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Iīm building models
for nearly 20 years now and Iīm very satisfied with this MH-60K, which is, in
my understanding, the result of my model-building experiences of the past years.
Iīm also very happy that this is not a simple helo like any other, but a MH-60K
Nighthawk, the synonym for SpecOps aviation. I have a special love for the SOF
branch although I donīt have any connections to it except my interest.
This is my 2nd MH-60, the first one (which can be seen in one of the pictures as
an example how many differences are between the OOB-model and the depicted
MH-60K) is an older result of my work and in my standards not very good built.
Since the MH-60 of Italeri is out of production I was quite lucky to get a kit
and immediately thought about detailing it when I saw the brilliant MH-60L
Walk-around by Everett McEwan
http://www.arcair.com/AWA1/301-400/walk338_MH-60L/walk338.htm
which helped me a LOT during construction.
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A lot of work
had to be done to make this kit look like it does. I didnīt used any
aftermarket products, all details are scratch-built. First I detailed the cabin
ceiling with the FRIES, the Fast-Rope Insertion/Extraction System. As a typical
SpecOps helo the Nighthawk has a lot of high-speed low-drag technical stuff and
gimmicks and I wanted to look my model like that. The chaff/flare-launchers (the
kit comes with only
ONE!) are made of 1/700 scale ASROC-launchers I "borrowed" from my
ships. I
donīt know if there is a maximum of flare-launchers the Nighthawk carries, mine
has 6 that just look great on the model. If anyone wants to know more about the
technical stuff, I could propably tell him, but have to shoot him after that... 
The MH-60K completed my fleet of
160th SOAR helicopters, which are a OOB Italeri MH-47E and a scratch-built
Italeri AH-6J. I also plan to do a MH-6 in the future.
As you can see there are much details and differences between the OOB Nighthawk
that I built some years ago and the actual one. One of course is the armament:
The kit comes with two M60s, but Iīm sure no one would fly into a high-threat
environment with those little thingies. I mounted some M134 Miniguns instead
that I modified with empty cartridge hoses and muzzle-flash absorbers. The ammo
belts are made from clothing drapery that would normally be used for underwear.
It was flexible enough to fit
between the doorgunner, the ammo-boxes and the doors and still look like an
ammo-belt when painted metallic.
Of course the helo needed some
crew and it took me several ours of plastic-surgery to make 2 pilots, 2
doorgunners and a group of 8 SpecOp-personnel, preferable Rangers. Unfortunately
I had to recognize that there wasnīt enough space to place 3 Rangers at each
side of the door with dangling feet, so I had to "dismiss" two of
them. It still looks quite good in my eyes.
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For those want to know, here is a
list of the changes and details the model got:
- added cockpit entry steps
- removed cockpit doors
- changed pilot seats, because the original ones had no armour-plates
- added pilot figures
- added RWRs
- added Chaff/Flare-Launchers
- changed original M-60s against M-134 Miniguns, upgraded with empty
cartridge hose and muzzle-flash absorber
- added gunner figures
- added ammunitions boxes with ammo-belts
- detailed cabin-ceiling
- added FRIES
- added additional antennas and sensors
- added aft RWR-mount
Alright, letīs go! With that firepower and crew this Blackhawk surely wonīt go
down!
Hajo
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