A few months ago I
was asked to assemble a Hind 24 with Russian markings and paint depicting an
Afghan attack helicopter. I turned to the Revell kit in 1/48, combined
that with Linden Hill's Bush War Hinds decal sheet, and went to work.
The kit has a few
nice touches like engraved and raised panel lines, a few choices for ordinance,
and a decent amount of detail along the rotor heads. There is however a
bunch of work ahead of any modeler who wishes to build one of these. The
fit is very tricky and my Dremel tool and I were inseparable during several
steps. There are several clear parts provided and in particular the clear
panels for the cabin windows and side walls fit poorly. I grinded down as
much material as possible to get a snug fit. Gaps still persisted along
the two fuselage halves and super glue flowed tube after tube. After much
filling and sanding, the halves did look very good. The underside is the
hardest area to fill and sand because the front gear door is molded in place.
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The exhaust tubes
were also a challenge because there is a seam with runs through the middle and
needs a lot of attention. This kit is a great challenge for someone who
wouldn't mind after market detailing. Cobra Company makes several sets
including a cockpit, weapons sets, and other resin upgrades. Although I
did not get the chance to use any on this project, I recommend them. It
will eliminate the amount of work needed to bring the kit up to speed and the
resin will look great and create a nice deal of accuracy.
With the help of
Linden Hill's Bush War Hinds decal set, I was able to choose from several
Russian and export models. These decals are very good and I wouldn't use
any other sets building the Hind 24. There are plenty of stencils, nose
art, and the schemes are fun and interesting. I chose a Soviet chopper
found in Afghanistan and stationed at Bagram Air Base during the Afghan conflict
circa 1989. The dragon on the nose area holds a set of rocket pods while
wearing a gunner's helmet. A very nice touch.
I spend a good deal
of time on my Hind, mainly due to fit problems which needed a special touch.
This build was however very rewarding as I finished up with a pretty neat Hind.
I airbrushed the
camouflage using sticky tack as a mask. Special mixed color from Model
Master which included Armor sand went into the top paint, while Tamiya
light blue handed the bottom. The canopies were hand masked but you'll
save some time if you pick up Eduard's canopy mask set.
Douglas Fede
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