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1:72 AH-1F Cold Warrior Cobra - Finished!

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  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 4:07 PM

Hello!

Thanks a lot for the tip, luckily there's no real need for tape here, maybe except fot he wing walkways, but I think I can find a way around it here, too. I have also tried to wash everything down with Gunze thinner, I think that worked good, too.

So I masked up the windows and painted my baby up trying to make the best out of this one colour scheme. The preshading is Humbrol 67 Panzergrau, Model Master Helo Drab on top of that and some lightening done with Helo Drab with lots of light gray mixed in. The wire in the main tranny is a painting holder:

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

I tried to apply the colours very thin to make them as gloss as possible - they are still very flat. I have to gloss them up with future  a lot to prepare for decals - decals love to silver on a surface like this.

Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, September 11, 2021 6:21 PM

Pawel id suggest avoiding any tape if that stuff doesn't feel right. I've quit using their primer all together. They can peel off in sheets. The best luck I had with it was when applying it in super thin coats. Where you do tape be gentle removing i. I tried folding the loose end back over itself so I pilled at a 180 degree angle instead of pulling up from the surface at 90 degrees. That was somewhat successful. 

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
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Saturday, September 11, 2021 4:53 PM

Hello!

Mongoose - thanks a lot for your comment! I was happy to have something like faces on those tiny boys!

And in the meantime the snake is almost ready for painting with the exception of masking the windows. I used the black Vallejo spray primer to chech the seams for smoothness. Somehow I don't have the best feeling about this stuff - even after severeal days it doesn't feel completely dry. Luckily there won't be a lot of masking because this is going to be a single colour paint job, so maybe I can get away withoput lifting  paint here...

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

On the underside I have replaced the antennae I have cut off so they wouldn't interfere with filling and sanding the fuselage seam. I made the bigger one out of sheet copper, and the smaller white one from an ice cream package (sheet styrene). On the front I added two WSPS (wire strike) blades - one was missing from the kit design so I have scratchbuilt it:

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

The canopy fits exceptionally well here, even without glue - infact after dry fittling it you have a hard time to remove it (!). I carefully filled the seams along the front and rear edges of the clear part. There's one more WSPS blade to be added on the rear of the canopy, but I'm holding it off until after the painting - this will help make the masking of the glass easier:

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

Now I'll mask the windows and I'll look for a good opportunity to paint it up.

Thanks for looking and have a nice day

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, September 6, 2021 3:13 PM

Love it, especially how you captured that cheesy 70's stash on the pilot!

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
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Saturday, September 4, 2021 6:07 PM

Russ, Glenn - thanks a lot for your comments and I'm very glad to have you on my thread here!

And I have closed up the hull, almost ready filling and sanding the seams... Here's how the cockpit looks like:

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    April 2016
  • From: N. Burbs of ChiKawgo
Posted by GlennH on Saturday, September 4, 2021 10:57 AM

Flight Line Media
Very neat! I love the Cobra. It's one of the few helos that simply look fast.
 

Agree totally. While the new attack helicopters may have more goodies the Cobra holds a very special place in my heart. It just has that "I'm gonna get ya"look to it.

A number Army Viet Nam scans from hundreds yet to be done:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/southwestdreams/albums/72157621855914355

Have had the great fortune to be on every side of the howitzers.

  • Member since
    April 2012
  • From: USA
Posted by Striker8241 on Friday, September 3, 2021 10:17 PM

Very nice work, Pawel! I can see you know your helos. The Cobra is one of my favorites too. Looking forward to seeing it all come together!

Cheers,

Russ

 

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 7:19 AM

Gino, Andrew - thanks a lot for your comments!

Gino - in the oldest hobby shop in my home town I managed to find a bottle covered in moss and cobwebs with Testors 2024 in it... :-)

Now I'm ready to close the hull up - I scratchbuilt the collectives, painted some of the engine bay with custom mixed Zinc Chromate, glued in the tranny and fake turbine. I also drilled out the holes needed to mount the intake air diverters. Now I'll just close up the hull - I just have to remember to put in the poly cap for the tail rotor...

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

Thanks for looking and have a nice day!

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    July 2021
Posted by Flight Line Media on Monday, August 23, 2021 2:41 PM
Very neat! I love the Cobra. It's one of the few helos that simply look fast.

Andrew

www.flightlinemedia.co

Follow us on Instagram: from.the.ariel.view

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Friday, August 20, 2021 7:42 PM

The only correct enamel Helo Drab Green I know is by Testors Model Master.  I don't know if you can get them anymore though since the MM paint line has been cancelled.

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 Friday, August 20, 2021 6:44 PM

Thanks a lot Gino!

Would you give me a hint what paint would be best to give me the correct Helo Drab? I would prefer an enamel paint if possible.

Thanks in advance and have a nice day

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Valrico, FL
Posted by HeavyArty on Friday, August 20, 2021 6:59 AM
Its coming along nicely. It should look great when done.

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
1:72 AH-1F Cold Warrior Cobra - Finished!
Posted by Pawel on Thursday, August 19, 2021 6:49 PM

Hello everybody!

I'm starting a new one:

Hasegawa 1:72 Cobra

I intend to build it as a Vietnam-vet with further modifications in one colour US Army paint scheme. I secifically mean this baby currently on display in South Plainfield:

South Plainfield Cobra

... just without all the bad things they did to it's last original Army paint job...

The machine is 69-16442 - it served in Vietnam with the D Troop 227th Assault Helicopter Batalion.

The kit itself has a beautiful surface with those delicate panel lines and rivets/fasteners, but it starts showing its age with some flash and the simplified cockpit typical for Hasegawa...

While I'm not planning to go bananas here (is anybody PLANNING to go bananas?), I just can't let my baby be withot the CYCLIC stiks! A gaping hole under the gunners feet is a no-no, too. Here's what I have so far:

1:72 Hasegawa AH-1S by Pawel

Thanks for lookin' and have a nice day

Paweł

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

www.vietnam.net.pl

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