Academy has finally shown sprue shots of their 1/35 AH-1Z Viper that was announced in their '18 catalog. It looks really nice too. Lots of slide molding and some very nice PE. It is due out in Feb '19.
Check it out here: http://mmzone.co.kr/mms_tool/mt_view.php?mms_db_name=mmz_media&no=4501&fbclid=IwAR0Kz70YpFTgXmzdGk5I1nHqcJav44M9vrqaAstf4LkTNUZvJIZjaK-1zwU#.XBpfbZ_IWHl.facebook
Wish it had been a G model. The most ignored variant and the start of the series.
Exactamundo. A strange omission, considering the AH-1G was the original dedicated gunship helo, AND the first into actual combat. Actually, some company should do the full lineup.
Here is a build of it as well. It looks pretty nice.
Oh, I’m going to need this! I am currently making the Italeri 1:48 scale, and just not happy with the quality. I want to do a nice one, as my nephew has just been assigned to fly the Viper. He just earned his Marine wings and it was his first choice.
The Italeri kit is horrible and not an AH-1Z at all. Italeri’s is simply their AH-1W with a 4-blade rotor that was used to test the new Z model rotor system. It looks nothing like an actual Z model Viper.
If you still want to do one in 1/48, the Kitty Hawk kit is awesome and represents a production AH-1Z.
Here is a complete build review by Floyd Werner of Werner’s Wings, who helped on its development.
Any news regarding when this will hit the states?
It should have hit stateside stores already. It has been on eBay from Asian sellers for a while now. I already ordered and received mine a month ago. It looks great too.
Nothing in the states that I could find, not at the mainstream stores anyway. A few on eBay from China and Korea, but I’d rather buy from someone I’ve done business with already. It’s not even listed on Luckymodel or Hobbylink.
Sprue Brothers have had it in stock twice already, but it sells out very quickly.
Thanks. Out of stock now, but they’ll email me when they get it.
so which one is the better kit?
1/35 academy or 1/48 kitty hawk?
Hopefully the decals are of good quality on this one since reading that Academy decals have not been good in the past, citing silvering and poor bonding issues. The markings do look awesome.
Andy’s Hobby Headquarters on utube did a nice build of this model. He said that the decals were cartograph, and they looked pretty good on his finished model.
knox
Good to hear, thanks!