Playing around with a a bunch of copters... (no longer just an NH90)

[Captain Canada]

I recently bought a Mongram F-18E in 48th, and it has a pair of Aim-9X and -120s and Sparrows I think, but no bombs. Definately have to check the 72nd scale kit tho, as I would love some more modern options !

[SebastianP]

You have to get the right boxing of the 1/48 kit for the weapons - the Revell of Germany box (with the VX-9 markings on the box) has two JDAM penetrators and two Mk83s in the box (with pebbly texture and everything), on a sprue of their own. The Promodeler box should have them too, but that brand isn't sold here so I don't know for sure.

If you get the 1/72 Super Hornet, make sure you get the right kit there as well - Revell of Germany's first F/A-18E was an Italeri rebox, with fictuous markings (very nice ones, but no Super Hornet ever flew with "MARINES" stenciled on the side...). That kit does come with a pair of SLAM-ERs, which make it about the only source of those (well, it and the original Italeri issue). The new-tool kit has the same weapons as the 1/48, and more or less the same parts breakdown too.

And as for other weapons, I discovered while browsing Hannants that there is a Skunkworks weapons set with among other goodies a pair of SLAM-ERs and two SDB racks (http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SKW72002) - the other contents of the box can be gotten from Hasegawa, but those are unique so far...

[Captain Canada]

Thanks for the tips. I'm gonna be hitting up my LHS this week and maybe a 50% off coupon or two at Hobby Lobby in the Etats Unis on the weekend......

[Father Ennis]

Hobby Lobby has it's own app for that !!!  Really, you just go to their site at the checkout counter,then they get a code and you get 40%off one item. You can do it anytime you go in the store.


                 Father Ennis ...

[Captain Canada]

 

Might just try that !

[SebastianP]

I've gotten to the point where I have to choose between different equipment fits before proceeding, so it's time to get some more input here.

First of all, which of the three options for the self-defense boxes that go above the landing gear sponsons should I use? The options are the German, Dutch or French versions, with the German being from the TTH sprue and better detailed, but not used on real NFHs.

I also have to choose the paint scheme soonish - RN Medium Sea Gray overall, or USN TPS? Personally, I'm leaning towards the RN version, it just seems more plausible.

In other news, I've decided that the Revell 1/72 B-1B has been naked long enough, and it's time to give it some new clothes. The kit itself has a host of problems preventing it from being easily built into a "real" Lancer, so I'm going for either a self-escorting bomber (with external ARMs and AAMs), or a maritime patrol variant (using "AGM-86D" anti-ship missiles). Possible operators include: USN, USAF, RAF, Marineflieger, Koninlikje Marine, JMSDF, and the Swedish Air Force...

[Captain Canada]

Not sure what the TTH ones look like, but from the 2 options in my kit, I'd go French. More to them, look more useful ?

Who is the operator of this chopper anyway ?

[SebastianP]

Probably the Royal Navy, I have correctly sized decals for them that actually belong on a helicopter. I could do a USN bird, but I'd have to use decals from a 1/48 Seahawk to do it (and I just found the Seahawk kit they come from...) or Marineflieger, but those decals are from a P-3C and they'd look huge on the NH90.

More whiff ideas from looking through my collection of half-built kits: an RAF Griffin FGR.1 in two-tone grays (modern ground attack scheme), as the "low" part of a high-low mix with the Typhoon; a French or Dutch navy Hornet or Super Hornet; and a Swedish Air Force Raptor...

[Captain Canada]

If it's RN i'd put as many bells and whistles on it as I could. That would be a kick donkey trio of choppers, Wildcats on the small boats, -90s on the middleweights, and Merlins on the big boats !

[SebastianP]

I've started painting the exterior in Medium Sea Gray (Humbrol 165), but due to the NFH-specific parts being molded in near-white (in contrast with the other sprues, which are merely light gray), and my paint being rather thin, it's going to take a couple more coats. Especially since I'm probably going to have to sand out a bunch of dust particles.

I'm kind of miffed that some of the kits I used to have are OOP at the moment - the Revell A109K had a pair of beautiful FN HMP machine gun pods I could use on an NH90 gunship; neither Revell nor Italeri currently market the Merlin HM.1 with the stores wings, missile warning blisters and torps; and I really could use one of Italeri's 1/72 SH-60B kits, if only for the decals and weapons...

Oh well, they'll be back, eventually.