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ICM 1/32 AH-1G (Early Production)


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Can't tell you what's missing and what details they omitted (I think others in the thread would have waaaaay more expertise there) – but I just felt that it wouldn't hold up out of the box, especially as you can see it pretty well. Here's the rendering by the company.

 

39108_32060-16.thumb.jpg.1fe730f10b34ee4440eef0a3e7001a3f.jpg

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7 hours ago, Twelve Birds said:

Can't tell you what's missing and what details they omitted (I think others in the thread would have waaaaay more expertise there) – but I just felt that it wouldn't hold up out of the box, especially as you can see it pretty well. Here's the rendering by the company.

 

39108_32060-16.thumb.jpg.1fe730f10b34ee4440eef0a3e7001a3f.jpg

Agreed.  It’s a really nice kit but in some areas, (cockpit, weapons come to mind), the detail is pretty basic.   Certainly not a deal breaker, just an observation.   
 

On a related subject, anyone heard an ETA on the 35th scale snake?

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks Dave but it seems instruction errors ICM's (in elevator choice) and Special Hobby's Wretched Mildred decals weren't corrected.  A previous post stated that the riveted elevators (marked not for use) are the correct ones for this serial number series.  Also, one of the members of the Centaurs pointed out that Wretched Mildred was the only snake with a female Centaur (on one side).

 

image.png.8e57395e09ca5d6d676faf696310f786.png

 

At this point, I don't see the serial in Chinese characters above the normal serial:

image.png.b0f5fe3addedcc85ca2541cef2c6056d.png

 

Replacement tail boom is on; however shark mouth is also still on:

image.png.b1323dad708a618f2fdc903eed4788e2.png

New tail is on, still has a sharkmouth but no Centaurs or Chinese characters:

image.png.b117d37f9f62493cbdabd69aca7a1d68.png

With Chinese characters under cockpit:

image.png.bd562c849de6a4dbded5df98e09e4acb.png

 

 

Regards,

Edited by sharkmouth
Make it closer to what was meant.
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So, to be fair, the correct elevators are in the kit, it’s simply a matter of using them instead of the ones in the instructions.  Also, are the Wretched Mildred decals actually wrong and unusable, or it’s simply a matter of using/not using certain elements?  The instructions just give dates of 1971 and 1972 for the options, so could there have been intermediate stages of how she looked between the two states provided by SH?

 

Its good info, but neither seem like a deal breaker, or not make the kit a worthwhile upgrade to the original ICM boxing.

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1 minute ago, Dave Williams said:

Its good info, but neither seem like a deal breaker, or not make the kit a worthwhile upgrade to the original ICM boxing.

Not a deal breaker by a long shot!  In my shopping cart already.  Sorry if that was the impression I gave.  Actually, the crew member sent me other photos showing the Chinese serials (but the tail doesn't look replaced so I am awaiting his answer in order to get an idea of the order of the marking changes).

 

The female Centaur is on the left side.  For some reason, the crew member's wife who scanned the photos had them come out flipped.  This means the Chinese characters under the cockpit are on both sides without a sharkmouth.  Until I get a response, I have no idea if the Chinese serials on the tail were added later, along with the characters under the cockpit.  He did state that there were no white markings on main rotor. Cav. flags only on upper sync elevators.

 

He is also to confirm my question if H and 89 appeared on the lower port and starboard synchronized elevators. 

 

Regards,

 

 

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Gary happens to be a member here.  He informed me of the shark mouth, no Centaurs, rotor port side, no Chinese characters or serial, is first.

 image.png.b117d37f9f62493cbdabd69aca7a1d68.png

 

Then the rotor was changed to starboard side (tail color is different shade of OD being newer).  Sharkmouth still on it, no Centaurs or Chinese serials/name:

image.png.b1323dad708a618f2fdc903eed4788e2.png

 

During a repaint, Chinese names/serials added, Centaurs added with Gary making the port side one female, sharkmouth overpainted to be replaced.

cobranames9021.jpg

cobranames9022.jpg

Chinese name (snake) appears on both sides.

Port:

cobranames9023.jpg

 

Starboard:

image.png.bd562c849de6a4dbded5df98e09e4acb.png

 

Gary says he knows they were repainting the sharkmouth when they had a mishap.

 

Regards,

Edited by sharkmouth
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Just got the new kit with crew... My hope of a new shark mouth, since I have not seen a photo of the artwork subject with two sets of eyes, was dashed. Other than a new cover art, it is simply all the unmodified plastic sprue trees, decals, and instruction sheet from 32061 with an added instruction sheet and two small/ 1 large figure sprue trees from 32114.

241853650_1730478157145115_3834268191938

 

Not really a problem for me since The Gladiator and #1 Du Me Mi both have shark mouth schemes and the duplicate sheets help me correct one of the mistakes from the original release (Cav Flags needed for upper surface of the synchronized stabilators). Had they included the early decal sheet and instructions, I think more customers would be happy as all the sprue trees from the early kit are there.

 

Now, waiting on the Special Hobby updated one.

027186_05_120409.jpg

 

Going by the specs in the TM, the rocket pods are too long.   I hope Special Hobby corrects that with their replacement parts.

 

Regards,

Saul

Edited by sharkmouth
Spellcheck Police, only warning this time.
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  • 2 months later...
On 6/26/2021 at 5:46 AM, rotorwash said:

I remember now why I stopped posting here.  The photo upload utility SUCKS! 1673427232_AH-1GAug151967004small.thumb.jpg.a8a3f8d089f52d7012cfaed84bebd17b.jpg1398520230_AH-1GAug151967005small.thumb.jpg.c445a3571739f1729169e7f28a7514b7.jpg1487041088_AH-1GAug151967006small.thumb.jpg.66f15cab66a67a58e3824d5c0386550f.jpg

 

If anyone can assist with this query, I'd be obliged. Were any of the early-production TAT-102 Cobras fitted with a right-side tail rotor instead of a left-side one? I am considering entering a Group Build over on Britmodeller for Matchbox kits and they have an early TAT-102 Cobra in their range that I'd like to build. I am interested in building it as a Stateside test ship similar to Bearcat 15. I found a photo of the actual BuNu that features in the Matchbox kit but it has a left-side TR while in Army service (according to that photo) and then, when it is transferred to NASA, it is seen with a right-side TR. Perhaps it was converted from left to right while still in Army service. The Matchbox kit has a right-side TR and TAT-102 turret. Thanks for any assistance and sorry for thread hijack.

 

BM.

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  • 8 months later...

 

The above photo of this aircraft is not a '68 model.  It's a '66 model.  the VHF antennae is in the pylon forward of the swashplate, and besides no '68 models had blue canopies, and the 361st Pink Panthers were an Aerial Weapons Company, just like the 334th AWC.    From the above:  This is 68-15051, the 594th Cobra built; a 361 Aerial Escort Company G model at the Volcano LZ near Duc Lap in November 1969. It has a blue canopy and there is no Environmental Control System inlet. Additionally, the VHF blade antenna is not present on the underside of the tail boom.

 

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