1/72 Hasegawa AH-64A Apache

Gallery Article by Jean-Charles Goddet on Jan 29 2010

 

1/72 Hasegawa McDonnell Douglas AH-64A Apache

This model is an Hasegawa 1/72 AH-64A Apache from the box kit number 00825. It shows the special scheme of an US Army National Guard in Mosul Iraq in December 2004 during the operation Iraqi Freedom.  Chopper number 94-0332 is one of the last AH-64A built for the Army, it was used by 1-151st Attack helicopter battalion of South Carolina ANG.  It was the first unit to wear an experimental two-grey paint scheme inspired by USMC AH-1W Cobra for daylight operations.  The upper camouflage is FS35414 and lower is FS35526.  I used Gunze acrylic H307 and H308 advise by instruction sheet, it is not the good colors but the result seems not to bad. Decals are easy to install and from the box I like the sharkmouth.  I used Osprey Combat Aircraft book 57 AH-64 APACHE units of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and internet to find good pictures of the beast. It was fresh repainted so I added a little weathering on paint scheme.

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Call sign Ghostriders from the Palmetto battalion is equipped with standard 30mm chain gun, 2x 19 shot M261 2.75in rocket pods and 6x Hellfire semi-active laser K missiles. I added some cable cutters sratchbuilt on gear and fine crank arm (copper wire) on the main head rotor.  To make the model more real I decided to open the canopy of the pilot.

An another particularity of this unit some of the pilots are vets of Vietnam war they flew AH-1G 35 years ago, awesome guys.

Happy New Year from France to all ARC members.

Jean-Charles Goddet

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Photos and text © by Jean-Charles Goddet