was checking this kit out at the local hobby shop. any good? anyone know? looks great, but i havent built a bird in a number of years now! thanks!
The Panda come Dragon Hueys are pretty good kits. Dragon added some nice PE (however both have the same PE sheet, which means the N has a D/H model instrument panel PE) and a few other features to them. The N and D/H are the same boxings with a few different features. The N has incorrect weapons for a USMC helo though. The interiors are lacking and really need the Cobra Company upgrade/detail sets. The rivets are too big and could use a light sanding to knock them down a bit as well. The rotor blade is wrong for a D or H model too. You can see how to fix them below, or Cobra Company has a rotor blade correction set. Also, you have to know which version you are building and what features go on it. The directions do not point out different parts for different versions and there are parts in the kit to build an early D up through a current UH-1H+ model.
I have built two so far, a UH-1H Vietnam MedEvac and a UH-1H from White Sands Missile Range as a SAR bird.
The rotor blades in the D/H kit are the same as the N kit, but are incorrect for the D/H model. They are easy to fix though. In the below picture you see the kit blade in the middle (UH-1N or Bell 212 blade). The bottom blade shows the area in red that needs to be removed for a UH-1D/H (Bell 205) blade. The top is the corrected blade.
wow…that’s quite a disertation there gino! [(-D] very thorough and im very grateful. thank you for that! anything else i should know as you are correct with all of it! btw, i will look but is there a link to this after market set? also, i havent purchased the kit but was really close to doing so today!! [:D] nice builds too!!
To add to Gino’s treatise on the Dragon UH-1D/H, out of the box you basically have all the parts to build the most upgraded version of the Huey, the Huey II. The Huey II is actually a single engine Huey with a UH-1N (212) tail boom and rotor system.
The windshield also has holes in the top for the windshield wiper blades and some folks have found that objectionable. Also, although the PE is the correct layout for a UH-1H, the instrument panel backing and shroud are correct for the UH-1N but not the UH-1H. In the UH-1H the instrument panel is assymetrical but the N panel is not. Anyway, we’re probably splitting hairs here and it is the only 1/35 long fuselage Huey kit around.
The Dragon kit is a scaled-up version of the 1/48 Italeri UH-1D/H kit, so you might check that one out if you have it to get an idea of the basic parts breakdown and such.
Ray
I agree with all Ray said too. They are not bad kits, they just need a little TLC to make them come out nicely.
Here are the Cobra Company sets:
USAF 20th ASOS UH-1N Detail Set
XM-93 Automatic Gun System (goes w/ USAF 20th ASOS set)
UH-1D/H Drive Train Upgrade Kit
UH-1 Heat Suppressor Kit (Strela Kit)
XM-23 Door Gun Set (M-60D) for UH-1
And a couple UH-1B/C sets:
M-6 Weapons system (Quad M-60C) (For MRC,Italeri UH-1C or Seminar UH-1B kit)
UH-1B backdate set (For Academy/MRC/Italeri UH-1C)
Some other nice pieces can be found at Fireball Modelworks as well. Joseph has decals, ASE sets, and a bunch of other Huey and Cobra sets.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Anything from Fireball and Cobra Company is top notch. I should know, I own one of almost everything they have for the Huey[:D]
Ray
ok…my head is spinning!!! i may need a few days to sort all this out!!! [(-D] thanks guys…guess i asked the right people! [tup]
Just think, we’re only talking models. Just wait till you delve into the often confusing world of the real machines. Check this thread for a lot of good Huey links:
/forums/809205/ShowPost.aspx
If you have any questions, just holler. We love our Hueys around these parts!
Ray
PS: PLEASE don’t get your Huey info from the Military channel. Just got finished watching two documetaries on the Huey and Cobra. Jees, the movies were cool, but the accuracy of the dialogue that acompanied them was rather poor to say the least.
Hey Guys,
To carry this conversation one step further, I recently purchased one of the UH-1N Kits for eventual conversion into a Bell 412. I know that the 412 has a 4 blade main rotor vs. the two blade Huey. I have also heard discussion that the nose of the fuselage is incorrect, and needs fixing. Other than that, any other major differences? I am trying to decide whether to go with an additional kit for the two blades needed, as well as modified rotor system parts, etc., or the Cobra Company set. I haven’t compared the kit yet to the drawings that I got from the Bell site… Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. This will probably be a civilian fire service/ medical unit, or one recentlydelivered to the Delaware State Police. Thanks in advance.
David
David,
You have your work cut out for you making a 412 from a 212. The biggest problem is the rotors. It isn’t just two 212 rotors attached to the rotorhead, but 4 smaller blades with a totally different shape. Also, the transmission fairing is totally different. You are talking a pretty significant mod there. Check em out.
Ray
412:
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UH-1N (212)
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The 412 would be a major conversion. Aside from what Ray already said, the rotor head is totally different as well. There was a guy at Heli-Kit News, Michael Kren, who has done it many times with the Panda/Dragon 1/35 UH-1N though. He apparently made a resin copy of his conversion parts. Unfortunately, he is no longer active there and isn’t getting or answering emails. I have tried to contact him a few times to see if he wanted to sell a conversion kit, but have had no response.
Here are a few of his great-looking 1/35 412 builds.
If you look at the rotor head, it looks like he used two AH-1W rotor heads to make it.
those are some nice looking birds there. they look like they could actually take off and start flying around. i’m almost intimidated now in getting the kit and putting it together as i dont think (no , i know i cant) i can compete with this kinid of stuff. like i said, i havent put one of these together more than out of the box in years! but, i certainly dont mind looking at everyone’s great work! [:D]
Don’t be discouraged. Those are just examples of what can be done with it. You can make a perfectly fine Huey out of the box and with a little TLC. You don’t even need the Cobra Company sets, they just make the details better. I say go for it!
I concur with Gino. The only bad Hueys are the one’s that never get built! Put one together and post some pics so we can admire your handywork. Most of all, HAVE FUN!!!
Ray
well, is that what people are going to say or is gino going to give me the “hey that aint right” look!! [(-D] thanks guys…i already built an m1a2…but its a toss up between another one or the huey!!! my mind really is thinking huey!!! [:D]
btw, did they camo those for special forces during nam? dont remember? would be nice wouldnt it.
I say go Huey for sure! As far as our critiques of accuracy, as long as YOU are happy our opinions are like…well you know.
With regard to cammo schemes used during Vietnam, check this thread:
/forums/1/807331/ShowPost.aspx#807331
There are lots of others as well, but this will get you started.
Ray
thanks r.w.!!! some nice pics in there. oh and somehow i figured you’d opt for the huey! [:-^]
Well if you want to get technical, I’d opt for the UH-1C with an M-21 system (M134 minigun/M158 rocket pods) and a couple of free 60’s in the doors. Something like this baby right here:
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I think Mel will back me up on my choice here. But I am a wee bit biased!
Ray
I tried to contact him, too, for the last time last year but got no reply.
BUT I heard that there is someone else working on a “Griffon-conversion” (Griffon is the Canadian name for the 412) …
Yep, wait till Mel gets back and he’ll be going “Huey - Huey - Huey” !
As for me, CJ, I’d opt for the Huey and leave the “target” (aka Abrams) in the LHS.