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Sea Cobra --from a "treadhead"

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  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Sunday, April 15, 2007 9:10 AM
Hey guys, my sincerest gratitude to ya all; it's nice to get such encouraging feedback from the experts in this forum!Bow [bow]. Gotta say, I bitterly resisted getting a computer for the longest time, but the fun that I'm having in these forums and the incredible amount of friendly advice and info available here has more than convinced me it was a "smart buy"! I'll probably do another whirlygig sometime later this year, and you can be sure I'll be pickin' your brains!!Big Smile [:D] Happy modelin'!! Karl, the doog...
  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Southport, North West UK
Posted by richgb on Sunday, April 15, 2007 3:45 AM

Hi,

Excellent build there. I built the AH-1T Seacobra last year and it's not a patch on yours. I found it very fiddly. Your looks great.

Rich

PS Brian, have you finished your -53 yet?

...this is it folks...over the top!
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Saturday, April 14, 2007 12:03 PM
Good looking Snake you have there and welcome to the forum. If you ever have any questions pop on by and ask, we are always glad to help
  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Saturday, April 14, 2007 12:52 AM

WOW, a LOT of great information there, Andy, and really excellent photos to help too! Make a Toast [#toast] Thanks sincerely for the post!!

      Actually, the color you questioned IS indeed a light gray; I don't remember the exact shade but it's not a tan/sand shade.(good to know they got the color recomendations right!) I'll fix the light and try something with the "disco ball", and I'll see if I can fix the exhaust shroud, but I'll probably leave the canopy as is...but it's great to know these things for the next build! Thanks again for the comments and GRRRREAT pics! KARL

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Modeling anything with "MARINES" on the side.
Posted by AH1Wsnake on Saturday, April 14, 2007 12:28 AM

Sweet build.

To me, the rotors look fine. No excessive tilting that I'd complain about at all. And for the tailrotor decal, I just looked at a reference photo showing the tip of the arrow just about even with the 42 degree gearbox, so it looks about right on your model, too.

The only things I'd offer suggestions on are these:
The ALQ-144 "disco-ball" jammer atop the doghouse shouldn't be white. The colors are hard to reproduce, but the sides of the unit have a mirrored surface that many modelers reproduce with gold paint, or silver with a mix of clear yellow or red on top. The top surface of the jammer is green:

Likewise, the anti-collision light in front of the ALQ-144 should be a clear red, not orange.

The shroud around the early exhaust should be the same as the fuselage color, like this:

I like the paintjob you've done with the 3-tone camo. In the photo however, one of the colors looks like tan or sand. Could just be the lighting, but that color should really be a gray. Also, the framing around the canopy should be the same as the fuselage colors, not outlined in black. To get that to work, you most often have to glue the canopy to the fuselage before painting, mask it, and then paint. I realize not all modelers want to do that, since painting the canopy seperate it usually easiest.

Overall, it's a good build, and thanks for sharing. It is definitely a clean build with a very nice finish. Just a few inaccuracies that will make the next one better if you correct them.

 --Andy

 

 

"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and those who have met them in battle. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Friday, April 13, 2007 10:20 AM
Hmmm....yup, you might be right on those Brian...this is why I love this forum; I probably can't fix those now, but that's something to keep in mind for the next whirlygig--I'm getting that itch again...Mischief [:-,]Thanks for the sharp eyes and comments!Big Smile [:D]
  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: TAMPA,FL
Posted by CHRH53D on Friday, April 13, 2007 12:54 AM

(As a -53 bubbha) on one hand I think the bird looks Great;my other(much shorter) hand asks shouldn't the "beware tail rotor" dec be alittle further aft, and the main rotors alittle more level?

overall-very nice build

Brian 

  • Member since
    February 2007
Posted by skypirate1 on Thursday, April 12, 2007 5:21 PM

Hi doog,

Same thing happened to me, i built the monogram huey years ago along with a few other helos, then moved over to sailing ships for a while. After 20 years im back at my Helicopter roots, building a slick and this time around i have the ChickenHawk book to hand aswell.

Your Cobra looks great, love the paint job, i only build 1/35 scale and above and will never stop being amazed at how good you guys make your 1/72's look

Thanks for posting the picture

Andy

While the rest of the crew may be in the same predicament, it's almost always the pilot's job to arrive at the crash site first.
  • Member since
    January 2007
Sea Cobra --from a "treadhead"
Posted by the doog on Thursday, April 12, 2007 5:03 PM
Hey guys, I am a manic "treadhead" (tank builder) but recently went "back to my roots" and built a helicopter, using the skills I've picked up through the years. I actually got back into modelling seriously around age 21 (21 years ago!) when I joined the Military Book Club and ordered a book called "Chickenhawk", about the air cavalry in 'Nam...one of the free gifts offered happened to be an old Monogram Huey Slick model, which I ordered in lieu of the "bookbag". While reading the book, I built the model and found a great deal of delight in reading about the cockpit controls, etc, and being able to actually see them and other parts described. I wound up building a slew of copters--until I ordered a book on an M48 crew and discovered the old Monogram kit, followed the same road with respect to the book/model, and never looked back. Well, that's my story. Thought I'd post a photo of my 1/72 Sea Cobra though and share...criticisms welcomed!
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