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Unfortunately no. There was a Cobra Company resin upgrade set but CC is no more. Another company picked up the molds but for all practical purpose releases have been vapor wear as I recall. 

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13 hours ago, Piker38 said:

Is there a modern kit of this version of the Cobra in 1:48 ?

I see the Fujimi kit, but that appears to be a 1990's tooling - is there a better way to build a good quarter-scale AH-1J ?

 

K

I have a bunch of them.  I can sell you one and even maybe a Cobra Company cockpit set

Floyd

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14 hours ago, Tank said:

Unfortunately no. There was a Cobra Company resin upgrade set but CC is no more. Another company picked up the molds but for all practical purpose releases have been vapor wear as I recall. 

Lonestar Models picked up the Cobra Company line. I bought the CC V-22 detail kit from there after the change. The owner shut down the website while he cared for his dying wife over the last year.  She died just a couple weeks ago.  His plan is reopen sometime after the first of the year.

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2 hours ago, Crash Test Dummy said:

Lonestar Models


Thanks for that, just couldn’t recall. Sorry to hear about his wife. I sorta recall hearing of those issues before. My vaporware comment was for the years prior where at least publicly what was said did not indicate those type of issues where happening and product wasn’t coming out. Taking care of family should come first. 

Edited by Tank
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On 11/8/2022 at 1:23 PM, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

I have a bunch of them.  I can sell you one and even maybe a Cobra Company cockpit set

Floyd

 

Thanks for your offer, but I was really hoping to buy/convert/upgrade a more modern kit to get better detailing than the Fujimi... which seems quite dated.

As I've not heard of a new-mold AH-1J in the near future, I was even wondering whether a kit-bash between the Special Hobby AH-1G and the Fujimi kit might be possible ?

K

 

 

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10 hours ago, Piker38 said:

buy/convert/upgrade a more modern kit to get better detailing than the Fujimi... which seems quite dated.


As I recall the biggest knock on the kit is the soft interior, which Cobra Company addresses. Master has metal barrel set released, but one could use tubing to replace. Werner Wings has made the needed rocket pods or pretty darn close as I think the Army and Marines a slightly different but only those ordie guys will notice and care. The rocket pods is about the only thing can be used. Maybe some bits from the pit but then you have do the rest. 
 

I wouldn’t get the SH just to upgrade the J but if your getting it anyway for a G then a few parts can be used otherwise those sets listed above is better way to go in my opinion. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/10/2022 at 5:23 AM, Tank said:

All that said, I wouldn’t mind if ICM or Special Hobby wanted to do a J kit as it would pair nicely with the OV-10 kit. 

Funny you mention that. 
I'm looking to build a Vietnam era AH-1 and saw an ad for the ICM 48303 Forward Base with AH-1G and OV-10A. So, has anyone heard anything on this 1/48 Cobra? Its not listed anywhere Stateside to purchase the set or individual kit. 

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On 11/8/2022 at 8:23 AM, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

I have a bunch of them.  I can sell you one and even maybe a Cobra Company cockpit set

Floyd

Does that include a bunch of CC cockpit sets? If so, and you're will to sell one, id be more than happy to take one off of your hands

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1 hour ago, ST0RM said:

Funny you mention that. 
I'm looking to build a Vietnam era AH-1 and saw an ad for the ICM 48303 Forward Base with AH-1G and OV-10A. So, has anyone heard anything on this 1/48 Cobra? Its not listed anywhere Stateside to purchase the set or individual kit. 

Jeff, I did a search on evilbay and it is showing many listings of this kit in the EU but nothing on this side of the pond.   I'm curious how the ICM Cobra compares to the Special Hobby Cobra.

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1 hour ago, Drifterdon said:

Jeff, I did a search on evilbay and it is showing many listings of this kit in the EU but nothing on this side of the pond.   I'm curious how the ICM Cobra compares to the Special Hobby Cobra.

Same. eBay is the only source of them from Eastern Europe. So, its a waiting game to see if any US retailer gets them. 
I'm very curious.
As for the Special Hobby Cobra, is it a tough build? 

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37 minutes ago, ST0RM said:

Same. eBay is the only source of them from Eastern Europe. So, its a waiting game to see if any US retailer gets them. 
I'm very curious.
As for the Special Hobby Cobra, is it a tough build? 

I don't have the kit (yet) but there is a review over on Hyperscale.   Link here.   Special Hobby Kit No.SH48202 - AH-1G Spanish & IDF/AF Cobras Review by John Miller (hyperscale.com)

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7 hours ago, ST0RM said:

Funny you mention that. 
I'm looking to build a Vietnam era AH-1 and saw an ad for the ICM 48303 Forward Base with AH-1G and OV-10A. So, has anyone heard anything on this 1/48 Cobra? Its not listed anywhere Stateside to purchase the set or individual kit. 


ScaleHobbiest and Sprue Brothers have the  single kit AH-1G with M35 for sale under the Special Hobby label.

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They seem to have some linkage.  As noted, the 1/32 SH kits are reboxed ICM plastic with added resin and PE details parts.  Nothing has been said about the 1/48 kits, but the parts seem to show an almost identical breakdown as the 1/32 kit.  It’s like they shared the same set of CAD files and simply scaled them down.  Given the 1/32 relationship, they probably have some sort of willing partnership.

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I've built both the ICM/Special Hobbies 1/32nd scale kit (twice) and finishing up the Special Hobbies 1/48th scale kit (twice).  They are basically the same kit just scaled down. 

 

Special Hobbies 1/32 kit is the ICM kit with extra parts that I think are worth the investment.  I suspect that the ICM boxing of the AH-1G will be the Special Hobbies kit without the resin/ PE/ masks, so basically the Spanish/Israeli boxing.

 

I do recommend that you buy the Special Hobbies High Tech kits, both in 1/32 and 1/48.  They come with essential upgrades for a few dollars more.  

 

As for the AH-1J interiors, I have enough for my models so sorry I can't help with the interior parts.  

 

Just an FYI, still working on decals for the AH-1G in all three scales.  

Floyd

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6 hours ago, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

Just an FYI, still working on decals for the AH-1G in all three scales.  

Floyd

Floyd,

I know Joseph Osborne over at Fireball Modelworks made some really nice decals for the Cobra before he stopped doing helos.   Did you get his artwork or are your decals all new?

Edited by Drifterdon
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13 hours ago, Tank said:


ScaleHobbiest and Sprue Brothers have the  single kit AH-1G with M35 for sale under the Special Hobby label.

I ordered the single AH-1G with extras, from ScaleHobbyist. They had for $63.99 and SB had it for $9 more. Easy buy. Thanks

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8 hours ago, Drifterdon said:

Floyd,

I know Joseph Osborne over at Fireball Modelworks made some really nice decals for the Cobra before he stopped doing helos.   Did you get his artwork or are your decals all new?

All new although I did do some that he did because I liked them.

Floyd

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The Fujimi J can be made into a decent kit if you accept the fact that it’s on par with 80’s Monogram kits (maybe worse). The plastic (especially the canopy) is old and brittle, detail is a bit soft, and markings are lackluster unless you go the custom route. Also, the angle of the nose is off, but can be corrected. For mine, I added the ALE-39 dispensers, AN/ALQ-144 jammer, round cross tubes and markings to bring it up to 1980’s standards. I still have a couple Js in the queue, but I still anxiously await (hope) for an improved AH-1J, in ANY scale!
 

Semper Fly,

 

Ski

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