Academy UH-60L Blackhawk

[Avenger2614]

I'm in with this kit, and it will be my first large-scale helo:

 

 

I've heard that the kit has some niggling issues, but nothing that a little elbow grease can't overcome. I'll be adding the Eduard Interior, Exterior, and Dashboard photo-etch sets and the Cobra Company UH-60 and UH-60L upgrade sets, which will really dress up the interior:

 

 

As you can see in that last photo, I do have Werner's Wings Decals for 160th SOAR aircraft, but I prefer Army Helo Drab-colored aircraft over the black 160th birds. Also, I don't like the pylons on the aircraft, as I think it breaks up the lines, so I will probably just build it as a UH-60L with the IFR probe, FLIR, and nose radar. It will hopefully look like this when complete:

 

 

I'm currently waiting for a couple Live Resin minigun sets to arrive in the mail, as well as some other "goodies" that will dress up the interior and give it a little more life. I want to make this aircraft look like it has been lived in, and if someone takes a pen light to it they'll find something new and interesting every time. Can't wait to get this one off the ground!

 

-Daniel S.

Westminster, CO

[Martinnfb]

this is going to be  one sick helo, I can feel it already. Good luck with your build Daniel, I will follow with interest.

Cheers

Martin

 

ps: a nice build here

[mark31]

Ok i wiil follow.

 

Mark

[BGB]

Hello,

 

Got one in the stash will follw to!!

 

Cheers

Boris

[andromeda673]

this kit made me leave the hobby for a month, and I'm not kidding, if you need donor parts and or need anything else, let me know, I'd love to send it on it's way!

[Bill Cross]

So many great kits, so little time....

[Avenger2614]

Finally getting the rest of my resin goodies in the mail today, so the rubber will probably meet the road tonight. Dreary weather here in Colorado means that I can't paint the XB-35, so I'll be forced to sit at the bench and bend photo-etch and glue resin. Stay tuned!

 

-Daniel S.

Westminster, CO

[Avenger2614]

In order to dress up the interior of the aircraft, and make it busier than the slab walls that Academy provides, I'll be adding the following from the Live Resin line.

 

The crew chiefs/gunners in the MH-60L use some pretty heavy firepower to lay down covering fire to deploy their troops. The kit miniguns are decent, but these really stand above the crowd:

 

 

There will be one on each side, including all the bells and whistles that make them work in real life. Feed chutes, ammo cans, and something Academy missed, the batteries that power the electric minigun. 

 

From watching the excellent series on National Geographic called "Inside Combat Rescue" I learned that the guns have a tendency to break down, or what the military calls "hard bent." In the event of a minigun failure, the crew chiefs will turn to the trusty SAW, or M249:

 

 

But, as that's a pretty heavy weapon to lug around, sometimes they might need something a little more "user friendly" that packs more firepower and accuracy than the M9 Beretta, standard issue pistol, so you can frequently see this hanging in various spots inside the Blackhawk, the Colt M4 rifle:

 

 

And since you can't aim a weapon that doesn't have any sights on it, we'll need some EOTech holographic sights, ACOG magnification sights, and some Surefire tactical lights in case they're running some night operations:

 

 

 

These small items will add some interest to an otherwise bland interior. The casting on this resin is truly first-rate, and you really do get what you pay for. I cannot recommend them highly enough if you're into armor.

 

-Daniel S.

Westminster, CO

Edited September 6, 2014 by Avenger2614

[Avenger2614]

An issue that crept up tonight when I studied the parts is something I'll have to sort out regarding the instrument panel. This is what the Eduard instrument panel looks like:

 

 

And this is what the Cobra Company resin instrument panel looks like:

 

 

Quite an improvement, but here is the problem. This is the kit instrument panel:

 

 

See the difference? The UH-60L uses a largely analog instrument panel, while the MH-60 uses a more digital instrument panel. My solution will be to use the kit-supplied instrument panel and some scratch building, as well as selective photo-etched parts, to render the MFD-rich instrument panel of the MH-60L. More on this to come!

 

-Daniel S.

Westminster, CO

[andromeda673]

good choice on the live resin stuff, how your building yours is how I had intended to build mine.........................but there was a little disconnect with mine.