DONE @p.3 +++ 1:72 Kaman K-1300 ’K-Cobra’, operated by Heliswiss, 2005

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, it's been finished, for the moment, but beauty shots and background story package will take some more time.

Thanks a lot for the interest and feedback so far!

[PR19_Kit]

Kaman Seasprite

Now there's an idea for a Whiff, a Seasprite WITH intermeshing rotors! 

And you wouldn't need that vulnerable tail rotor either!

[jcf]

Kaman Seasprite

Now there's an idea for a Whiff, a Seasprite WITH intermeshing rotors! 

And you wouldn't need that vulnerable tail rotor either!

It would also be a good candidate for a cutaway belly, boom-tail Skycrane like conversion.
With or w/out meshing rotors.

[Tophe]

Maybe I will draw P-51 (...) like that, not for this GB but for fun in my collection of drawings. Thanks! (I will write "idea dizzyfugu" of course).

I did it in two posts in the CGI part of the forum here: https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=4461.2970
Thanks again!
We are now fully ready for the beautiful pictures of the final heli swiss model!

[Dizzyfugu]

We are now fully ready for the beautiful pictures of the final heli swiss model!

You know how to put up pressure, don't you? 
As a final detail I added a rear-view mirror for the ventral pilot, as a counterpart to the PE boarding ladder on the right.

[Tophe]

No pressure, sorry: pictures welcome tomorrow or next week or next month or in one full month (January 19th... for instance). Welcome in all cases

[Dizzyfugu]

 

[loupgarou]

We are now fully ready for the beautiful pictures of the final heli swiss model!

You know how to put up pressure, don't you? 
As a final detail I added a rear-view mirror for the ventral pilot, as a counterpart to the PE boarding ladder on the right.

But the ventral pilot should be looking  aft, for loading/unloading the cargo, so the mirror would be a forward-view one... 

[Dizzyfugu]

Everything is relative! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Photo session and selection has been finished, yeah! Editing tbd, though.

[Tophe]

Good. (Take your time, but know a whole public is interested, at least me, I mean)...

[Dizzyfugu]

Finally, the CraneCobra has been finished! 

1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Some background:
The AH-1 Cobra was developed in the mid-1960s as an interim gunship for the U.S. Army for use during the Vietnam War. The Cobra shared the proven transmission, rotor system, and the T53 turboshaft engine of the UH-1 "Huey". By June 1967, the first AH-1G HueyCobras had been delivered. Bell built 1,116 AH-1Gs for the U.S. Army between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras chalked up over a million operational hours in Vietnam.
The U.S. Marine Corps was very interested in the AH-1G Cobra, too, but it preferred a twin-engine version for improved safety in over-water operations, and also wanted a more potent turret-mounted weapon. At first, the Department of Defense had balked at providing the Marines with a twin-engine version of the Cobra, in the belief that commonality with Army AH-1Gs outweighed the advantages of a different engine fit. However, the Marines won out and awarded Bell a contract for 49 twin-engine AH-1J SeaCobras in May 1968. As an interim measure the U.S. Army passed on thirty-eight AH-1Gs to the Marines in 1969. The AH-1J also received a more powerful gun turret with a three-barrel 20 mm XM197 cannon based on the six-barrel M61 Vulcan cannon.

During the 1990s, the US forces gradually phased out its Cobra fleet. The withdrawn AH-1s were typically offered to other potential operators, usually NATO allies. Some were also given to the USDA's Forest Service for fire surveillance, and a handful AH-1s went into private hands, including the NASA. Among these airframes were some USMC AH-1Js, which had in part been mothballed in the Mojave Desert since their replacement through more powerful and modern AH-1 variants and the AH-64.
About twenty airframes were, after having been de-militarized, bought by the Kaman Corporation in 2003, in a bold move to quickly respond to more than 20 inquiries for the company's K-1200 'K-Max' crane synchropter since the type's end of production in 2001 from firefighting, logging and industry transport requirements. While not such a dedicated medium lift helicopter as the K-1200, which had from the outset been optimized for external cargo load operations, the twin-engine AH-1J promised to be a very effective alternative and a powerful basis for a conversion into a crane helicopter.


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The result of this conversion program was the Kaman K-1300, also known as the "K-Cobra" or "Crane Cobra". While the basic airframe of the AH-1J was retained, extensive detail modifications were made. To reduce weight and compensate for the extensive hardware changes, the SeaCobra lost its armor, the chin turret, and the stub wings. Beyond that, many invisible changes were made; the internal structure between the engine mounts was beefed up with an additional cage structure and a cargo hook was installed under the fuselage in the helicopter's center of lift.

To further optimize the K-Cobra's performance, the dynamic components were modified and improved, too. While the engine remained the same, its oil cooler was enlarged and the original output limit to 1.500 shp was removed and the gearbox was strengthened to fully exploit the twin-engine's available power of 1,800 shp (1,342 kW). The rotor system was also modified and optimized for the transport of underslung loads: the original UH-1 dual-blade rotors were replaced with new four-blade rotors. The new main rotor with rugged heavy-duty blades offered more lift at less rotor speed, and the blades' lift sections were moved away from the hub so that downwash and turbulences directly under the helicopter's CoG and man hook were reduced to keep the cargo load more stable. Due to the main rotor's slightly bigger diameter the tail rotor was changed into a slightly smaller four-blade rotor, too. This new arrangement made the K-1300 more stable while hovering or during slow speed maneuvers and more responsive to steering input.


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Cobra's crew of two was retained, but the cockpit was re-arranged and split into two compartments: the pilot retained the original rear position in the tandem cockpit under the original glazing, but the gunner's station in front of him, together with the secondary dashboard, was omitted and replaced by a new, fully glazed cabin under the former gunner position. This cabin occupied the former gun station and its ammunition supply and contained a rearward-facing workstation for a second pilot with full controls. It was accessible via a separate door or a ladder from above, through a trap door in the former gunner's station floor, where a simple foldable bench was available for a third person. This arrangement was chosen due to almost complete lack of oversight of the slung load from the normal cockpit position, despite a CCTV (closed circuit television) system with two cameras intended for observation of slung loads. The second pilot would control the helicopter during delicate load-handling maneuvers, while the primary pilot "above" would fly the helicopter during transfer flights, both sharing the workload.

To accommodate the cabin under the fuselage and improve ground handling, the AH-1J's skids were replaced by a stalky, fixed four-wheel landing gear that considerably increased ground clearance (almost 7 feet), making the attachment of loads on the ground to the main ventral hook easier, as the K-1300 could be "rolled over" the cargo on the ground and did not have to hover above it to connect. However, an external ladder had to be added so that the pilot could reach his/her workstation almost 10 feet above the ground.


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The bulky ventral cabin, the draggy landing gear and the new lift-optimized rotor system reduced the CraneCobra's top speed by a third to just 124 mph (200 km/h), but the helicopter's load-carrying capacity became 35% higher and the Cobra's performance under "hot & high" conditions was markedly improved, too.
For transfer flights, a pair of external auxiliary tanks could be mounted to the lower fuselage flanks, which could also be replaced with cargo boxes of similar size and shape.

K-1300 buyers primarily came from the United States and Canada, but there were foreign operators, too. A major operator in Europe became Heliswiss, the oldest helicopter company in Switzerland. The company was founded as ,,Heliswiss Schweizerische Helikopter AG", with headquarters in Berne-Belp on April 17, 1953, what also marked the beginning of commercial helicopter flying in Switzerland. During the following years Heliswiss expanded in Switzerland and formed a network with bases in Belp BE, Samedan GR, Domat Ems GR, Locarno TI, Erstfeld UR, Gampel VS, Gstaad BE and Gruyères FR. During the build-up of the rescue-company Schweizerische Rettungsflugwacht (REGA) as an independent network, Heliswiss carried out rescue missions on their behalf.

Heliswiss carried out operations all over the world, e. g. in Greenland, Suriname, North Africa and South America. The first helicopter was a Bell 47 G-1, registered as HB-XAG on September 23, 1953. From 1963 Heliswiss started to expand and began to operate with medium helicopters like the Agusta Bell 204B with a turbine power of 1050 HP and an external load of up to 1500 kg. From 1979 Heliswiss operated a Bell 214 (external load up to 2.8 t).
Since 1991 Heliswiss operated a Russian Kamov 32A12 (a civil crane version of the Ka-27 "Helix"), which was joined by two K-1300s in 2004. They were frequently used for construction of transmission towers for overhead power lines and pylons for railway catenary lines, for selective logging and also as fire bombers with underslung water bags, the latter managed by the German Helog company, operating out of Ainring and Küssnacht in Germany and Switzerland until 2008, when Helog changed its business focus into a helicopter flight training academy in Liberia with the support of Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
A second Kamov 32A12 joined the fleet in 2015, which replaced one of the K-1300s, and Heliswiss' last K-1300 was retired in early 2022.


General characteristics:
    Crew: 2, plus space for a passenger
    Length: 54 ft 3 in (16,56 m) including rotors
                  44 ft 5 in (13.5 m) fuselage only
    Main rotor diameter: 46 ft 2¾ in (14,11 m)
    Main rotor area: 1,677.64 sq ft (156,37 m2)
    Width (over landing gear): 12 ft 6 in (3.85 m)
    Height: 17 ft 8¼ in (5,40 m)
    Empty weight: 5,810 lb (2,635 kg)
    Max. takeoff weight: 9,500 lb (4,309 kg) without slung load
                                          13,515 lb (6,145 kg) with slung load

Powerplant:
    1× P&W Canada T400-CP-400 (PT6T-3 Twin-Pac) turboshaft engine, 1,800 shp (1,342 kW)

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 124 mph (200 km/h, 110 kn)
    Cruise speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
    Range: 270 mi (430 km, 230 nmi) with internal fuel only,
                360 mi (570 km 310 nmi) with external auxiliary tanks
    Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
    Hovering ceiling out of ground effect: 3,000 m (9,840 ft)
    Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (13 m/s) at Sea Level with flat-rated torque

External load capacity (at ISA +15 °C (59.0 °F):
        6,000 lb (2,722 kg) at sea level
        5,663 lb (2,569 kg) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
        5,163 lb (2,342 kg) at 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
        5,013 lb (2,274 kg) at 12,100 ft (3,688 m)
        4,313 lb (1,956 kg) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)



1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Kaman K-1300 'K-Cobra'; 'HB-HKX', operated by Heliswiss AG for Helog Aerial Services; based at Ainring (Upper Bavaria/Germany), summer 2005 (What-if/modified Fujimi kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A weird-looking what-if model, but somehow a crane-copter variant of the AH-1 looks quite natural – even more so in its attractive red-and-white civil livery. The stalky landing gear is odd, though, necessitated by the ventral cabin for the second pilot. I was skeptical, but scratching the latter was more successful than expected, and the cabin blend quite well into the AH-1 hull, despite its boxy shape.

[Tophe]

Wow, marvelous!
And even with pictures having rotating blades, big but possible, congratulations:!

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you, glad you like it and the pics!    The main rotor is/was - when moving - actually rotating, thanks to a long metal axis with relatively little resistance. Nothing beats "real" blade movement in such pictures, just the tail rotor had to be faked/blurred. 

[Tophe]

Double congratulations!