Lindberg 1/48 AH-1? Cobra Build w/ Pics

Looks good for a so-so kit.  Your paint job came out great.  If you would modify the chin turret to have two weapons (1 mini, 1 grenade launcher, or 2 gl, or 2 minis) it would be a G model.  I don't know of any Cobras that had only 1 weapon, other than the 20mm multi-barrel cannon, in the chin turret.  You may also want to paint the circular disk at the base of the rotor mast, where it meets the fuselage, green too.  There was a protective disk here that went around the rotor shaft and was fueslage color.  Great job overall.  I like it.

HeavyArty wrote:

Looks good for a so-so kit.  Your paint job came out great.  If you would modify the chin turret to have two weapons (1 mini, 1 grenade launcher, or 2 gl, or 2 minis) it would be a G model.  I don't know of any Cobras that had only 1 weapon, other than the 20mm multi-barrel cannon, in the chin turret.  You may also want to paint the circular disk at the base of the rotor mast, where it meets the fuselage, green too.  There was a protective disk here that went around the rotor shaft and was fueslage color.  Great job overall.  I like it.

 

If my memory is correct amd not digging through my reference's this early in the morning, I believe some early Cobra's only had one weapon in the turret.

Kit is more accurate for the prototype then an actual production bird

Grandadjohn is correct on both counts.  The Lindberg kit is closer to the prototype which had the more pointy nose and the first Corbra's did have only one mini-gun in the turrent.  SS Gunslingers in Action has pictures of prototype and early Cobras on pages 15, 17 and 18.

A great job for a so-so kit. It would have been a prototype for sure, because I do not believe any were fielded with only the one gun. Some of the first fieldings did have the pointy nose with the landing lights built in the nose, but they were modified early and used a normal adjustable and retractable landing light. You could not see crap with the fixed landing light especially if you had to crab during a landing. Also the huey tailrotor did not last long either before the tractor right side mounted tailrotor was added. The huey left side tailrotor was too underpowered and it was easy to lose tailrotor authority in a crosswind high-power setting or rearward flight.

Again great job with what you had to work with. I do wish someone would produce a descent G model cobra. They were true hogs but when they were light on gas and bullets they were a dream to fly. The Mod S's were better with the stronger engines, but I hated the flat platted galss Production S's that later becam Fs. The only bird I enjoyed flying as much was the 500s.

Charlie 

Great paint job!  I really like your build a lot.  The kit is "supposed" to be a AH-1G.  The first G model had the pointy nose and several of the early ones had the TAT 102 chin turret with a single M134 minigun.  I don't think any TAT 102's carried a 40mm, but I could be wrong.  The M18 minigun pods were only approved for the inboard pylons officially.  Go here to see the approved weapons loadouts for late war AH-1G's when the M28 twin turret replaced the TAT 102 single turret:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=158589

Early G models with the TAT 102 also had the landing light in the nose cone like this one from the 334th Playboys:" border="0" />

  Here's another pic of one with the TAT 102 turret sporting an M134 minigun:[img]

 

Hopefully these help explain what I was talking about.

  Ray
 

 Edit:  I guess Charlie and I were posting at the sae time.  As you can see the single turret was fielded for a while though.

i just couldn't resist posting these two pics from the Army Aviation Museum slide collection.  This first one is the second Cobra built (assuming N209J is the first). You can see the difference between the nose and turret from all later G models:

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I did not believe that any of the early cobras had the sharkmouth scheme like your build, but I was wrong!  here's one not unlike your bird:

[img]

 You can see the early nose with the landing lights and I think that is a TAT 102 turret although it could be an M28 with the barrels lined up side to side.  Anyway, it's an early cobra with a sharkmouth.  Thanks for posting your build pics!

   Ray
 

Thanks for all the info and great pics. I was surprised to see the one with the shark teeth.

I hope to come across rocket pods from another kit and add them. I will also switch the minigun pods to inboard and some how incorporate the nose lights. Come to think of it I just might purchase another kit being they are pretty reasonably priced.