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Italeri 1/48 AH-1T slick nose


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Looking at the amount of work that I want to do on my CH-53A, there is no way it will be done this year, so I am going with a smaller project, there I said it, I jinxed myself...

I will be building Italeri's AH-1T with a slick nose. I will be using Cobra Company cockpit, and I am planning on rescribing and rivetting, flipping the rotor head, changing the skid crossbars to tubes and fixing up the access panels. Any tips would be appreciated, Dan I am printing out your build today. Anyone got any ideas on where to get wire that could be used for the crossbars, something that will support the helo?

Here is the A/C I am planning on building,

Westpac06.jpg

Westpac03.jpg

And yes, it's one my dad flew. IIRC, it is the first WestPac with the AH-1T. I know the number of his helo, unfortunately I have all four BuNos that went but don't know which one was his.

Planning on finishing this one for the group build... I mean it.

You know I really want to build that MH-53M... those are cool helos :huh:

mason

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Of course looking at the first pic, those skid crossbars look like the kit ones, not tubes.

Maybe one project off the list.

mason

Yep, those crosstubes definately have the fairings on. Otherwise, I've used wire coat hangars to replicate unfaired skid cross tubes. For the Buno, it wasn't unheard of for them to put the side numbers in sequential order with the Buno. For the older WestPacs you can assume the Phrogs were side the lower side numbers (00-17), the $hitters were 20-23, the Hueys were 30s (numbers of Hueys varied between 2-4), and the Cobras would have been 40-43. Therefor just assume your Dad's was the last Buno sequentially. Just some trivia - The numbers 8 and 9 aren't supposed to be used in side numbers because you can't "squawk" them.

I haven't looked at the kit in a long time - are the blades backwards like the AH-1W? Should require flopping the head, just the blades unless the instructios are wrong. IIRC the slick nose out of a Fujimi AH-1J will fit.

Another thing to point out from your pics, note there are no countermeasures on those birds yet. Those came later. FOrgot what came on the AH-1T kit but some of the CC dodads need to be left off.

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Yep, those crosstubes definately have the fairings on. Otherwise, I've used wire coat hangars to replicate unfaired skid cross tubes. For the Buno, it wasn't unheard of for them to put the side numbers in sequential order with the Buno. For the older WestPacs you can assume the Phrogs were side the lower side numbers (00-17), the $hitters were 20-23, the Hueys were 30s (numbers of Hueys varied between 2-4), and the Cobras would have been 40-43. Therefor just assume your Dad's was the last Buno sequentially. Just some trivia - The numbers 8 and 9 aren't supposed to be used in side numbers because you can't "squawk" them.

I haven't looked at the kit in a long time - are the blades backwards like the AH-1W? Should require flopping the head, just the blades unless the instructios are wrong. IIRC the slick nose out of a Fujimi AH-1J will fit.

Another thing to point out from your pics, note there are no countermeasures on those birds yet. Those came later. FOrgot what came on the AH-1T kit but some of the CC dodads need to be left off.

BuNos were 160807, 160809, 160810 and 160811, so 811 was probably his? Attached to HMM-265, so tailcode is ET, right? That works for me.

Blades are backwards, thinking about a couple options. I have been looking for the Fujimi AH-1J, no luck so far. I have a Milliput shape curing now. How similar was the tail rotor to the one on the W?

No countermeasures on this build, will save them for later. Nose antenna isn't there, tail one is. Moving the base for the disco light, too. Looking at the caps to the stub wings, it looks like they are much bigger than those on the T, need to shave them a bit...

Thanks for the info.

mason

Edited by doupnik
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BuNos were 160807, 160809, 160810 and 160811, so 811 was probably his? Attached to HMM-265, so tailcode is ET, right? That works for me.

Blades are backwards, thinking about a couple options. I have been looking for the Fujimi AH-1J, no luck so far. I have a Milliput shape curing now. How similar was the tail rotor to the one on the W?

No countermeasures on this build, will save them for later. Nose antenna isn't there, tail one is. Moving the base for the disco light, too. Looking at the caps to the stub wings, it looks like they are much bigger than those on the T, need to shave them a bit...

Thanks for the info.

mason

265 is EP not ET, ET is 262.

IIRC my J had a class A mishap. I will see if I still have it or it's parts. Will PM you tonight.

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BuNos were 160807, 160809, 160810 and 160811, so 811 was probably his? Attached to HMM-265, so tailcode is ET, right? That works for me.

Blades are backwards, thinking about a couple options. I have been looking for the Fujimi AH-1J, no luck so far. I have a Milliput shape curing now. How similar was the tail rotor to the one on the W?

No countermeasures on this build, will save them for later. Nose antenna isn't there, tail one is. Moving the base for the disco light, too. Looking at the caps to the stub wings, it looks like they are much bigger than those on the T, need to shave them a bit...

Thanks for the info.

mason

Mason,

160811 would probably be the best educated guess but not foolproof. Some MEUs would start numbering at 41 vice 40 and some may not even go sequencially. You definately wouldn't see it accross the board in a prent squadron as aircraft flow in and out too much to keep side numbers and bunos in sequence. If you are talking the actual aircraft, the W uses the T tailboom, T/R, and M/R so they should be the same. It's been awhile since I've seen the kits but I think most of the Italeri T and W kits are the same except for different engine cowls, doghouse, and adding the buldged ammo bays.

As for antennas, the rear fairings on your picture are for the name lights not the APR-39 antennas. Those fairings were on all Cobras well before the ASE gear was ever installed. They just got a little bigger when they added the APR into it.

Stubwing fairings are all different between the actual G, J, T, and W. I'd have to look again to see which one the Italeri T matches. I'll send or post some pictures later on tonight.

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hurry up Mason!!!

semper fi

Dan

Cut the talking and get some pastic done! :explode:

Just kidding: intersting project and great flipping-work! :lol:

What's going on, is there a deadline or something? :woot.gif:

Still working on the main rotor, almost done. I drilled out the hinges at the end of the blades.

IMG_3409.jpg

Working on the stub wings and pylons, should have pics soon, are the wings themselves constant across models? I got some decent ref pics of a AH-1F today and I was hoping to use them for my build. Holding off on doing too much fuselage work, I am hoping I get a AH-1J that I got on evilBay for $10 gets here soon. It will be giving that others may get a nose job, unless I figure out how to cast it in resin.

More to follow.

mason

Edited by doupnik
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Looking good. One little easy thing to add that will set it apart are the blade grip reserviors - glass cylinders that are easily scratch with clear sprue. I even drill the sprue out and fill it (1/2 full) with 3-in-1 oil. These pictures are of a W but the rotors are the same on a T.

AH-1WNTSexterior01-01RS0012.jpg

AH-1WNTSexterior01-01RS0019.jpg

HGDC1014.jpg

Also don't forget to add the safety wire. In 1/48 scale I use the hairs off squirrel nuts. Make sure you use tree squirrels - ground squirrels are not as coarse. Although that works well for shear wire.

Edited by SuperCobra
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Thanks for the pics Randy, I will definitely be adding the reservoirs. I will try to avoid the temptation to fiddle more with the rotor head, it may never stop. Oh, thanks for the tip on the squirrels, waste not, want not.

Does anyone have pics of the disco light mount without the disco light mounted? I am fairly certain that they were available, but the pic doesn't show them, so I was thinking about adding the mount. I have already removed them from the model, Italeri had them in the wrong place.

Thanks for the comments,

mason

Edited by doupnik
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Here's what I have that may help, Mason. I know that on the W, when the ALQ is removed, a circular blanking plate just goes on in its place. It has dummy connectors on the bottom that the cables attach to. The plate just mainly serves to keep the cables from flopping around inside the doghouse.

Sorry there's nothing more up-close:

--Andy

Those will help quite a bit, I may end up fudging it a little.

Some more progress, fixed up the inner hardpoints.

IMG_3411.jpg

Worked on the stub wings. Cut them down a bit and filled in the trenches that Italeri gives you to mount TOWs to.

IMG_3412.jpg

Started on the cannon, I'll be building this up a bit, and Zunis!! I am planning on Zunis on end and seven shot pod inside.

IMG_3415.jpg

mason

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Thanks for the pics Randy, I will definitely be adding the reservoirs. I will try to avoid the temptation to fiddle more with the rotor head, it may never stop. Oh, thanks for the tip on the squirrels, waste not, want not.

Does anyone have pics of the disco light mount without the disco light mounted? I am fairly certain that they were available, but the pic doesn't show them, so I was thinking about adding the mount. I have already removed them from the model, Italeri had them in the wrong place.

Thanks for the comments,

mason

I need to verify a couple of things when I get home from work but I wouldn't add the ALQ (disco light). You're building the first T WestPac correct? Should be approx May-Dec 1980? IIRC that was too soon for the USMC to get it IRCM. In fact the ultimate source (Wikipedia) says "The ALQ-144 and ALQ-147 were first delivered to the US military in 1981." And of course USMC rotary wing has never been cutting edge. I'll take a closer look at pictures but I think the AH-1Js and AH-1Ts got all their ASE together in an airframes change (AFC) package - since your aircraft doesn't have ALE antennas I don't think it would have had an ALQ yet.

Edited by SuperCobra
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I need to verify a couple of things when I get home from work but I wouldn't add the ALQ (disco light). You're building the first T WestPac correct? Should be approx May-Dec 1980? IIRC that was too soon for the USMC to get it IRCM. In fact the ultimate source (Wikipedia) says "The ALQ-144 and ALQ-147 were first delivered to the US military in 1981." And of course USMC rotary wing has never been cutting edge. I'll take a closer look at pictures but I think the AH-1Js and AH-1Ts got all their ASE together in an airframes change (AFC) package - since your aircraft doesn't have ALE antennas I don't think it would have had an ALQ yet.

The WestPac was 79-80, at least 14-odd months, real long. This was during the Iranian Hostage days and they were doing all kinds of work ups. My brother and I got to do the Tiger cruise on his return, lots of half-remembered memories, almost no pics... :shoot:

So no disco light, cool. I know dad talked about them, but it is entirely possible they came later.

Thanks for the info.

mason

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I may have missed this but where did you get the zuni pods from? I remember some in another kit (A-1?) but not any Cobra kits. FWIW, the bands on the zuni pods - LAU-10s if you want to google them - shouldn't be there.

AH-1ORDROCKET5INCHZUNI0005.jpg

AH-1ORDROCKET5INCHZUNI0006.jpg

AH-1ORDROCKET5INCHZUNI0007.jpg

AH-1ORDROCKET5INCHZUNI0008.jpg

Edited by SuperCobra
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Love the Zuni's. I only saw us carry them once at CAX, but always thought they made for a very cool loadout. I have one pic of a live pod being loaded somewhere "in-theater" -- so they must still be getting some use. What you have so far looks good, Mason. Looking forward to see it come together.

Andy

For the last 20 years I've been hearing that Zunis are being phased out. Yet we still find them somewhere. A blast to shoot. TOW is more fun because of the tracking time and process makes it feel like you have more control but Zunis just feel awesome coming off the aircraft. We had restrictions on them for awhile because they were flaming out the engines. You couldn't fire from a hover - only running fire.

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I may have missed this but where did you get the zuni pods from? I remember some in another kit (A-1?) but not any Cobra kits. FWIW, the bands on the zuni pods - LAU-10s if you want to google them - shouldn't be there.

Great pics, they will be useful. The Zunis came from Has Weapons Set B. The 7 shot rocket pods are True Details pods, they will need some attention before they are usable.

I remember Dad talking about loading the zunis on the carrier. For some reason they were very careful about them on the carrier. :worship:

Should get a chance to do more this weekend.

mason

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I never thought it would happen to me... or does that sound like the start of a letter to a men's magazine :) , but I got a great deal on eBay. I picked up the Fujimi AH-1J shipped for $16. :banana:

IMG_3497.jpg

And the nose,

IMG_3492.jpg

I have already cast a mold for it and should get some copies tonight, hopefully they'll turn out. It looks like there will be some sanding needed to make it fit, but at least I don't need to sculpt something. The best part is that now I have a J for my planned MARHUK bird, I just need decals!

I cleaned up my Zunis, I probably need to make some missile warheads for them, I am leaning towards Willy Pete rounds, and it sounds like they would stick out a bit. I am thinking about using 7 shot pods from the Fujimi kit as the resin ones I have are annoying.

IMG_3494.jpg

I started looking at putting the fuselage together and the Cobra Company cockpit fits without any fuss. Also started rescribing, I am not going to worry about getting everything perfect, just looking to get it so that it looks right.

IMG_3491.jpg

mason

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