Italeri 1/72 CH-136 Kiowa, 427 Sqn., (CAF)

The 1/72 Italeri OH-58A kit actually represents an Augusta-Bell version of the Kiowa. In order to represent a Bell mfgr'd Kiowa, I ended up cross-kitting the Italeri 1/72 OH-58D with the OH-58A kit, but retaining the OH-58A as the base kit. Since the fuselages of the two OH-58 kits aren't compatable, size-wise, some of the cross kitting will be need to done the old fashioned way - kit surgery.

Some items used from the OH-58D were, the lower stance skids, forward landing light (must cut from the OH-58D lower transparency, adjusted to fit the OH-58A), rear door windows (a wedge was inserted into the square Jetranger-style kit window openings on the OH-58A) and the wire cutters.

Scratched items included front seat details, rear passenger compartment. radar warning devices on the nose and rear fuselage, rotor shaft cover, large roof-top antenna (kit part is too small and mis-located), small intake spliter vanes, cockpit details, including the map pockets (the kit has a circuit-breaker panel that must go), rear door hinges and an overhead console.

Paints are Testor's Model Master FS34084 and FS34095, with the FS34084 tinted with Model Master's Field Drab, to give a brown tint, as observed on some CAF Kiowa. Decals are from some of the generic CAF sheets, put out by "Arrow Graphics".

Model by Scott Hemsley.
Photo by Andy Irving.

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