AH-68 Navajo

[Silver Fox]

Built this many moons ago, as you can tell from the yellowing decals.

Based on the Italeri 1/72 Apache kit, with some minor mods to navalize it.

Tail wheel is the nose gear from a Hind, moved forward to allow for a tail fold... then didn't fold the tail (got lazy). 5-blade main rotor is also from a Hind as are mid-wing pylons. Repositioned the Pilot Night Vision System to above the cockpit and moved the original sight to a mast-mounted position. Mixed weapons loadout from the Hasegawa sets... but the HARM missile is forever falling off! The nose is a drop tank from some forgotten kit... and a minor amount of putty to make it work. Original tailwheel location is fitted with the dome from somewhere, painted to look like a radar.

Marking are from an old Hornet kit mixed with some other sources. Slime lights and a prototype scheme carrying Navy and Marine markings.

Hope you like.

[Stargazer]

Very nice kitbash... but using "Navy" on one side and "Marines" on the other kind of spoils the realistic effect!

Also, the "Navajo" name would be used by the Army, as they have reserved Indian tribes for naming their aircraft.

Otherwise, it looks just great!

[Silver Fox]

Prototype scheme, that's why both Navy and Marines markings. Multi-service markings are pretty common on protoypes, it allows for photo ops

Navajo was chosen as a name cuz it starts like Navy. The original navalized Apache was the Sea Apache proposal... Navajo was briefly mentioned as a name, but I can't find the reference anymore. 

[philp]

I like it.

Bet the ground crew step lively when the HARM deploys on its own.

[Sauragnmon]

Nice job overall... tried superglue to keep the HARM on the pylon?

Of course, if the missile likes to drop off the pylon on its own like that, you Could give it a couple of horse kill markings?

(Look up Banshee and Horse Kill)

[Silver Fox]

Superglue is the next step... that HARM is gonna get stuck there somehow!

Thanks for the comments guys.

[Sauragnmon]

If superglue alone doesn't work, you might try using a pair of small metal pins drilled into the mount and the missile to increase the effective glue area - it's a good trick to use when you're dealing with stuff that refuses to stick, like metal on metal joins, or in some cases I've used them for resin on resin, or on multi-media joins.  Just drill the pin into each side, glue it to first one and then the other, she'll hold on sufficiently tight.

[Silver Fox]

I'll probably superglue it, but use a paper-thin slice of balsa as a joint. Use a thin enough slice and you can't see it... but both the pylon and missile can grab the balsa. Easier than trying to drill a pin hole in a pylon that thin. Thanks for the suggestion though... I'd have pinned it if it was 1/48.

Sooner or later I'll do a similar Army variant... Canadian Forces colours of course.

[Sauragnmon]

Hmmm... Canada with Attack Helicopters... heaven forbid, they might actually have to buy them... NEW!

[ysi_maniac]

I like the concept!

[Ed S]

Clever kit bash.  Looks very possible.



Ed

[Captain Canada]

Yes very clever ! Love the look of this one....sharp ! And the landing gear arrangement looks cool too.

[kerick]

Does remind me of the Sea Apache proposal from way back. Old issues of Aviation Week carried info on it.
Yours looks great!

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice one!