ACADEMY 1:35 Bell AH-1Z Viper "Shark Mouth" USMC (United States Marine Corps)

Mel · January 3

Well guys, I have an open thread about the F15C 1:32 but... I'm missing aftermarkets and I can't start it,so until I have all the material I can't To start it, as an aviation lover I also like military helicopters and my favorite is the AH1 Viper along with other helicopters, but this one is my favoritte

F`s are my favs · January 3

Nice! Btw you can always do something else in the F-15 that is OOB from the kit, just say that you like helicopters more...

Just kiddin. That's a very good and clean looking cockpit! Awesome start.

ROM · January 3

Hola !

Nice start with that cockpit

Have fun with the build!

Oldbaldguy · January 4

I’m trying to figure out the recent rise in popularity of helicopter models. I think it comes from two places: the good kit manufacturers are finally producing kits worthy of our time and, two, modern helicopters often have a lot more personality than their fixed wing peers, making them more challenging and fun to build. I built this same kit three years ago and loved every minute of it. It was only my second helicopter in more than half a century of modeling. Now I have a several helicopter kits hovering in the stash awaiting my attention. I think you are going to be surprised at how much you like this kit and at how good it looks on the shelf. Just remember to add weight in the nose or it won’t sit level on its skids.

Mel · January 4

On 1/3/2024 at 5:23 PM, F`s are my favs said:

Nice! Btw you can always do something else in the F-15 that is OOB from the kit, just say that you like helicopters more...

Just kiddin. That's a very good and clean looking cockpit! Awesome start.

HAHAH I know you were joking, don't worry :-), sorry for answering late yes, I like fighter planes and combat helicopters, you're right I could do the F15C from OOB but... the problem with the F15C at 1: 32 that I know of is the only one that exists and it is the Tamiya one (and unfortunately it is a very old kit and it needs some aftermarkets, but not just the intakes, it needs exhausts, and many parts, I decided to save it for later) I hope Tamiya once decided to launch all the old 1:32 molds again, see F15C/strike eagle, F4 Phantom, etc., and they will launch once and for all a 1:32 Super Hornet

19 hours ago, ROM said:

Hola !

Nice start with that cockpit

Have fun with the build!

Thank you so much!! I try to do my best

4 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

I’m trying to figure out the recent rise in popularity of helicopter models. I think it comes from two places: the good kit manufacturers are finally producing kits worthy of our time and, two, modern helicopters often have a lot more personality than their fixed wing peers, making them more challenging and fun to build. I built this same kit three years ago and loved every minute of it. It was only my second helicopter in more than half a century of modeling. Now I have a several helicopter kits hovering in the stash awaiting my attention. I think you are going to be surprised at how much you like this kit and at how good it looks on the shelf. Just remember to add weight in the nose or it won’t sit level on its skids.

good question, from my point of view it is because there are few, let me explain, in airplanes (I am a fan of airplanes/I include helicopters in this equation) to give an example

How many BF-109 are there? at different scales 1:72, 1:48, 1:32? there are many true
For example, how many f4 phantoms are there? There are also quite a few, whether old molds or new ones.

What I mean is that sometimes the amount of the same Bf109 or phantom at the same scale or different scale saturates a little but it is always the same, the only thing that changes is the manufacturer, in the case of new helicopters at 1:35 at least This is my impression... there are few.

I'm going to give a slightly stupid example (I'm not calling you stupid, let's be clear)

If you see a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, in your neighborhood or on the street, what do you draw your attention to?

But if everyone in their neighborhood or on the street had Ferraris or Lamborghinis it would no longer surprise them as much as seeing few.

forgive my stupid example and my bad english

Mel · January 4

MikeMaben · January 5

:coolio: :popcorn:

Mel · January 5

On 1/3/2024 at 11:19 PM, ROM said:

Hola !

Nice start with that cockpit

Have fun with the build!

I apologize for quoting you again, after a thorough taping I have painted the cyclic levers and their switches, I have to touch up, tomorrow I will have to tape one of the levers again and touch up the paint a little but nothing important, sorry for the photos ,

By the way, I take this opportunity to tell you that your Viper is simply a masterpiece and I also take this opportunity to ask you, the instructions for the front Flir say that you have to paint the glass black, but I was thinking of painting it. with a mix of light green and light blue, how did you paint it?

ROM · January 5

Hola Mel

if I remember well, I painted the big IR glass with smoke or black, from the inside.

Oldbaldguy · January 6

I just checked mine and apparently I used bits of left over PE to create some of the equipment behind the three lenses and painted the big IR lens transparent red on the inside, I think just to give it some color. May not be 100 % accurate but it looks okay.

Mel · January 6

19 hours ago, ROM said:

Hola Mel

if I remember well, I painted the big IR glass with smoke or black, from the inside.

2 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

I just checked mine and apparently I used bits of left over PE to create some of the equipment behind the three lenses and painted the big IR lens transparent red on the inside, I think just to give it some color. May not be 100 % accurate but it looks okay.

Thank you very much guys, I have painted one lens black, another with a mixture of clear blue and clear green (transparent), and the other in clear green, I leave you some progress As for the model, I warn modellers on the TSS pod forum, paint the FLIR before assembling it, then it will be annoying to paint it once assembled