Monogram Bell AH-1S Cobra IDF

[garybrantley]

With recent threads of incredible Apache helo builds, I was inspired to dig out my own Apache, which has still never been photographed.    It was built in the early '90s and I had little knowledge of weathering models.   For years, I just never thought it worthy of a photo session at an airport, but I may try to document her just the same.   Hopefully, I can post some pics of it before long!

But I have built one other helicopter.   It was done a couple years after the Apache, I believe around '94 or '95, and I took it over to neighboring small town, Rockdale, to shoot some photos at their airport.    It's the old Monogram 1/48 AH-1S Cobra, done in Israeli markings on a sand-colored scheme.   I highlighted the raised panel lines with a pencil.   The cable-cutter on top of the canopy was dislodged on the trip over to Rockdale and I forgot to take a field-repair kit.   I added some scratch-made maps beside the seats and added some kind of mesh behind grilles.   Otherwise, all OOB.  She ain't all that much, but here she is! 😁































Thanks for stopping by and having a look!   Comments welcomed! 😊

[project510]

Nice detail on those panel lines. Gives it a nice touch of realism and adds depth. Looks real!

[tcoat]

That pencil highlighting is very effective. Gonna have to give it a try. Nice to see one in something other than olive or heilo drab!

[406 Silverado]

Ya know Gary......that turned out to be a pretty dang good lookin' build bud. The highlighting of the panel lines and extra details you threw at this OOB build brought out your good work even more.

In looking at that hangar in the background.....I can't imagine how toasty it would be in that "hot box" in the middle of summer. SHEESH!!

[keavdog]

Very cool Gary. I have an MD500 to do in IDF markings - wouldn't recall which sand color you used would you?

[oortiz10]

Nice lookin' snake, Gary! I built one a few years back and did it up as a sand colored US Army -F from ODS. These Revellogram Cobras build up nicely. As a matter of fact, it was my -F Cobra that got me to kitbash an Army and USMC -G and start a project of building all of the USMC Cobra variants. Which reminds me...I need to get back to that...

But I digress...

Great looking build! I'd love to see photos of your Apache.

Thanks for sharing!
-O

[buddho]

What a beautiful build, and the photography is ultra realistic🤓

[stikpusher]

Nice work Gary! If I was to critique anything it would be the TOW rounds. Those are left in OD, and the tubes swapped out after each firing.

Here is a good example of the tube with a live missile, as shown by the brown stripe for the live rocket motor and yellow stripe for the live warhead

[kyledehart5]

Brilliant Gary!! Thank you for sharing.

[handiabled]

Your builds and photography look like your standing next to the real deal. Wonderful job all around on this Gary!

[garybrantley]

Jun 26, 2024 12:56:31 GMT -5 project510 said:

Nice detail on those panel lines. Gives it a nice touch of realism and adds depth. Looks real!

Thanks!  I really appreciate those comments project510! 😃

Jun 26, 2024 12:57:55 GMT -5 tcoat said:

That pencil highlighting is very effective. Gonna have to give it a try. Nice to see one in something other than olive or heilo drab!

Thanks, tcoat! 👍 I will rescribe panel lines lost to sanding but that's about it.   There is no way I would attempt to rescribe an entire model, so the pencil technique was developed as another way to deal with those issues.  It works pretty good.   I usually use short lengths of an old vacuum cleaner belt for flexible "straight-edges".   They are easy to bend and don't scratch the paint. 😊

Jun 26, 2024 13:44:41 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

Ya know Gary......that turned out to be a pretty dang good lookin' build bud. The highlighting of the panel lines and extra details you threw at this OOB build brought out your good work even more.

In looking at that hangar in the background.....I can't imagine how toasty it would be in that "hot box" in the middle of summer. SHEESH!!

Thanks, Joe!  Those are some wonderful comments and I so appreciate them!   Oh man, it must get toasty hot in that old hangar.   I understand that it dates back to near WWII; that may be true too.  That municipal airport, Rockdale Regional is the official name, was a private airport that belonged to a Milam County millionaire named H.H. Coffield.   The airport was originally built in the 1940s as a training facility for the United States Army Air Corps.  At one time, he owned quite a few WWII planes that were kept at the airport, including B-25s, C-47s and others.  One of his Mitchells was flown to Cameron for some reason and remained parked there for years back in the late '50s-early '60s.   There was a large Coffield warehouse in Rockdale chock-full of assorted "treasures'.   Once there to do some sheetmetal work in the '80s, I saw a small "mountain" of antler mounts in one corner.   At the airport, there were entire radial engines, stored in big aluminum "cans" stuffed full of cosmoline!  All of it was auctioned off back in the 1980s.  Here's a bit about Coffield:

www.findagrave.com/memorial/94678794/hubert_hardison-coffield

www.airnav.com/airport/KRCK

Jun 26, 2024 15:55:51 GMT -5 keavdog said:

Very cool Gary. I have an MD500 to do in IDF markings - wouldn't recall which sand color you used would you?

John, thanks a lot! 🥃 I would bet that I used ModelMaster Sand for that paint job.   I wish I could still get it, too! 😊

Jun 26, 2024 17:29:38 GMT -5 oortiz10 said:

Nice lookin' snake, Gary! I built one a few years back and did it up as a sand colored US Army -F from ODS. These Revellogram Cobras build up nicely. As a matter of fact, it was my -F Cobra that got me to kitbash an Army and USMC -G and start a project of building all of the USMC Cobra variants. Which reminds me...I need to get back to that...

But I digress...

Great looking build! I'd love to see photos of your Apache.

Thanks for sharing!
-O

Thanks, Omar! 👍  I'd love to see all those Cobras; I'll look forward to seeing them here someday!    I am going to photograph that old Apache.   Man, I built it right about the time of Desert Storm and it kinda shows it too.   I was looking at it just last night and trying to decide whether to "spiff" it up some or leave as is.  I think I should leave it alone as a document of my building at that time.  It may photograph well, though.  I have been surprised by some older models that looked better at the airport than in the display! 😁

Jun 26, 2024 17:48:59 GMT -5 buddho said:

What a beautiful build, and the photography is ultra realistic🤓

Oh man, what generous and delightful comments, buddho!  Thank you sincerely, sir, for those! 🙏🏻 That realistic appearance is every modeler's goal, I guess, and sometimes, all the variables come together to achieve it.   I know that I've seen other modelers work that really defied detection as to real or scale!  😃

Jun 26, 2024 22:04:19 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Nice work Gary! If I was to critique anything it would be the TOW rounds. Those are left in OD, and the tubes swapped out after each firing.

Here is a good example of the tube with a live missile, as shown by the brown stripe for the live rocket motor and yellow stripe for the live warhead

Carlos, thanks for the comments, and for the correction! 🥃  I wish I had known that back then, it would've been easy to do right and would've looked much better, too.   Thanks for that pic, as well.  😃

Jun 27, 2024 5:56:28 GMT -5 kyledehart5 said:

Brilliant Gary!! Thank you for sharing.

Thanks, Kyle! 👍 I sure appreciate your support and encouragement; thank you for that! 🙏🏻

Again, I thank you all for commenting on the Cobra!   That sort of feedback and support is priceless and an important part of our hobby, I believe.  Many of us build scale models in isolation, with no local modeling friends, so communication back and forth with the larger modeling community is sort of essential.   We learn from others (eg. Carlos' tip! ) and the encouragement helps us all over those bumps and humps that always come along in this great hobby!  😀

[garybrantley]

Jun 27, 2024 7:51:25 GMT -5 handiabled said:

Your builds and photography look like your standing next to the real deal. Wonderful job all around on this Gary!

Hey Brent, I just saw your post and would like to thank you for those wonderful comments! 👏 I'm so happy to hear them and glad that you enjoy the photos! 🙏🏻

[deafpanzer]

I really like it A LOT!!! I can't believe I still don't have a Cobra kit in my stash yet... I have been eyeing at ICM because I prefer to build 1/35 for all helos if possible. Thanks for sharing!

[garybrantley]

Jun 29, 2024 9:02:57 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

I really like it A LOT!!! I can't believe I still don't have a Cobra kit in my stash yet... I have been eyeing at ICM because I prefer to build 1/35 for all halos if possible. Thanks for sharing!

Andy, I really appreciate that!  👍 Thanks, dude, I'm glad ya liked it.   That ICM kit sounds like a good one to build; my OCD prevents me from mixing scales in anything that flies; they all have to be the same to compare respective sizes.  I know, I know...🤓   I guess I'm stuck in 1/48!  😃

Have a wonderful weekend! 🤠  

[deafpanzer]

LOL! Like wise! Armors= 1/35 Wings= 1/48 Helos 1/35 for me. I think it is because I like to use figures for my helo figures so I am pretty sticking to 1/35 because of more figure options.