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Revell 1.32nd Bell AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter, with custom designed display base and decal insignias for US Army 7th Battery - 79th Aerial Field Artillery "Blue Max" - 1st Calvary Division (Airmobile) during 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive siege battles against An Loc city - South Vietnam, 21 June 1972. 1st CAVALRY DIVISION (Airmobile) | Vietnam War Book of Honor - www.1cda.org/BOH_Vietnam.htm
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Rollover : ( Rollover JPG link ) option for web browser not able to render graphic rollover code | Cobra chopper also called HueyCobra, was derived from Bell UH-1B/C Huey troop transport helicopter, with narrow fuselage and stub wings to carry weapon pods targeted for new ground-support Armed Attack / Anti-Armor role. Stub wings also unload the rotor during cruising flight. UH-1 Iroquois - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UH-1
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Circa 1969, two AH-1G Cobras of 7th Squadron, 1st Air Cavalry Regiment over Vietnam delta (with unit insignia of white calvary flag in yellow triangle on tail boom).
U.S. Army AH-1Gs | Aircav.com
Shark mouth nose art indicative of Troop C of 7th Squadron, 1st Air Cavalry (7-1st Aircav).
Although popular notion is that shark mouth nose art originated with WW2 American Volunteer Group flying P-40 fighters for Nationalist Chinese airforce. First photo evidence can be traced to WW1 British Bristol F.2B fighter called "The Crocodile"
Bristol F.2B Fighter
"The Crocodile" | Hyperscale.com
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Aircav Uber alles (German for Air Calvary Over All) | Cobra of Troop B of 7th Squadron - 17th Air Calvary in fly-by salute, adored with "Heavy Cav" inscription, for command change-over at Fort Hood-Texas circa early-1970s.
AH-1G Cobra helicopter fly-by | Aircav.com
Fort Hood was established in 1942 as US tank destroyer training base, currently a major transition point for US servicemen deployed overseas to East Asia / Europe / Middle East.
Fort Hood | Wiki |
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U.S. Army AH-1G Cobra with "Blue Max" insignia below propeller housing, in training flight over southern US terrain, circa early-1970s
AH-1G Huey Cobra (US Army film) | YouTube |
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AH-56 Cheyenne was suppose to be America's first dedicated helicopter gunship, prototype flew in 1967.
But with typical military cost over-runs via addition of more "bells and whistles", project floundered due to Army procurement controversy, defense cut-backs, and was cancelled in 1972.
AH-56 Cheyenne | Wiki
Thus leaving AH-1 Cobra as sole chopper gunship until advent of AH-64 Apache deployment in 1984.
AH-64 Apache | Wiki
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Where all modeling projects begin, box opening ceremony. 1.32nd Revell AH-1G model kit was hard to come by since it went out of production decades ago, with sporadic manufacturer releases. Last major release was in 2008.
Thus able to secure this kit from eBay - Great Britain. A gent was selling this kit from Yorkshire-England, came in British "Royal Mail" 15 days later (aka USPS international parcel post).
Yorkshire-England | Wiki |
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Engine & propeller assembly completed, model had engine - drive shaft - exhaust details and was preserved for easy viewing access |
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Close-up of engine and propeller section, small metal washers superglued to their base to reduce rotating friction.
Metal clothing pins replaced plastic struts on propeller shaft since latter part was notorious for handling breakage after a time
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Parts grey paint primed, ready for installation. Used Walmart grey aerosol primer from hardware section, they work just as well as more expensive branded scale model aerosol primers |
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