History Brief

By June, 1967, Bell Helicopters delivered the first AH-1G Huey Cobra. The Snake, as she was also known, was the genesis, the initial production model gunship for the US Army’s attack helicopter fleet. It was flown by a crew of two, one pilot and one co-pilot/gunner (CPG), sitting in what is now the classic gunship tandem step-up configuration. The overall design was conventional; it was derived from the Bell UH-1 Huey. They basically slimed it down and added stub wings with hard points while keeping the aft empennage and the two-bladed tail rotor. It also retained the large 44’ diameter main two-bladed rotor. The Snake sported an M-28 chin turret with optional 2 × 7.62mm (0.308 in) multi-barrel miniguns, or 2 × M129 40mm grenade launchers, or one of each. It was powered by one 1400 shp Avco Lycoming T53-13 turboshaft.

The Product

This kit is a limited edition boxing. It features detailed parts, recessed panel lines, photo etch details, injection molded plastic canopy, and markings for 3 aircraft. My sample came in a small, flat, end-opening box. I found all the parts well protected and intact. The small one-page instruction sheet is well printed and easy to understand. The small photo etch fret is very nice. The decal options are shown in full color on the backside of the box.

The Build

I found the build to a pleasant and enjoyable experience. I encountered no problems in design or building construction. All the pieces fit perfectly and required only minimal clean up. I like the photo-etch intake screens – they really add an extra level of fine detail. I decided not to add the rocket launchers, but they’re included in the kit.

The Bottom Line

It’s a great subject in a popular scale. I highly recommend it to any skill level modeler wanting a Cobra.

Thanks to UMM-USA and IPMS USA for the opportunity to present this fine model kit to my fellow IPMS brothers and sisters.