Normally I shy away from Apaches, preferring to model the Venerable Cobra series, but when I saw the Acadamy 1/48 Delta Apache, I went for it. Opening the box, I was delighted to see nice raised and engraved details, well printed decals for the helicopter and missiles, 2 vinyl tires and crystal clear cockpit components.

2 SIDEARM missiles and twin Stinger launchers are provided along with a full load of non-Longbow HELLFIRE missiles. The cockpit represents a straight “A” model without the “D” model’s CRT screens.

Beginning my research I found that Acadamy simply added another set of sprue to their AH64A and changed the box artwork and decals to depict a “D”. I wanted my kit to reflect a later construction “D”, so fuselage modifications were in order.

Acadamy has modeled the larger, longer avionics bays in the original D configuration with short, pointed aft ends. These have been changed to incorporate an avionics cooling package, and have squared-off, bulged ends with screens for hot air exhaust. This modification was the most time consuming of all changes made. 

Beginning with the cockpit and working with reference photos, I sanded down the old style boiler gauge instrument panel detail and made new CRT screens from .010” sheet styrene, and .005” inch strip chips for the buttons which surround the panels. Additional brass details from Reheat were added to round out the panel. The seats were detailed with Fuzzi Fur for lambskin covers and True Details Photoetched Helicopter Seatbelts.  The cockpit was sprayed black and various  details added and put aside.

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From the photo you can see that I added the new sensors on either side of the mast, made from sheet plastic and sprue sanded to a semicircle, with strip detail added. You can also see that I carved away the front of the “lip” over the little slots that help cool the mast area and added round stock for the hand hold rail that is there. This shot also shows my method of replicating walkways:  Mask off a section, apply paint and shake baking soda over it. Let it dry and strip off the tape: instant walkway! 

Now on to the hard part.  Cut the pointed aft ends of the avionics bays off, square it up and get the sheet plastic, putty, files, superglue, zip kicker, files and brass mesh ready after you clear your schedule for the next few days.  Working from reference photos, I cut a file folder to shape to fit the curvature of the fuselage, and worked out the shape of the new aft ends, then cut square holes for the brass mesh. I surrounded the openings with more strip stock. With time, superglue and putty the new aft ends come to shape.  MUCH BETTER!

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The landing gear is detailed with wire for the brake line.  The kit provides the common wire strike kit, but a newer (and more complex) arrangement is what I modeled, using wire and styrene chips for the small step. This step also received the walkway treatment.   

I built up the fuselage, installed the avionics packs, landing gear and belly panel, and filled seams with Mr. Surfacer 500 and grey paint. I found some fit rather sloppy.

The next major hurdle with the kit is the lack of Air Data Probes. These are identical to those used on the AH1S Cobra and are mounted on swingarms on each engine nacelle (the Air Data Sensor was replaced by the Longbow Radar)

Mine are made from aluminum tubing formed to shape. I mounted the next larger size in the nacelles to receive the probe swingarms.  The arrow shaped probes are made from a straightpin superglued to a wire, which has a tubing ring bonded to the end. Simple but effective, especially when you don’t have any spare Monogram AH1S probes laying around.  

I scribed the fuselage major panel lines, added Cobra Company resin Laser Detectors to the sides of the tailboom, and decided on what weapons fit I would mount.  By this time you can decide if you want to keep the exhaust outlets open or closed. They are thick, so I decided to close them off with plugs made from strip plastic strung together with string and RBF tags from Verlinden and closed the inlet/oil cooler off with a plastic disk and ring of Milliput.   

Forging ahead with construction, I built up the Hellfire racks, but did not want to hang any missiles, since LONGBOW-capable Hellfire missiles are different than the regular HELLFIRE missiles.  I built up the racks and added electrical wiring and the arming switch. The right wing received a mount for the Stinger packs, while the left got the extension for the missiles.  I wanted an asymmetrical load like one I have seen in photos, so I took an old drop tank, cut and refined it to size, added fins and vent tubes and mounted that to the left inboard position.

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For the ALQ 144 I used a piece of tubing and gave it a tissue paper cover with RBF tag.  The Chaff/flare dispenser received electrical harness, and the cap and stretched sprue “chain” which keeps the electrical cap from flying away.    

I bulked up the PNVS (top imaging device on the nose) with a ring of plastic to flesh it out.  Canopy installation was straightforward; I added a sliver of plastic to the frame as shown in reference photos. I lost the “loop” which protects the wiper motor, so I made a new one and added it. After I finished painting, etc, I removed the canopy mask and installed the yellow handle at the top of the doors from sprue, as well as a Reheat latch on the bottom edge of the door.  

The rotor goes together nicely, with just a wire and punched disk for the electrical lead out to the rotor, and the roller which supports it. The radar dish was left off till last, with screw holes defined and the split line scribed in. I was totally disgusted with the Acadamy Tail Rotor so I used a Monogram AH64 unit, and added the pitch change links from stretched sprue.  

With major assembly done and all the subassemblies sitting ready to go, it was time to paint. I always wanted a totally worn out paint scheme for this, but I’m sick of green! The overall sand paint is inspired by the Desert Storm photo of a UH60 in similar paint job, with green showing through. I masked and painted the model in overall Green Drab FS 34086, gloss coated and applied decals as usual.  

The major difference in the paint finish is the second, temporary, field-applied camo.  In places it is thin, there is only thin overspray on the lower edges of the belly where it would logically spray under but not coat the belly. I made it thin enough that decals can be read through the paint. It is worn off on high-wear areas and on those areas that are better left alone (rotor head, landing gear oleos’ radome front, etc.)  I applied good old fashioned rubber cement to splotches and let it dry. If it looked thin, I applied a second coat. Keep it away from canopies! It’s murder on them.  

When that was dry, I sprayed Gulf War Sand from Model Master, while the weapons, rotor head, and belly remained green. After it was dry, I pulled off the rubber cement and applied Model Master Acryl Gloss.   Weathering was added with Burnt Umber and Black oil paints in the typical fashion. I heavily weather my models, and you will notice oil soaked stains under the engines where oil spills during maintenance and discolors the paint, staying semigloss.

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Weathering was complete with an overall drybrushing of sand and green, picking in places in the green patches where paint sticks to rivet heads. After applying the final detail paint, antennas and Reheat Placards I gave it a coat of Acryl Flat and pulled off the masking tape. A whip antenna is mounted to the upper tail, and four Position Light decals from an old Detail and Scale set were added. The tires went on and the weapons added.  I made a rotor tiedown from yogurt container foil and string, tying the rotor down to the landing gear.

Hasegawa’s new kit is to be released very soon, but a lot of people ask me about what I did to the Acadamy kit; the Hasegawa kit is about thirty dollars more expensive than the Acadamy. A photoetch set for the AH64D is available from Eduard, but I was too far along with mine to use it. Contact me if you need reference information on this or just about any other helicopter subject.

David