It has been a while, but here is a thing with a fan on top

[BrittMac]

Hello all!  I have shamefully been away for far too long.  Although everything I want to build seems to be a WHIF, I just haven't been able to sit at the bench for quite a while to work on anything.  I have, however, finally finished masking the canopy on my last Cobra.  I have three Cobras basically ready for paint.  One is the Fujimi "-S" Cobra, and the other two are Mono/Rev AH-1s/f Cobras.  Well, let me rephrase that last part.  One of the last two is basically an AH-1F Cobra, but the other is a bit different.  It was a modernized Cobra when it was working for the Army, but it was put in storage.  Years later, and after it was realized that most Governments were cash strapped, including the US, they brought the airframe out of retirement.  Bell had already improved upon the Cobra by giving it a four blade rotor system long before it retired, but the US gov't never bought into it.   Years later, it was realized that all the airframes sitting around could be used as more than just gate guards.  Bell basically slapped on a new four bladed rotor system and transmission on, but these benefitted from 20 years of progress in materials so they were able to keep the airframe intact without major modification for the new transmission and rotor.   The Cobra here is made for shipboard use.  It has a folding rotor that was not needed by land-based forces.  It has been upgraded with systems that can use modern weapons, such as any Hellfire missle, and its systems have been left 'open ended' for any other weapon that can be integrated. 
The -N (for Naval, and -M for the non naval variant) Cobra's transmission can handle more than the original -F models engine could produce.  The AH-1N/M is powered by the Lycoming T5508D (the same that powered the 214 Big Lifter), but is not derated quite as much as the 214lifter was.

Okay, now onto the model itself.  It began life as the Monogram AH-1S (which should be labeled as an AH-1F or AH-1S Fully Modernized, but that is okay). I added chaff/flare launchers to each wing that are from Wernerswings.com (they are not an individual sale item, but who knows if you can convince him to make you a couple extra?).  I used the extra vertical stabs from the Italeri AH-1Z kit and placed them on the horizontal stabs on the Monogram/Revell kit.  No fit issues at all, glued right on.  I added a couple bumps and lumps to represent some new sensors and vents.  A slight bulge was added on each side forward of the stub wings, that enables a little more avionics space.  The cannon was also modified.  It was slightly shortened, but kept enclosed like the Marines used it in shipboard use.  Nothing wrong with streamlining these days!  The rotorhead was made from a 1/72 Seahawk tailrotor and a "local" resin smiths blades.  (I must give big props to Joseph Osborn for letting me get these blades from him).  I just added some wires and adjusted the blades on the Seahawks hub to make the folding hub.  A two shot TOW launcher was added from an AH-6 kit, a 2.75 Rocket pod from the kit was used, a Hellfire launcher was modded from a 4-shot to a 2-shot kit from the Revell Apache, and a small external fuel tank was made from the same 1/72 Seahawk kit(kitbashed).  Anyways, here are a couple horrible pics of it from my cell phone.  I will take better ones after shooting some base coats on the kits.  Hope you enjoy.



Also, the front optics turret was replaced with a more modern optics kit.  That is seen on the desk near the kit in the pics.  I have not decided if I will give it the 4 bladed tail-rotor from the apache or give it a regular tail rotor.
Sorry I have not been around for a while, but I never forgot about this site!
Brandon

[chrisonord]

Looking good Brandon, upgrade helicopters is a fav of mine too. Looking forward to what else you do to it 
Cheers,
Chris. 

[GTX]

Looking good - nice work on the folded rotors!

Regards,

Greg

[Pablo1965]

Hard and difficult work, great

[BrittMac]

Thanks for the encouragement guys.  Pablo, I wish I could say it was hard work, but it wasn't.  This is really just a test build to see if I like the rotor layout and such.  I do have plans to make another Cobra similar to this one, but with some actual plastic cutting involved.  I technically did cut off the nose optics on this build (being replaced with the more modern looking dome camera in the picture in front of the Hellfire launcher), but this and modding the Hellfire launcher is really nothing.  I am considering using the Apache tailrotor for this guy.  I didn't really want to, but I also didn't want to use two regular AH-1F tail rotors to make a four blade tail rotor (and it is easy since it is already made).  I do believe that this guy is gonna be grey, like the current AH-1W Cobras.  I know Grey is "boring" but this WHIF is supposed to be a low cost alternative to new-build SuperCobras (this is before the Zulu Cobra program).

On my next build I am planning a four blade rotor system again, but a different engine.......... I hope it works out like I want it to. 
I have to work the next several days, and on my off days I am sanding, spackling, and painting a bathroom, so I may not make quick progress on the painting of this guy.  There are two other Cobras next to this AH-1N, and they are ready for paint as well, so hopefully I will have a cousin next to the AH-1N soon enough.
Take care,
Brandon

[John Howling Mouse]

But...don't quit now...more progress and more pics...please!

[Pablo1965]

Wel, I think you follow another mountage sistem. but the idea is great, and I think the colour low visibility grey is perfect.

[sotoolslinger]

Nice work Brandon Glad to see you back.

[BrittMac]

Well, a malfunctioning gas water heater and my work schedule has kept me from doing anything this week until today, but I did get some rotors painted black, along with assorted other bits.
I was kind of surprised how much paint I used, until I thought about the fact I was painting five rotors (1 AH-1S, 1 AH-1F, the custom AH-1N, 1 AH-1Z italeri rotor, and 1 cut down apache rotor).  Only the first three rotors have a home, at the moment.  I have ideas for the AH-1Z and apache rotors, and just wanted to get paint on them.

I will get some pics up as soon as I can.  I am gonna throw on a base coat of grey real quick, then go to bed.  So, pics later today I suppose.

I may paint all three Cobras grey.  I am not sure yet.....OOH, nevermind, I just figured out what to do with my AH-1S.  HA!  You guys will like it.
Brandon

[BrittMac]

Well, I got paint on all three Cobras last night.  Oh wait, I didn't mention that I had THREE Cobras in the works?  Well, oops.  I sort of did, if you paid attention to my previous post, but I will let it slide this time.

I have two Monogram AH-1S/F kits here and one old Fuji AH-1S "TOW Cobra" kit.  The two newer kits will be in a semi-normal grey/grey scheme.  No huge departure from todays schemes.  The Fuji kit is getting some different flavor.  Think....hmm.....darker but not sinister, old school but maybe new again.  I gotta figure how I will do this, but it will get done.

Primarily, I think the AH-1N will be done soonest, since the weapons are all picked out for it.  I have not picked out anything for the other two kits.  Heck, they could stay bare, who knows?
With luck, I could finish or get close to finishing the -N before I go back to work on Sunday.  Not holding my breath, but we will see.

Don't hate on my pics too much.  Cell phone camera is easier and faster than getting my big guns out when it comes to getting a quick pick onto the net.





Hope to get some more paint on tonight.  Wish me luck.

[Pablo1965]

Really are a wonderfull trio.

[John Howling Mouse]

You know, seeing your models, I have suddenly realized just how sleek and cool-looking Cobras really are.