ICM NEWs 2021 - Bell AH-1G Cobra in 1/32

[Darren Howie]

With a fleet of great helo kits in recent years out in 35th now the choice of 32nd is if anything an interesting one.

It also leaves the door open for 35th which itself would be popular for a Cobra.

Interesting to see them bucking the trend and targeting the kit at aircraft only modellers rather than those who do both aircraft and armour/military or primarily armour/mil.

After thinking about it i probably would of preferred it in 35th now as it would fit in with the remainder of the helo kits in my collection and not be an odd scaled outlier that fits in with fast jets but not its rotary cousins.

If anything 35th for choppers still gets in aircraft modellers plus it opens the armour/mil market. Going 32nd kills a large market segment for ICM and a large number of accessories like figures that could of been used.

Interesting choice by ICM and i guess they will be banging out a pile of their own figures and accessories to go with it.

Trying to reopen the 32nd helo market maybe?

 

 

 

[thierry laurent]

To me that Idea of 1/35th helos has always been a weird idea. I've hundreds if not thousands of pics in books and the one combining an helicopter and an afv is really an exception. With regard to figures to use with the Cobra, just use Verlinden ones. They are actually 1/32 ones and they come with many accessoires.

[Dukie99]

In the last five years, I have built two cobras, a Hip, a Hind, MH-6, a CH-47G, a Frelon and the old Revell Apache. Except for the Revell Apache, all these helos are 1/35th and I think I would have preferred the new ICM cobras to be in 1/35 so I could display them next to my two other cobras. That being said, 1/32 or 1/35, I will get the ICM cobras.

 

Now if somebody could come up with a Havoc or a Hokum, that would make my day. 

[Out2gtcha]

1 hour ago, Dukie99 said:

Now if somebody could come up with a Havoc or a Hokum, that would make my day. 

 

 

There are certain aircraft that are just plain COOL.  Ja-37 Viggen, Chinook, SR-71, and to me a Ka-50/52 fits right in there. Such an unusual helo, Id take a large scale model of one in a heartbeat.

 

On the note of the ICM Cobras, I too agree its a bold choice from ICM to buck the insane 1/35th trend (MHO only) and get these pushed out in 32nd. Its refreshing actually..................

[Phantom2]

I have many choppers, built (a few...  ) and many more in the stash

 

The scale does not matter for me, 1/32nd or 1/35, more important for me is the option to build the rotors in the stowed position.

 

This new Cobra is must have, I love ICM and their selection of subjects!

 

Cheers!

 

Stefan 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Phantom2

[John1]

12 hours ago, Darren Howie said:

 

If anything 35th for choppers still gets in aircraft modellers plus it opens the armour/mil market. Going 32nd kills a large market segment for ICM and a large number of accessories like figures that could of been used.

 

I'm not overly worried.  ICM is releasing a set of Vietnam era helo pilots and there really isn't that much existing 35th scale kit parts / aftermarket that are really applicable to the AH-1G, except maybe for a couple of M16's stored in the cockpit for the crew.   Only exception would be if someone plans on doing a diorama with armor, grunts or other helos but I'd argue that would be very, very small percentage of the builds.   

 

As far as displaying it next to 35th helos, I came up with a good solution.   I'll just display it next to my 32nd aircraft. 

[viperfixer]

Just found out about this release, really great news! I would be tempted to buy every variant they come up with I think 

[Confusionreigns178]

6 minutes ago, Jennings Heilig said:

I’ve said that since the first 1/35 helicopter kit came out in (IIRC) 1992.  Show me these photos of AFVs and helos operating in the same place at the same time.  They just didn’t.

I would recommend you read "Low Level Hell" by Hugh Mills. The scout helicopters of his troop regularly provided close air-cover for road-convoys and often flew at less than ten feet. Obviously, operational practices in Vietnam were not typical of anywhere else in the world. 

 

Chris. 

[viperfixer]

On 2/16/2021 at 3:07 PM, Out2gtcha said:

 

 

There are certain aircraft that are just plain COOL.  Ja-37 Viggen, Chinook, SR-71, and to me a Ka-50/52 fits right in there. Such an unusual helo, Id take a large scale model of one in a heartbeat.

 

On the note of the ICM Cobras, I too agree its a bold choice from ICM to buck the insane 1/35th trend (MHO only) and get these pushed out in 32nd. Its refreshing actually..................

I hope 1/32 will be the new trend for helos, so maybe one day we'll have a Hind in our favorite scale 

[LSP_K2]

I have to agree; the mix and match approach, which at least sounds interesting, is not very likely to have occurred very frequently at all. While one can certainly do a diorama of jeeps and trucks with a C-47 or some such, mixing aircraft and armor together,... not so much.

[Out2gtcha]

Oh my yes, a 1/32nd Hind would be MOST welcome, and we may finally get an accurate one with the famed fuselage twist.

[viperfixer]

14 minutes ago, Jennings Heilig said:

 

A Hind-A and a Hind-D please!  And a Hip family while we're at it!

That's the spirit! 

[John1]

1 hour ago, Jennings Heilig said:

 

Wait, you mean Trumpeter didn't do their homework!?!?  What's next?

Hey Jennings, any interest in doing some decals for the Snake?  

[Kagemusha]

There's decals available already.

 

[Squizzy 78]

I’m not really sure why there’s 1/35 and 1/32?! Why not ist produce tanks/ armour in 1/32, and that would’ve left things open for endless possibilities for displays.

With that said, I’ve just started my first helicopter in nearly 30 years, the Academy 1/35 AH-1Z Viper, and I’m absolutely loving it, it’s like a new hobby, I can’t wait to get a kitty hawk little bird and Blackhawk!