Kitty Hawk AH-1Z Viper...yes another one...

[Bravo52]

When KH announced the Viper and the Venom, I knew it was a "must" have for the stash.  I've been waiting to build a LSP Helo for a while but couldn't find the right one and the Revell Cobra just needed way too much to make it look fierce.  Then came the KH Viper in 1/48th...

 

I learned a lot about building KH kits.  They are not as simple as just following the instructions.  While that may get the job done, you really need to think about how you are going to assemble and paint the kit before the glue drops hit the sprue.  In this kit, it was the cockpit....it's all black and needs some tonal variation to add interest.  If you don't assemble some of the parts before paint (try to paint them separately), you won't be able to get them together afterwards.  Another area to pay attention to during assembly is the glass.  Is it going to be open or closed?  If open, make sure you figure out how to glue it in that position... Oh, and the nose weight needs to be waaaaaayyyyy up front...  

 

That said, the detail is great.  The decals are nice and the fit is generally good.  I used a lot of new techniques on this build and they turned out ok. I'd prefer to not have all the panels open, but they were not too bad to close up.  The rotor mast and head assembly is fiddley but it works.  In the end, I'm proud to have it on the shelf!

 

 

 

 

 

One of these days I'll learn how to use a camera...

[Out2gtcha]

Wonderful! Paint work looks lovely

[The Dude]

Looks even better in person Jerry. Now I think you are ready for that big scale su-27! I know you can finish it by this Friday...