MRC 1/35 OH-58D Kiowa "Black Death"

The Bell OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine single-rotor military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. It was produced by the American manufacturer Bell Helicopter and is closely related to the Model 206A JetRanger civilian helicopter.

The OH-58D (Bell Model 406) was the result of the Army Helicopter Improvement Program (AHIP). An upgraded transmission and engine gave extra power, needed for nap-of-the-earth flight profiles, and a four-bladed main rotor made it quieter than the two-bladed OH-58C. The OH-58D introduced the distinctive Mast-Mounted Sight (MMS) above the main rotor, and a mixed glass cockpit with traditional instruments as "standby" for emergencies. The OH-58 has since been withdrawn from service being replaced by the UH-72 Lakota and by drones.

This is a kit I've had since it first came out in 1995. I only recently pulled off the shrink wrap as I'm running low on kits to preview so decided to take a look at what comes in the box. I wasn't too surprised to see that there is a lot of room in the box as model companies usually stick with a standard box size for many of their kits.

Molded in the usual grey plastic, the kit has the required engraved external detailing. Thanks to the fairly large size of the completed kit, MRC decided to provide a lot of detail. This starts at the cockpit area where not only is there a full cockpit, but the back section, where there would normally be passenger seats, is full of various boxes and ammo cans. With no need to get to the back of the interior, there is a bulkhead between the fore and aft sections.

Instructions then have to move to building up the avionics shelf along with the engine and transmission. Next is the rotor mast, which is nicely detailed and added to the engine/transmission section. Then a pair of crew members are built up. At this time, all the previous subassemblies are joined into one large construct in preparation to installing in the fuselage.

But before that, the rest of the main rotor assembly, which includes the blades and the mast are constructed. Then we move onto the fuselage and all the clear bits. There are a LOT of parts to fit to the fuselage including the transparencies, a variety of antennas, doors, landing skids, and mounts for the weapons to name a few. Speaking of weapons you have two options. One is a pair of Hellfire missiles on each side, or you can substitute the port Hellfires with a .30 calibre machine gun pod. Finally, there are a pair of access panels for the engine/transmission that can be posed open.

Instructions are a bit different from today's offerings in that each construction step is written out and refers to an exploded view. With each construction step, painting information is provided, so you can paint as you go. There is a single marking option, and that is what is shown on the box art. Apparently this is a popular kit as it has been offered by a number of companies including Fujimi, Academy, Revell, and AFV Club. I have a suspicion that this was actually tooled by Academy under contract from MRC.

Overall, it looks like a very nice kit that should make into an equally nice model. Finding one may be an issue as a web search for this kit as well as the reboxes turned up a lot of 'out of stock' with those available being offered for three time what I paid for it 30 years ago. If you run across one for a reasonable price, it is well worth picking up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_OH-58_Kiowa#Variants

November 2024