This has been lingering on my work bench since Xmas 2024, but made - because of various reasons - only slow progress. But it has come so far that I can post some WiP pics, so here we go.

The kit and its assembly:
This what-if model was inspired by the real attempts of Bell to sell a twin-engine Cobra variant to Germany as a replacement for the light PAH-1/Bo 105 helicopter, while plans were made to build an indigenous successor together with France which eventually became the PAH-2/Tiger. These proposals fell well into the time frame of the (also) real AH-14BW project, and I imagined that this specific helicopter had been lent to the Luftwaffe for evaluation?

Here's a pic of the real AH-1-4BW for reference, even though my build is onyl "inspired by" it:


And here's a pic from a Bell brochure with the respective proposal for Germany, more or less an AH-1W with a new 4-blade main rotor:





The basisfor my ...interpretation of that is the Italeri 1:72 AH-1W kit, a solid basis which requires some work, though. And because I had the remains of a French Tigre at hand (which gave its cockpit for my recent JASDF A-2 build) I decided to use some of the leftover parts for something that borders a kitbashing. This includes the 4-blade main and 3-blade tail rotor, and I integrated the Tiger's scoop-shaped exhaust diffusor behind the main rotor – a tricky task that require a lot of PSR, but the result looks very natural, if not elegant? The Tiger's end plate stabilizers were used, too, mounted to the AH-1's trim stabilizers that were mounted further back, as on the real AH-1-4BW.


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


To change the look even further I decided to add a sensor pod on top of the main rotor, and this required a totally new mechanical solution to hold the latter. Eventually I integrated a sleeve for a fixed metal axis which also holds the sensor ball (from a MisterCraft Westland Lynx – a bit oversized, but suitable for a prototype), and the PAH-2 rotor received an arrangement of levers that hold it in place and still allow it to spin.


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

...and it turned out like this:


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Interesting!

Original post updated with two reference pics. 

I like it! Great kitbash.

Yeah, the Tiger's exhaust diffusor fits really well into the Cobra's lines. Looks very natural, to my surprise. 

An excellent bit of cross-kitting there Thomas. 

👍

The AH-1W is generally referred to as the
"Whiskey" Cobra, so would your Cobra/PAH mashup be the "Blended Whiskey" Cobra?

Isn't there a book around here?

  

Nice!

I had it in mind to use an Italeri AB-214 rotor on an AH-1W to make an AH-1Z, but that's now been superceded by other plans.

Quote from: kerick on January 20, 2025, 08:48:29 AMIsn't there a book around here?

Yup, got a new one for Christmas 

More WiP info, this time about the livery:

Painting and markings:
The Luftwaffe did a LOT of interesting camouflage experiments in the early Eighties, adopting several standardized schemes for aircraft, but the Heeresflieger were less enthusiastic and retained the overall Gelboliv (RAL 6014) scheme before a three-color camouflage, consisting of two green tones and a dirty black was gradually introduced – even though apparently not in a uniform fashion, because there were variations for the darker shade of green (retaining RAL 6014 or using FS 34079, as on the Luftwaffe Norm '83 scheme that was applied to Tornado IDSs, RF-4Es, some Starfighters and to the Transall fleet).

My fictional AH-1-4BW would fall into that transitional phase and I decided to give the helicopter an experimental scheme, which was used/tested on early Tornado IDS, consisting of RAL 7021 (Teerschwarz), RAL 7012 (Basaltgrau) and RAL 6014 (Gelboliv) – on aircraft with undersides in RAL 7000 (Silbergrau), but on a helicopter rather as a wraparound scheme. However, inspired by Luftwaffe F-4Fs with a modified Norm '72 splinter scheme that added a simple light grey fin to break up the aircrafts' profile in a side view, I used RAL 7030 (Steingrau) on the tail tip to achieve the same effect, and the light grey was also used, together with Basaltgrau und Gelboliv mottles on the sensor ball. The cockpit interior became very dark grey, just like the rotor blades.


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The decals were puzzled together from various sources. National markings came from generic Luftwaffe sheets from TL Modellbau, and the dayglo panels were created with decal material from the same company. Stencils came mostly from a Fujimi AH-1 sheet. The photo calibration markings were improvised from black and white decal sheet material, punched out, cut into quarters, and then applied as circles. Adds an experimental touch to the Cobra!


1:72 Bell AH-1-4BW 'SuperCobra' Phase III; '98+11 (s/n 161 022)', Westdeutsche Bundesluftwaffe during evaluation trials at Wehrtechnische Dienststelle (WTD) 61, Manching/Bavaria, 1990 (Whif/Italeri kit conversion) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

5 minutes later ... Almost done!  

Well, this one has been linerging on my table for weeks, I am just posting the collected documentation. Still not finished yet, and no scenic pics.

I like the look of it! Excellent job!
A little final assembly and you can put it on the display shelf. Well done.