1/35 Academy MH-60L DAP and UH-60L done, lots of pics

Below is my completed Academy 1/35th MH-60L DAP. It represents a current aircraft as used by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).

I used parts from the Cobra Company MH/HH-60G Update set, UH-60L Correction/Detail set, and the M230 30mm Cannon Rig set. The decals were custom made by Klaus Pagano (Avus) in the correct OD Green colors, as opposed to the crappy yellow kit decals. I added lots of scratch details as well to include the Fast Rope rig; engine control levers on the upper console; handles, locks and other bits on the nose; ammo belts from the CC UH-1N Weapons sets for the miniguns; spent brass chutes on the miniguns from old coils from a Star Wars Speeder Bike; etc., etc.

Cobra Company sets used.
MH/HH-60G Upgrade set (selected parts used)

UH-60L Correction set (selected parts used)

M230 30mm Cannon Rig

It is painted Ultra Flat Black from a spray can of Camo Paint. Then, after a coat of gloss, decals and two coats Testors Flat, I drybrushed with Gunship Gray, and then drybrushed with another coat of flat black.

Here it is. Check in Showcase II below for pics. Bandwith is killing me. Hope you like it.

Below is my Academy 1/35 UH-60L representing an early to mid 1990s to current UH-60L of the 101Airborne Division.

It is the standard Academy UH-60A/L kit with Cobra Company’s UH-60L Correction/Detail set (see above). I actually built the model a couple of years ago, but recently added the CC upgrade set to it. To make it a true UH-60L, you have to add the CC parts. The kit is actually an A model out of the box. To make it a correct L model, you need the FOD covers on the front of the intakes (squares that cover the side openings), and extended sponson boxes (about 10" wider on the real bird) forward of the wheels to allow space for the roll stabilized bars added to L models. The CC set comes with all of this and also a new rear bulkhead (which I saved for a later project). I also replaced the cyclics and collectives, added pieces to the instrument panel and added the overhead engine control levers. In the cabin, I added the fourth seat on the rear facing middle row, Academy only gives you 3 seats for this row, should be 4. I also added various tie down rings and d-rings to the rear cabin and the Squad Leader’s intercom/radio on the cabin roof. The kit M60Ds were replaced with ones from the DML Vietnam Helo Crew as well. The kit M60D parts are large and blobs of plastic, they don’t represent M60Ds well at all. I added other bits and pieces around the cabin as well such as fire extinguishers and a crach axe.

It is painted with Testors MM US Army Helo Drab, and finished in the normal way of glosscoat, decals, and dulcoat, then selectively drybrushed with aluminum and dusty coats.

The crew are a combination of kits and resin pieces. The pilots are from the Academy OH-58D kit. For the gunners the lower legs, arms, and heads are from the DML Vietnam Helo Crew set. Their torsos are copies of the Verlinden Cobra Pilot figure. The torsos have the survival vest over a normal flight suit, I think they look pretty good for a modern/semi-modern crewman.

Hope you like them. I am pretty proud of them.

Thanks for looking.

Gino, very impressive pair of builds you’ve got there!![tup] excellent work indeed!! later.

Wow, uh…I need to pick my jaw up off the floor, lol. Both awesome builds!![tup][tup][tup][tup] Love the DAP interior especially.

What can I say Gino, those Blackhawks look awesome. [tup] I hope mine come out that good; makes me want to go out, pick up another MH-60L and arm it to the teeth! Great interior on the DAP. It doesn’t seem like it was all that long that you shared pix of the interior; was assembly after that point that fast?

p.s. - I’m glad to see the pilots went to a good home!

Gino,
Amazing indeed. Being a 60guy I love to look at others depictions of the bird. Very good. I hope I can get to that level of build. My challenge to you now is to rip out the jumpseats in that slick and SB a working carosel ( that would not be easy) update the cockpit to a “Q” model, blast off those decals and throw on some red crosses. Now that would be really cool! Well… probably not as cool as what you have just shown us… bravo!

JEEPERS!!!

Holy cow dude! VERY NICE WORK!!

[bow][bow][bow]

[bow]WOW! I repeat WOW![bow]

Those two birds are looking great!
Seems you eventually got a sunny day! [;)]
I see the small printed decals came out good, too.

[bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow][bow] and WOW!

Brilliant work, Gino!

Thanks guys.

Avus, yup, the decals came out great and we finally had a break in the weather.

BEAUTIFUL WORK Gino!!!

I really like the work that you did on the troop seats on the L. I think that is one of the weak areas of the kit and you really made them shine!

Mac

lookin mighty fine there Gino.

I especially dig the MH-60L DAP. Hey, am I correct in noticing that you’ve got a combo deal going on the her chaff/flare buckets? Looks like a couple M-130s with a couple AN/APR-39/47 rigs. I know the m-130s come with the CC upgrades, but how did you go about making the other two (curious since we’re sporting 6 of them on our Pavehawks).

Again Sierra Hotel on both birds!

Gino,

Great work! Thanks for posting the pictures. I still have to get a “DAP” Black Hawk but have the others. Truly inspirational!

Gino,

AWESOME builds!!![bow] I really like the AH-60 DAP, a very excellent job in detail. If you put her on a flightline by herself and took a picture, most folks would think she was the 1:1 scale version. Thanks for sharing.[:)]

Gino, Great job on both helos. I love the detail work on them.

All, Thanks for the compliments. They were fun to build. I still have a couple more 1/35 Blackhawk kits to do as well. One as a USAF MH-60G circa mid to late 1990’s, and one backdated to an early UH-60A using CC’s new A model exhaust from Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, 1983.

Sal,
The AN/APR-39/47 rigs come in the DAP kit. They look really great. I haven’t seen them anywhere else.

Guess I’m gonna have to pick up one (or two) of the DAP kits, and do a little reverse engineering.[:D]

Thanks again Gino and keep them coming!

Sal, the DAP kit is actually the best deal out of the bunch. You get all the sprues from the previous UH-60L and MH-60G kits included. You can build any version from it. It is a little more than the others, but you have half a kit left over once done.

I know one helo kit that just jumped up a few notches on my wish list…[:D]

Makes me really want to practice before I take my Pave Hawk out of its box. You’ve set the bar pretty high, HeavyArty! Thanks for the inspiration!