OH-58D Kiowa Warrior – Kuwait International Airport – Desert Storm 1991
This is the Academy 1/35 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. This was probably the hardest helicopter model I have ever built. It has excellent detail and comes with excellent weapons. I added wiring to the aft cabin avionics LRUs.
This model is part of a small flightline diorama.
The model is weathered using a variety of artist pastels to give it it's "desert use" look.
The photos were taken by a photographer during our annual contest, hence the black background.
The build looks fantastic, Steve...can you expound on the "degree of difficulty" you mentioned -? What made the hardest helo kit to assemble ?
There were some fit issues. This is actually the second one of these I have built. The first one I did was a real learning experience. On this kit, fitting the horizontal deck correctly is the key to getting this kit right. The cockpit, the aft cabin and the horizontal deck build up together and then fit in the fuselage. Getting all this right is important.
Lots of dry fitting and adjusting. I also learned from the first attempt, the fit of the interior is so good, you don't have to glue it in place. Let it float and it will find itself fitting in perfectly.
I like building helo kits. One thing to watch for on all helicopter models is the transparencies (clear parts). Helicopters have lotsa glass it seems. If you build for contest these have to be perfect. Since this was part of a small diorama, having mine a little dirty and weathered was okay, otherwise, if they are sitting static, make sure they are clean and clear! You'll get dinged every time.