AH-61F Sea Eagle (S-67 for the USMC)

[NARSES2]

I didn't realise iit was that big. Good size comparison 

[jcf]

Very cool. 

AH-67 is a doubtful designation.
As it precedes the Advanced Attack Helicopter program designs, Bell H-63 and Hughes H-64, perhaps give it the H-63 designator and make the Bell the H-65.
The H-65 designation wasn't used until the late '70s when it was assigned to the USCG version of the Dauphin. 

[kerick]

Have you considered folding rotors? As a RW Sea King derivative that should come as part of the bargain. It would make shelf display a lot easier.
BTW, S-67 was a company designation IIRC. The military designation could be whatever was next in line.
Somewhere between CH-46, CH-47, AH-56(Cheyenne) and CH-53. Fits the time frame anyhow. As always, it's your project do what makes you happy with it!

[Spino]

Have you considered folding rotors? As a RW Sea King derivative that should come as part of the bargain. It would make shelf display a lot easier.
BTW, S-67 was a company designation IIRC. The military designation could be whatever was next in line.
Somewhere between CH-46, CH-47, AH-56(Cheyenne) and CH-53. Fits the time frame anyhow. As always, it's your project do what makes you happy with it!

After some consideration, I decided to rename it AH-57F to reflect this particular helicopter as an evolved USMC variant of the S-67.  Some of its weapons were introduced IRL within just the past decade.

As for the folding rotors, that's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how I would go about printing them honestly.  I've had enough trouble with the rotors as it is, hence why only the main rotor hub is attached currently and is missing its rotors.  But I'll think of something.

[tahsin]

The original F-4E was supposed to come with a doppler radar that was expected to outperform the same era F-4J version. And firing at jets that would be expected to fly higher would be nice, making it easy to engage MiGs that wouldn't have the missiles to fire back with IR homers not capable of all aspect attack. Flying SAM battery though possibly not for the US. Unless it is fully proven to be conjectural. 

Edit: Searching for curiosity reasons it is highly likely it follows from the Sea King.

https://x.com/AncientSubHunt/status/1678417746659356673

[Spino]

It would have been a short-ranged flying SAM battery.  As I recall Sparrow wasn't thought to be good for shots much past twenty miles for most of its service life, and that was when fired from a fast-moving jet at higher altitude like an F-4, F-14, or F-15!  I expect Sparrows on an S-67 might have been good for more like twelve miles under most conditions, though as long as you're dealing with opponents that don't have all-aspect IR missiles, that might actually be enough.

[Wardukw]

Man this build is really giving me serious ideas on what to do with the 35th scale Apache's i've got in the stash and i've been wanting to build a chopper for some time now 
Yeah i'm liking where this is going Spino mate   

[Rick Lowe]

A friend used to make the entire rotor disc removeable for storage/transport.
Just a thought, though it wouldn't necessarily help with display.

[Spino]

A friend used to make the entire rotor disc removeable for storage/transport.
Just a thought, though it wouldn't necessarily help with display.

Not a bad idea, but it would take some serious re-working of the main fuselage section now that the rotor mast has already been installed 

[chrisonord]

I have found a couple of pics of the Anigrand kit I built a few years ago. For some reason I can only find 2. Mine is a US Navy in service, as a helicopter assault escorts, armed with sidewinder, Amraam, and stinger missiles. I put a turret and gun from an AH 1 T on it and the longbow radar and rotor blades from an Apache on too. I also put sand filters from a Puma on it.

[jcf]

Have you considered folding rotors? As a RW Sea King derivative that should come as part of the bargain. It would make shelf display a lot easier.
BTW, S-67 was a company designation IIRC. The military designation could be whatever was next in line.
Somewhere between CH-46, CH-47, AH-56(Cheyenne) and CH-53. Fits the time frame anyhow. As always, it's your project do what makes you happy with it!

After some consideration, I decided to rename it AH-57F to reflect this particular helicopter as an evolved USMC variant of the S-67.  Some of its weapons were introduced IRL within just the past decade.

As for the folding rotors, that's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how I would go about printing them honestly.  I've had enough trouble with the rotors as it is, hence why only the main rotor hub is attached currently and is missing its rotors.  But I'll think of something.

TH-57 Sea Ranger: Bell 206B purchased by the USN starting in 1967.
List of US H designations

[Spino]

Have you considered folding rotors? As a RW Sea King derivative that should come as part of the bargain. It would make shelf display a lot easier.
BTW, S-67 was a company designation IIRC. The military designation could be whatever was next in line.
Somewhere between CH-46, CH-47, AH-56(Cheyenne) and CH-53. Fits the time frame anyhow. As always, it's your project do what makes you happy with it!

After some consideration, I decided to rename it AH-57F to reflect this particular helicopter as an evolved USMC variant of the S-67.  Some of its weapons were introduced IRL within just the past decade.

As for the folding rotors, that's not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how I would go about printing them honestly.  I've had enough trouble with the rotors as it is, hence why only the main rotor hub is attached currently and is missing its rotors.  But I'll think of something.

TH-57 Sea Ranger: Bell 206B purchased by the USN starting in 1967.
List of US H designations

Well I guess that rules that out 

AH-61 then, predates a Boeing design for LAMPS II according to that list.

[Weaver]

It would have been a short-ranged flying SAM battery.  As I recall Sparrow wasn't thought to be good for shots much past twenty miles for most of its service life, and that was when fired from a fast-moving jet at higher altitude like an F-4, F-14, or F-15!  I expect Sparrows on an S-67 might have been good for more like twelve miles under most conditions, though as long as you're dealing with opponents that don't have all-aspect IR missiles, that might actually be enough.

The original Sea Sparrow BPDMS naval SAM system, which used unmodified AIM-7E Sparrows, was rated as having a range of no more than 6 or 7 miles, but that was as much down to guidance limitations as anything. When the better IPDMS came along, with later Sparrows, it was rated as being able to reach out ot 12 miles, depending on the target altitude.

[Weaver]

It's always a good idea to make rotors removable for transporting the model: all mine are, even at the cost of some serious "plastic engineering" during the build phase.

OGL's built a whole load of helos, and he used to bring boxes to shows with a neat line up of fuselages at one end of the box and a stack of rotor blades, corralled between cocktail sticks, at the other. Fine if you can remember which rotor goes on which helo!

I've generally built extended fixed tubes, as wide as I can get away with, into the fuselages, with corresponding tubes that fit inside them glued to the rotor hubs. The size you can get away with depends on the design of the rotor hub and gearbox top, of course. One good trick you can do for tail rotors (and this'll be easier in 1/48th)  is cut the shaft slightly short, superglue a tiny neodium magnet onto the end of it (cheap on Ebay) then drop another one into the bottom of the hole. Make sure you get them the right way around so that they attract rather than repelling!

[Spino]

It's always a good idea to make rotors removable for transporting the model: all mine are, even at the cost of some serious "plastic engineering" during the build phase.

OGL's built a whole load of helos, and he used to bring boxes to shows with a neat line up of fuselages at one end of the box and a stack of rotor blades, corralled between cocktail sticks, at the other. Fine if you can remember which rotor goes on which helo!

I've generally built extended fixed tubes, as wide as I can get away with, into the fuselages, with corresponding tubes that fit inside them glued to the rotor hubs. The size you can get away with depends on the design of the rotor hub and gearbox top, of course. One good trick you can do for tail rotors (and this'll be easier in 1/48th)  is cut the shaft slightly short, superglue a tiny neodium magnet onto the end of it (cheap on Ebay) then drop another one into the bottom of the hole. Make sure you get them the right way around so that they attract rather than repelling!

I'll have to keep that in mind, thanks!

I spent some time yesterday adding various lumps and bumps to the model, though part of me felt like it was a shame to put stuff like that on a helicopter with such clean lines.  More is to come, I still need to add a couple more Missile Approach Warning Sensor apertures, a re-positioned tail gear, and the IRCM lamp(s).  I'll post more photos when I get home today.

Still not sure about the name.  Grey Hawk sounds a little, eh, lame.  Especially for such a big and well-armed helicopter.  Maybe something more like "Stingray" or maybe Ghost Hawk would be more appropriate.  I'll think about it some more, but I'm open to suggestions.