1/48 Academy / CMK AH-6F & MH-6

Gallery Article by Thomas Brückelt on May 30 2019

 

      

One project, two models... When I found the conversion and weapon set from CMK, it was clear to me to build this cool looking helicopter. So I ordered Academy's MH-6. When I opened the box I saw that the AH-6 can´t be built because the clear parts were tinted to imitate the golden layer on the glass to increase the stealth capacity of the MH-6. So I ordered the Hughes 500D police helicopter, which has clear parts, which are not tinted. So I could make both models: The AH-6F and the MH-6.

The CMK-parts are excellent, of course only recommended to experienced modellers. The whole interior is included, also all the antennas and weapons (M260 Hydra rocked pods and M134 Miniguns). I enjoyed working with those parts, also the photo etched parts are made very well and printed precisely.

On both models I added scratch built parts to the tailrotor, this looks very simple. Here I wished to have some parts in the CMK-conversion.

Further the lower half of the swashplate simply doesn´t exist, so I built them out of a plastic sheet and stretched spure. The rods between the upper swash plate and the blade holders are to short, I also added stretched spures here to fill the gap.

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The MH-6 was built almost out of the box.

Inside the cockpit I added the collective pitch levers. Sorry Academy-designers, but this is a must "must have" in any helicopter cockpit...!

Both models are painted with brush. There were no markings on the MH-6 Stealth during Operation "Earnest Will" in 1987/88. So I painted it in anthracite overall, like the AH-6F.

Academy shows in the instructions that the tips of the main rotor blades shall be painted yellow, and the tips of the tail rotor blades shall be red. I ignored this because on all pictures I found of there were no colours on the tips, but I must say that could not find a picture of a MH-6 of this time, so I just speculated about that. Academy writes in the instructions that they adapted their kit to a MH-6 which was exhibited in 1988 in the Edwards AFB.

The decals coming with the CMK-set are printed in a very good quality and are easy to handle. You have the choice between seven registrations. I decided to give some washing to the AH-6F, I used sand brown and a light grey therefore.

Flat silk varnish was sprayed over both models.

Greetings from Germany!

Thomas Brückelt

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Photos and text © by Thomas Brückelt