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Best 1/72 Apache for YAH-64A?


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Hi all,

This may be a big ask.

 

I'm slowly working on a 1/72 Hughes Aircraft collection and would like to include AV02, the first Apache prototype to fly. I'm 99% sure there are no conversion kits out there to do the short sponsons, pointed nose, T-tail etc so I'm gathering art and photos for use as references.

 

So what's a good kit for me to use start point? In New Zealand the Academy kits are the cheapest, followed by Italeri. The secondhand market means Hasegawa won't be out of my reach.

 

I'd also be grateful for any leads on diagrams/blueprints or links to Hughes info. I found one or two photos on Boeing's archives site.

 

Thanks in advance.

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The original Hasegawa release from the mid 80's has the early style rotor head fairing, they later updated to the production style. It also has the early style pylons. It's the best place to start - I picked up a pair of original Hasegawa kits last year intending to do just the same. But be aware it's a serious case of "Jack up canopy, add new airframe (and then replace the canopy)"! You can more or less use the central "tadpole", but almost everything else is changed. I'm still putting off starting because of the canopy .

Edited by Dmanton300
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Thanks gents, that's very helpful. Hopefully the Hasegawa kit I keep seeing online is that one.

 

Drewe - I'll be aiming for something that generally looks like AV02 rather than being totally accurate. I'm not up to canopy replacement unless it's a proper aftermarket one so will likely just ignore that part. Do you have any drawings or schematics that could be helpful to me?

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Some of the best photo references for the very early YAH-64 Apache can probably be found in the archives of Army Aviation Magazine.

 

http://www.armyaviationmagazine.com/images/archive/backissues/1977/77_08_09.pdf

 

http://www.armyaviationmagazine.com/images/archive/backissues/1979/79_11.pdf

 

http://www.armyaviationmagazine.com/index.php/archive-years/536-1979

 

Search from 1975 onward and you will find plenty of photos. It'll just take a little time to go through them all. 

 

LD.

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Thanks LD, what an excellent resource! I have plenty of time at work (lucky for some, a curse for me as I like to be busy) so I'll happily go through. Thank you.

 

I sifted through the Army Aviation Digest back catalogues for YOH-6 images (that funky, thicker tail and no/abbreviated doghouse!) but didn't think to look for AAH stuff as well.

Edited by K5054NZ
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  • 1 year later...

I took the old 1/72 Hasegawa kit out of the stash in the last week for a look. I might start it shortly to build AV-06 in Phase II pre-production configuration. I have some Eduard photoetch for the later AH-64A version of this kit but a lot of it is relevant to the YAH-64A. It'll be a chance to try out etched parts on a model for the first time.

 

LD. 

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