Something I haven’t built yet is a helicopter, and I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for a good first kit. I like aircraft in 1/48 and 1/32 scale, and my preference is for a high quality kit (great fit, good detail, and clear instructions), even if it is more expensive. Suggestions?
TomB
Personally, I would go with just about any of the Academy/MRC offerings.
Good detail and not that bad pricewise. They offer kits in 1/48 and 1/35.
I have always, and will continue to, recommend the AH1S from Monogram from the late 80s. REally good fit, just sand off the locating pins, and you will only need to apply a touch of filler at the top of the nose, and just behind the aft skid tube. I have built a LOT of these kits, so using liquid glue and letting it ooze out during assembly will fill up almost all seams.
dont forget noseweight under the cockpit tub, its a tailsitter!
check mine out at http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/hlmp/home.html and look in the Snakepit as well as the buildup pages, where I go step by step on building a pair of Cobras.
HTH
David
HH43
Its a so so kit fit wise, not real bad but takes a little work, not a ton of detail but there is a resin detail set for it from Cobra Company if you want more.
However its unusual (intermeshed counter rotating blades), its big (1/32 scale), and its cheap ($10-15).
Anyway I had fun building Testor’s HH-43 Husky kit.
Wish someone would do an updated version of this kit in 1/48, maybe as a Pedro with the “sputnik” firefighting unit. Its a neat helicopter with an interesting history.
What he said. I have both the CH46 and CH53 and they are gonna be nice once I get to them
The 1/35 AH-1W by MRC/Academy is also a very decent build. Highly recommended.
If cost is no object and you’re looking for really good detail OOB, you can’t go wrong with a Hasegawa 1:48th AH-64. The Alpha and Longbow kits are absolutely beautiful, fit great and the detail is extremely good. Can they be improved on? Sure. The AIRES cockpit really dresses it up even more. I’ve got six of em (one Alpha and five Longbows) and I’ve got several more planned!
Jon
How did I know that you would recommend a 64[:-^]
If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby you should find a couple of Academy helicopters there plus they have a 40% off coupon going on this week.
ME??? Neeeeever. I don’t know what you’re talkin about…
I’ll tell ya, now that I’m flying the thing on the night vision system, I firmly believe the -64 is the most challenging helicopter to fly. By the end of an hour in that thing, my brain’s about oozing out my ear…
Jon
Its a bit on the pricey side, but I REALLY like the MRC/Academy Blackhawks. And with some PE sets, they are really nice kits.
I’d also recommend the Trumpeter CH-47A. It was one of the nicest kits I have built in a while.
You can’t go wrong with the Monogram/Revell AH-1S good kit nice detail. I built one in three weeks and it took a first at the DC IPMS Nats for 1/48 Helos. It was also the first Helo kit I’d ever built. Lots of “other countries” to finish it for. One of my favorites is Jordanian. Bryan denver
Bryan,
I understand that the kit you and others have mentioned is an '80’s kit. Does that mean I have to find it on E-bay or something, or is it still being produced? My LHS didn’t have one and they didn’t seem to be able to locate one through their major distributors. Like to find one, though; it sounds like a good first helicopter kit for me. Thanks,
TomB
Yes, ebay is the best place to find monograms ah-1s. anything less than $6 for it is pretty much the best deal. alot of people try to sell them for $10.
You may also want to try swap meets and model contests with vendors. I picked one up at a contest for five bucks…sweetest little purchase i ever made.
Seems we are in about the same situation. I just started my first helo kit, an Academy BlackHawk. I have 3 versions, because I knew I would want them sooner or later, but I am just starting it, and it seems to be a real good kit. I would recommend it for a first!