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Kitty Hawk's newest 1/35th scale helicopters- AH-6J and MH-6J


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  • 1 month later...

Out of idle curiosity, once the AH-6J finally gets here, how involved would it be to backdate the kit to an OH-6A?  I know you'd need a new tail, tail rotor, main rotor hub, new IP and some interior bits.  Am I missing any deal-breakers?  

 

Given the latest news from KH, I'm not particularly optimistic that we'll ever see a new 1/35th OH-6A, at least not for many years.   Was just wondering if it would be straightforward to cannibalize one of my old Dragon LOACH's and merge those parts with the upcoming KH product.  This is all predicated on the KH kit actually being released of course.   Given the recent events with the Huey, I've got my fingers crossed!

 

Or maybe some enterprising aftermarket outfit could release a backdate resin set?   While I'm on my wish list, I'd love to see someone release those early Vietnam-era exhaust diverters.  I think that would make for a truly unique looking LOACH. 

 

 

Edited by 11bee
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awesome! i actually had a nightmare last night that the chinese companies stopped producing and we had to wait years for new models by  hasegawa or tamiya. Floyd-are you still gonna make a resin sugar scoop so I can build a gothic serpent little bird?

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8 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

^^^ what is this latest news you speak of? have some kits been canceled?

Sorry, my post was misleading.  As Floyd mentioned, the Littlebirds are still on track.  Just given the news on the Huey, my personal take is that it would be a long, long time before we ever see a new 1/35 LOACH. Heck, we were originally told to expect the LB to be out at the end of 2016.  We are now in Q2, 2017 and there is no sign that KH is even remotely close to releasing this kit.

 

Hence, I figured if I want to build a new-tool 1/35 LOACH, the only way possible would be to kitbash the Dragon parts with the new LB, whenever that kit finally gets on the shelf. 

 

 

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Making a Loach from the new KH kit will all depend on the surface detail, I reckon. It looks like the real Little Birds have reinforcing plates riveted onto the outer skin on the belly and on the fuselage area behind the rear doors. If they aren't there, a Loach won't be too difficult, using spares from Dragon. If they are, it will need a lot more work.

 

LD.

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, hawkwrench said:

That's a teaser pic they let out I bet!

Definitely a H-6 windscreen!!!

 

Tim

Yeah, doesn't look like it belongs on a Rooski jet fighter!   Looks like they are a bit further along with this kit than previously thought.   Figures, I started building that Seaspray MD500 a few weeks back using the Dragon kit and now all of a sudden, we might be getting close to a new tool LB.   It never fails.   Nice to see they apparently are including the doors, that will help with my project.  

 

One thing I did note is that it looks like the they molded the windscreen the same as Dragon did.   Hope it goes on easier.   That was the hardest part of the Dragon kit.   I was hoping KH would have included the window frames with the windscreen.  Oh well, no biggie.....

 

I did note that the sprue is labeled "AH-6J MH-6J".  Floyd, any intel on whether this is going to be a combined kit or if KH is still going to release the AH first and the MH further down the road?

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Oh you mean together or separate items.  My sources tell me that they will be one and the same and packaged together.   This is very far along as you can tell.  Look for more 'leaked' photos coming up very soon.

 

All you haters who said it was vaporware.  Suck it.  LOL   Just kidding.  The marking options were provided last week.  They are Night Stalkers so don't expect too much, unless they include one item I tried to get them to include.  I'm not saying what that is until I see the sheet and the sprues.

Floyd

Edited by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
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1 hour ago, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

All you haters who said it was vaporware.  Suck it.  LOL   Just kidding. 

LOL.. I might fall into that category. 

 

Glad to see this kit is finally moving forward.  Doubly glad that they have combined the AH and the MH.  I honestly don't know how well the MH would have sold as a separate kit since most of the masses have no interest in a helo (or any other type of aircraft) that doesn't blow things up or at least have a couple of machine guns stuck on it. 

 

Looking forward to more pics and hopefully soon, seeing the plastic on my workbench.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since some Kitty Hawk folks frequent this forum, figured I'd ask - what is the plan with regard to representing the raised rivets which cover the Littlebird?   Will these be replicated?  These are a very noticeable feature on the real thing.

 

mh-6e_008_of_175.jpg

 

Should be no reason why you would use recessed "dimples", correct?  Heck, even Dragon was able to cover their 15 year old AH-6J kit with nicely molded raised rivets, so it's definitely not pushing the state of the art.  Hoping  you can shed some light on this subject, really no reason why any 35th scale kit produced these days wouldn't have realistic raised rivets.   Please advise.  

 

On a related note, it might be pushing things but if there was any way you could replicated the stressed "beer can" surfaces of the fuselage, as shown above, that would be very cool indeed. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Please don't screw up the rivets!   None of those silly holes like what they covered their Huey with.  Barely acceptable in 48th, not even close in 35th scale.    If Dragon was able to replicate these on their LB kit 15 years ago, KH should have no problem doing the same in 2017.   Other than that concern, everything else on this kit looks fantastic.  Glad it's finally getting close.  

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On 9/16/2017 at 6:03 PM, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

 As far as raised versus recessed I'm not sure.  We'll see.

 

Yikes...  Can't believe this is even in question...   The real thing is covered in raised rivets.  It's a prominent feature of the model.   KH can't make the lame excuse that was used on the 48th Huey; that they aren't noticeable,  because in 35th scale, they definitely are.   Is it really that much of a challenge for KH,  or do they just not care?  

 

If they don't, might as well go full retro and release the LB with raised panel lines. 

 

 

Edited by 11bee
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