1/48 Italeri AH-1W Cobra

Gallery Article by Patrick Vossenberg on Dec 4 2020

 

      

I built this AH-1W, using Italeri’s AH-1Z kit (which is basically the same kit including rotor blades for a "Whiskey" version). I also used a resin cockpit from Cobra Company, which was a drop-in replacement for the kit parts. Overall construction of the kit is straightforward in itself, but the fit of parts is really bad in some places. Some minor details were added around the fuselage, using leftover PE parts and some other spare box items. The Helmet Sight System was scratch built, as was the HUD. The Italeri kit allows the canopy doors to be opened, a nice option.

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I used a combination of Caracal and TwoBob's decals for this HMLA-267 "Stingers" version from ca. 2003, deployed during operation OIF. Paints are Gunze, extensively weathered using pre- and postshading with different colour tones as well as oil washes. Alclad metals for the exhausts and gun. The LAU-3 rocket launchers are from Hasegawa.

All the best!!

Patrick Vossenberg

Photos and text © by Patrick Vossenberg