I’m looking for a blackhawk to build that is as close to what the US uses now… with or without conversion kits
Any reccomendations?
I’m also building a dragon 1/35 little bird so i kinda want to give it the 160th nightstalker motif… and a another one with the MELB kit… so i can have a set.
The pavehawk looks good but i’m unsure about the fuel cells, the look clunky.
Any pilot or soldier figures that look good in them?
The best one to get for the 160 SOAR bird would be the MRC/Academy AH-60L DAP (actually an MH-60L). The Academy UH-60A/L , MH-60G Pavehawk, and AH-60L DAP are all the same basic kit, with different options. They are all great, the fuel tanks are the right porportion, that is how they look. The Italeri UH-60 A/L is just a rebox of the MRC/Academy kit with diferent decal options. AFV Club has also rebooxed it as a Hong Kong Coast Guard SAR bird as a S-70C with some added resin parts as well.
160 SOAR AH-60L DAP:
Standard UH-60A/L:
USAF MH-60G Pavehawk:
Italeri UH-60A/L:
AFV Club Hong Kong Coast Guard SAR S-70C (can be built into a nice early A model Blackhawk):
For pilots, here is the rundown:
DML has Vietnam era crew:
Nemrod has modern UH-60 crew and a couple of guys that look like a crew chief and a AF PJ:
CMK has a set of three crewmen and a few GIBs (Guys in Back) designed for UH-60s, but pilots and crew chief have Vietnam era “Chicken Plate” armored vests, I have seen them advertised as UH-1 crew as well. Soldiers look from about ODS era (late '80s to early '90s):
Same CMK set as Vietnam era UH-1D/H crew.
GIBs
Verlinden made/makes a standing US Cobra pilot as well, no photo. Pretty good figure w/ flight suit and survival vest carrying helmet bag.
Dynasty has a set of 2 resin figures called UH-60 Helicopter Crew: 1 helmeted male w/ M16 carbine; 1 female wearing cavalry hat, no pic, but I have seen it, kinda hokey, female is in image of Barbie, she doesn’t look too realistic.
Also, some kits come with good crews. In Academy/MRC UH-1B/C kits, you get a 4-man crew from Vietnam era. Academy/MRC OH-58D kits come with a pretty good modern 2-man crew. Academy MRC Bell-47 comes with good Korean war era pilot as well. (Notice the Academy/MRC trend? Hmm?)
That about covers it. Not much out there, definitely an area that needs more attention.
For upgrades, Cobra Company has some great update sets. Check thier website to see them.
Cobra Company web site: http://www.cobracompany.com/35th_scale_models.htm
Hope that answers your questions. The Academy Blackhawks are great, I highly recommend them.
Comprehensive post, i love it.
Thanks for the help. i think i’ll build a pavehawk in desert colours and go with the more modern look… which conversion kit for the pavehawk is the best one, or should i get a few?
CC has the MH-60 update set, it is good. If you get any, I would get the UH-60L correction set and the UH-60 Blackhawk detail set. They has basic items to improve the look of the kit, here they are: http://www.cobracompany.com/35004.htm http://www.cobracompany.com/35002.htm
You actually don’t need the CC update sets to get a good model, it is well detailed out of the box. If you want to go the superdetailed route, Eduard makes a couple of PE sets for the UH/MH-60s as well, I hear they are good, I don’t like PE personally.
As for the desert paint scheme, current USAF Pavehawks are mostly in overall Gunship gray, some still sport the European 1color scheme as on the Academy box as well. The desert scheme was only used by a couple of units in ODS, not OIF.
Gunship Gray MH-60G:
European 1 scheme:
If you plaon on putting it with the 2 Littlebirds, I would stick with the 169 SOAR MH-60L DAP kit.
Good luck.
Here’s an OIF HH-60G in desert colors!
I think i might build both… i like the pavelow.
But the AH-60L looks mean as hell with the armed wings.
Any tips on weathering these beasts i really don’t want to mess up such expensive models
What would be the best way of creating a aussie blackhawk from a kit +aftermarket stuff
In his exhaustive post HeavyArty forgot to mention Eduard’ photo etched sets one for the exterior and one for the interior; both are meant for the UH-60L but the exterior kit fits all (Blackhawk, Pavehawk and DAP) while you’ll have to discard some parts of the interior kit if you use it on the Pavehawk and the DAP.
Weathering is limited to dirt of various kind: from the one between the panel lines to the sand on top (in case of desrt operations). There should be no color chipping because the helicopters are repainted frequently (at least that’s what I understood).
Regarding the crews I have both kits CMK’S and Nemrod’s … if you can get Nemrod’s they are a LOT more accurate!
There are various methods to weather an aircraft and some are reported at the Aircraft Resource Center (briefly ARC) in the "Tools n’ Tips " section.
I usually redraw the panel lines with a soft pencil and then I apply sepia china ink and pass gently with a soft cloth over it to get streaks; it looks something like this when done:
post #300
Avus,
Thought I was slipping, check my second post, mentioned the Eduard PE there.
Cobrahistorian,
Those desert Pavehaks are interresting, haven’t see any OIF Pavehhawks in desert camo, do you know what unit is operating them? Looks like a two-tone sand and khaki scheme.
Nezbit,
I don’t think the Aussie Blackhawks have anything special to them, a standard UH–60L with square rear stabilizer as in the Pavehawk and DAP kits (also in CC UH-60L correction set), would work, with 3-tone Aussie camo.
Here are some Aussie birds;
Here is an Aussie Blackhawk decal sheet I found too.
http://www.kitreview.com/reviews/blackhawkdecalsreviewbg_1.htm
They would give an interresting bird with different camo than standard US Army Helo Drab.
305th RQS out of Davis Monthan. Tail code “DR” The scheme is actually three-tone, sand, khaki and a medium brown not unlike desert BDUs
Sorry HeavyArty, missed that![bow]
Hey Trigger74 seems that you are becoming quite the Pavehavk expert.
From now forth thou shalt be know as Pavehistorian![(-D]
Well, not’s get carried away. Salbando might have something to say about that.[:D]
Speaking from an Aussie the Blackhawks we use here are the S-70A-9 Blackhawk nothing flash but it gets the job done…
Here is a pic of the S-70 BattleHawk but not in AusCam.
These BattleHawks are used in the Australian Army’s AIR-87 Armed Reconnaissance Program.
Cya’s
Robert
Isn’t that Italery-kit the same as Academy’s (both MRC)?
Yes, from my earlier post.
It has decal options for 3 different versions, Israeli Air Force '99, US Army Somalia '92, US Army (101st ABN) Bosnia 2001.
Ok i’ve ordered a AH-60L blackhawk to go with my little birds.
Now i’m going to order another blackhawk, to make up in aussie decals and camo… but finding a set of Aussie decals @ http://www.kitreview.com/reviews/blackhawkdecalsreviewbg_1.htm
It says a conversion kit is need to make it a authentic Aussie S-70A-9… i can’t find a reference for a S-70A-9 kit.
Any ideas?
And thanks for all the help guys
sorry, i think you already answerewd my last post… and i didn’t see it.
Am i right?
Yup, from previous post:
Good luck.
Cheers Heavy.
You’re a one man info desk.
BTW - the decals for the AH-60L are yellow when they should be OD. Thankfully Avus and HeavyArty developed a corrected file that one can output for homemade decals in the correct color to go on the black finish. It also includes some Little Bird markings too.
If Avus and HA don’t mind, I can e-mail you the file but just be forewarned - it’s a respectable file size.