bright as the kit decals.  I am assuming that the 365 on the tanks are the kit decals (they are much more yellow than the OD decals)

 

and for Intruderbrass, what was the thickness of the styrene you used to build the roof?  Well, this question is open to anyone who scratch build their own, but mine didn't turn out even close to they amazing-ness as theirs.  IIRC, from a pic I saw, I am not sure what website it was from, but the names were all in white, including Razor's Edge/Southern Comfort.

edit:  anyone know any names/serial numbers of MH-60K's?

Fair enough on the Minis.  Just kinda hard to use them as a standard door gunner would.  The stub wings and weapons limit your firing arc. 

As to the decals, are you sure they are OD?  They really do look yellow.

HeavyArty wrote:

curtis remington wrote: There was lots of info and pics about Super 64 in what I sent you. i did not recieve anything. what address did you send too? Resent to your Hotmail address.  Let me know if you get it.

 

Sent again to your AKO address.  Not sure why you aren't getting them.  It is a Zip file, maybe that has something to do with it.  Hope you get this sending.

First, yellow markings.  The 160th has never, to my knowledge, used any markings other than OD.

Must be your monitor or something, my decals are OD, custom made-by me, not the crappy yellow kit decals.

As to the M134s, lets say they are just not locked forward at the moment.  I didn't feel like cutting the swingarms up and repositioning them.  They can be used as doorguns if the crew prefers though. 

 

Thanks for the comments.

Nice work on your Hawk, Gino.  Only a couple things I see that are a little iffy.  First, yellow markings.  The 160th has never, to my knowledge, used any markings other than OD.  Second, your minis in the door gunner's windows should have been brought outward on their mounts and rotated to the 12 oclock position.  DAP Hawks dont carry door gunners.  Instead, they mount the minis about midway to 3/4 of the way out of the bird on the mounting rail.  Then they rotate them to face forward.  When attacking a target, they attack similar to an A-10:  start high and dive on the target.  Then they will fire off the minis, M230, and the 2.75in rockets.  My unit here in Iowa has had our birds converted to DAPs twice.  Both deployments overseas we were atached to the 160th. So I've had an upclose and personal look at a DAP Hawk, and I've rode shotgun in the gunner's seat on practice runs.  When that bird climbs to a few thousand feet and dives, nose down, for about 2-3000 feet.......best damned roller coaster in the world!

....also FRIES bar, kevlar panels on floor, "64" on cabin door windows, 2 ammo cans for each gunner(on Super 68 there where even 3 each side), no LG fairings, no pilot doors - optional (there are pics of 64 with and without them) 

Remember also that they didn't have the big center cabin ammo drums between the two gunner positions in the Mog.  They simply had basically 20MM ammo cans (the bigger cans that linked 7.62 comes in) with the link/belt driver motors attached to the top.  Each gun position had one can each (if I remember correctly). By using these they had more cabin space to cram Rangers/SAR teams.  It's also part of the reason they were winchester fairly quickly (got to be a target rich environment rather quickly).

I think there might have been a single countermeasures dispenser on each side of the tailboom, but can't remember (looooong time ago).

The sling hook was also replaced with a 4-leaf clover like arrangment of cable loops attached to a post, which was used for securing the acft during transit in transport acft (C-5/C-141).

Everything else posted by Gino and Grant seems correct.

BTW, Grant...I should finally get some time to fire off an e-mail to ya tomorrow night.  Man I can't wait for my leave in September!!!!!!!

curtis remington wrote:

There was lots of info and pics about Super 64 in what I sent you. i did not recieve anything. what address did you send too?

 

Resent to your Hotmail address.  Let me know if yo get it.

Hey Gino
It's Wooty here just wondering if you could send the Super 64 data to me as i am half way through building "VENOM" with both Eduard detail sets in and on it. I think what you have would be usefull.
Kind Reguards
Rob

I sent it to the hotmail account that was attached to the PM you sent to me.  Send me another with a better adrress and I will resend you the data.

There was lots of info and pics about Super 64 in what I sent you.

i did not recieve anything. what address did you send too?

 

curtis remington wrote:

i have now narrowed it down to building "super 64" does anyone have specific info on this bird?

 

There was lots of info and pics about Super 64 in what I sent you.

 

Good luck.

Super 64: 91-26350, nicknamed "Venom"

i have now narrowed it down to building "super 64" does anyone have specific info on this bird?

Still cant find time to translate my article into english but you can  see the pics at least

http://dishmodels.ru/gshow.htm?p=428

andy

 

Thanks Gino.

sounds like i'll be off to a good start. the one i want to model is one of the actual ones used in '93 in the real battle.

Maybe Jon, Gino or Sal can correct me if I'm wrong either any of the following: - leave off the tail RWR - Install the radar radome on the nose, but leave off the nose-mounted plume detectors

No on the tail RWR, yes/no on the nose radar (depending on the aircraft, some had it, some didn't), leave off the nose-mounted plume detectors, maybe on the FLIR (all had the mount, not all carried the FLIR ball).

curtis remington wrote:

which is the best academy 1/35 scale blackhawk to depict a u.s. army soar mh-60, also what aftermarket items do i need. the look i am going for is the ones they used in somalia (or the movie "blackhawk down") cheers, curt

You'll need to pick up the Academy "AH-60L DAP" kit, which is really an MH-60L and Cobra Company's SOAR Decal Set since the kit decals are yellow! You should also pick up the CC MH-60L detail/conversion set which includes better detailed cockpit parts than come in the kit box. Eduard makes PE interior and exterior detail sets for the UH-60 which are nice too.

Don't worry about the cabin fuel tanks, bench seats or weapons aside from the miniguns. You can also leave off the refueling probe as well. You'll need to install the FLIR turret. The MH-60Ls they used in the movie were outfitted differently than the MH-60Ls in Fall 1993 so you'll have to decide if you want to build one of the Supers or "Armageddon" or "Gladiator" (the MH-60Ls they used on set in Morocco). All black cockpit, Gull Gray cabin, black exterior (Tamiya's NATO Black in the spray can is a nice match for SOAR CARC black)

Maybe Jon, Gino or Sal can correct me if I'm wrong either any of the following:
- leave off the tail RWR
- Install the radar radome on the nose, but leave off the nose-mounted plume detectors

Academy's 1/35 AH-60L DAP, actually an MH-60L (US military doesn't use the AH designation for Blackhawks) would be the best starting point.  It comes with all the extra parts you need,  160th SOAR birds in Somalia in '93 didn't have the plume detectors as in the Academy kits though.  There are some other parts; like the refueling probe, internal aux. tanks, FLIR (depending on the aircraft), and some other minor mods, that would also have to be omitted. 

For add-on items, Cobra Company's MH-60L correction set, and MH/HH-60 Update sets are great. CC also has a SOAR decal sheet too, the Academy decals are the wrong color and look bright yellow on the helo. 

Check out my MH-60L DAP to see a post-Gothic Serpent bird.  

Here is a description of how I built it: 

I used parts from the Cobra Company MH/HH-60G Update set, UH-60L Correction/Detail set, and the M230 30mm Cannon Rig set. The decals were custom made by Klaus Pagano (Avus) and myself, in the correct OD Green colors, as opposed to the crappy yellow kit decals. I added lots of scratch details as well to include the Fast Rope rig; engine control levers on the upper console; handles, locks and other bits on the nose; ammo belts from the CC UH-1N Weapons sets for the miniguns; spent brass chutes on the miniguns from old coils from a Star Wars Speeder Bike; etc., etc.

It is painted Ultra Flat Black from a spray can of Camo Paint. Then, after a coat of gloss, decals and two coats Testors Flat, I drybrushed with Gunship Gray, and then drybrushed with another coat of flat black.

 

Send me an email and I can send you more info and pics of Operation Gothic Serpent (Somalia mission name) MH-60Ls.