HeavyArty

I've seen quite a few great-looking civil builds here and on other sites. I think most people just like guns and rockets on their helos is all. It’s the same reason you don't see many softskins (trucks, jeeps, etc.) on armor sites. They just aren't as cool as the tanks and APCs with guns on them. There are also fewer kits of them out there. As to making their own decals and painting them up; most modelers simply build them as they are seen in the box with that scheme and decals. This takes us back to the lack of civil models out there to build. It is a vicious circle. Some of us build

I have used the WS Snow on many occassions and love it. I think it is the best product out there for snow. I apply it using pump hairspray. Spray where you want it to go, then sprinkle it on. Repeat until you have the amount of build-up you want. Stay away from foodstuffs (baking soda, flour, baking powder, sweetener, etc.) they will yellow, be eaten by bugs, and/or react with the paint and turn into a gooey mess. Here is an example of how it can come out. Good luck.

Looks great. Good job.

Thanks for the pics and comments all. Yup, you basically confirmed what I thought, just the lighting changed.

Yeah, thats what I was thinking too. I guess "cockpit lighting" is the key phrase. Just checking.

It is an O.K. kit. The interior is pretty sparse. Here is a review of it.

Cobra Company has a 1/48 HH-60J Jayhawk Conversion set. It is pretty nice. It doesn't come with decals though. For the decals, you need the Fireball Modelworks HH-60J decal set. It allows you to model any Jayhawk ever built. Hawkeye Models out of Australia also has USCG HH-60J decals. I think the Fireball ones are better though. The best kit to start with is the Italeri SH-60B kit. Good luck.

Here is the Blackhawk info: Maximum range of the UH-60A on internal fuel and at maximum take-off weight is 319 nautical miles (368 statute miles.) The maximum range with two 230 ESSS-mounted external tanks is 880 nautical miles (1,012 statute miles) and with two 230 gallon and two 450 gallon tanks is 1,200 nautical miles (1,381 statute miles.) With a little quick conversion: 368 statute miles is equal to 592.2 kilometers 1012 statute miles is equal to 1,628.6 kilometers 1381 statute miles is equal to 2,222.5 kilometers For the combat load: The empty weight of the UH-60A is 11,284 pou

I just read this on a site about the Blackhawk.... "Beginning in 1985 the Blackhawk's cockpit lighting was modified to be NVG compatible (new airframes had this incorporated into their production. " Does this mean that pre-'85 UH-60As had non-NVG compatible grey cockpits? I thought the original UH-60s had all-black cockpits from the beginning. How about those used in Greneda, grey or black cockpit?

Looking great. Glad the backboard pics helped. Keep up the great work.

Could be one of the early A model Velcro-Hawks used as the test beds for MH-60L SOAR birds. They had little outward differences and some tested out the folding stab.

That thing would be huge in 1/48th. The C-130 alone has almost a 33" wingspan. The CH-53E is about 24" long as well. Good luck. Don't know of any 1/48th HMMWVs, but there are 1/72 HMMWVs from Dragon that would work great.

I would be very interested as well. Will they be carried by one of the AM resin helo companies? CC or Fireball maybe?? Keep us posted.

The stacker looks awesome. Good job on it. The yellow thing is a backboard. It looks as though it is strapped to the stacker in place of a litter. Here is a pic of one: A similar backboard is available as part of the Pro Art DUMVEE kit. It is what I used in my DM HH-60G model. Good luck.

That is correct. It is available in the Testors Model Master lines, both acrylic and enamel.

No, Helo Drab Green is a very dark green. CARC Black is flat black. Both are CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) paints. 160th SOAR helos are flat black with OD green markings.

Nope. 160th SOAR Nightstalkers tested the upswept ESSS wings but did not use them. They use the short, downswept wings with one hardpoint, and only in the DAP configuration. Here is one of their MH-60L DAP birds: And a 160th MH-60K, they normally do not have ESSS wings attached: The main external difference between the K and L models is that the K has a different nose radar set-up, similar to a USCG HH-60J, and a few other bumps and antennas. The rest of the differences are internal to the engines, transmission, and avionics packages. Hope that helps.

You are correct, additionally, any MH-60L can be converted into a DAP using the ESSS wings and a DAP kit of black boxes, etc. :)

Thanks Julian. Would love to see your white Loach too. Did you do it in the Fireball Navy Test Pilot School scheme?

Rodney, yup, too bad how it ended. Sometimes they don't end up well. Thank your Tech for his help though. Glad you like the model.

I believe the downswept ESSS wings were chosen due to their better aerodynamic characteristics. The up-swept wings were less stable in forward flight and higher speed turns. Also, the 160th SOAR Nightstalkers use the shorter, single hardpoint ESSS wings, not the longer, dual hardpoint ESSS wings.

Thanks all. Alby, I think I will hold off a while on the Arctic AH-1G. It would look good though.

She is done. Here are a few more of the final build pics first. I used wire cutters and supports from the Academy UH-60 kits. A pitot tube and tail rotor (with 1/8 inch cut off each blade) from the 1/32 Revell Huey, and a towel bar antenna left over from a 1/35 Seminar UH-1B kit. The grab handles and cage-thingys at the top edges of the canopy are made from thin wire. I also lightly sanded the entire fuselage to knock down the size of the rivets a bit too. Here it is ready for paint. And with initial paint on it. I made the decals using inkjet computer decal paper. I also used so

oops.

You may be right Grant. It does look different when you compare the two.