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1/72 Italeri AH-1W rotors


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I just ordered this kit and came across an article saying the rotors are molded backwards?

How is this so and what can I do to fix the problem, I saw a build on line and all it said was that

the builder cut the blades into 3 pieces? Any help would be appreciated. Any other major quirks

with this kit? Thanks---John

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I don't recall the blade issue, but Italeri had the tail rotor wrong on the H-34 so I am would not surprised. If you are going to fix the issue, the rotor blade is one piece to start with. You want to make the cuts closest to the rotor hub. It will be helpful to drill small holes on each side and use a pin for support.

Go back to the build it is the part below the rotor blades and to the left. The part of the right is the chaff and flare dispenser. 

 

Depending how far you want to go, the cockpit is a under detailed and iirc there is an issue with the exhaust profile but I don't recall what or how bad. 

 

The kit like all Whiskey kits is for a pre-NTS bird or early cobra if you will. That means three tone color scheme, two tone first gulf war scheme and all grey for a little bit. Most current decals for markings colorful or otherwise are for late model Cobras, with NTS (change the windscreen profile among other things) and turned exhausts. There is/was a resin set for the exhaust and interior NTS mods nothing to address the canopy profile.  

 

HTH

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Here's a picture of the rotor looking at the top of the rotor. Are the leading-trailing

edges in the correct orientation? I am not an expert on helicopters by any means.

You can see the "boss" on the top of the "blade holder" thingy in the very center.

Hope I didn't get too "technical".Thanks.---John

98f0FNr.jpg

Edited by john53
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6 minutes ago, john53 said:

Here's a picture of the rotor looking at the top of the rotor. Are the leading-trailing

edges in the correct orientation? I am not an expert on helicopters by any means.

You can see the "boss" on the top of the "blade holder" thingy in the very center.

Hope I didn't get too "technical".Thanks.---John

98f0FNr.jpg

Looking at pictures the rotor turns counterclockwise so if your shot is from the top the rotor looks just fine but I note that in the photos I looked at on Wiki there were some shots of models built with the rotor turning the wrong way so maybe people put it on upside down. Looking at pictures of the real thing show it turns counterclockwise so you should be good.....

Cheers

Bruce

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Thanks Bruce, so the blade turns counter clockwise when viewed from underneath?

Otherwise when turning counter clockwise as viewed from the top the trailing edge

would be leading the leading edge. Hopefully lost on helicopters---John

Edited by john53
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Just watched 3 you tube videos of AH-1 start ups. The angled

cut on the blades outer edge doesn't lead the blade, so Italeri

has the blades upside down I guess not really backwards. They

need to be flipped to be correct. Maybe hack off the boss on the

rotor's top where shaft comes through and put it on other side

making that side top!--John

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12 hours ago, john53 said:

 

98f0FNr.jpg

 

Looking at the rotor in your photo, you are looking at the rotor top, in it correct orientation when viewing the real thing from above. I had a look at my old AH-1W model I built years ago and from examining both main and tail rotors, the only issue I can see is the tail rotor blade shape. The main rotor does not appear to the issue with this kit, just the tail rotor. With some surgery, it can be fixed but at the same time, it is a flaw that isn't really all that obvious until you go looking for it. The issue is there but it isn't as bag a problem as say an inaccurate fuselage outline. The area that needs a little work on this kit is the engine shroud near the exhaust. Some filler will do the job there. I hope this is of use.

 

LD.

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Thanks, I don't know what that modeler was getting at but I have seen models

of this kit with the rotors on "backwards" NOT the way they are shown on the

sprue, not sure how that happens! It looks more like they weren't really depicted

very well, early style maybe? The only other issue is the exhaust, which way should

they go or again are there two different versions, early and late? See my photos.

Thanks for the answers, Rotor things really confuse me more than wing things!---John

HyKYBeG.jpg

DCtfR93.jpg

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OK so you would just slice part way through the blade where it joins the bracket coming off the

shaft and twist them to get the desired angle as you show in your picture? NOT cut them totally

off?---John

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I just had a quick look on-line at the current issue of Meng Air Modeller magazine. Apparently it features a super-detailed build of the Italeri 1/72 SuperCobra. I will hopefully be able to purchase it in the coming week and I'll report back on whether or not the modeller deals with any rotor issues. 

 

LD.

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LD thanks, I will be most interested what the jury has to say on this. I myself

think there are rotor issues but not as bad as I have heard. I am curious if Italeri

just went with early or pre production rotors as the kits ones don't really look all

that much like pictures I've seen. I've built Italeri's UH-60A and it has the correct

exhaust but it has some issues also, seems no one can get these helicopter

kits right.---John

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This seems to be the helicopter depicted by the Italeri kit. It is the AH-1T+ which later was designated as the AH-1W prototype. 

 

ah1tplus.jpg

 

If you correct the engine fairing near the exhaust, you have an early service AH-1W.

 

LD.

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22 hours ago, john53 said:

OK so you would just slice part way through the blade where it joins the bracket coming off the

shaft and twist them to get the desired angle as you show in your picture? NOT cut them totally

off?---John

No, I cut them off and used a pin to rejoin them with the rotorhead. I also closed the gaps at the exhaust and replaced the gunbarrels with hollow needles.

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