1/48 Hasegawa AH-64A Apache

Gallery Article by Konstantinos Vergos on July 7  2011

 

           Deliveries of the first AH-64A Apaches for Hellenic Army started during summer of 1995 and reached 20 helicopters in total. This specific model represents one of these early birds with s/n 92-0489 and Hellenic code ΕΣ-1004, as it was in service with 1st Attack Helicopters Battalion, at Stefanovikio airfield near the city of Volos, circa 1997.

           The model is Hasegawa’s “Iraqi Freedom” edition and, of course it is of excellent quality in terms of detail and fitness. Painting instructions should cover a little more both rotors axles and control mechanisms, but there are plenty of photos for these areas at websites with apache walkarounds that reveal the information needed for. Finally, I wouldn’t say that it is a model for beginners, because there are a lot of small and difficult to glue in the correct place pieces, especially at rotor heads and the machine gun, though they add perfect detail to these parts.

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             A lot of after-market sets can be found for this kit and some of them were used here. So cockpit set is from AIRES, although the one that comes with the kit is of fine detail. EDUARD colour-etched set used for the instrument panels, formation lights and for replacing some other parts of the kit. TWO-BOBS give a lot of stencils at “Iron city Apaches” decal set, that are more accurate than some of the ones provided with the kit and were used for the weapons and the main body. Hellenic decals are from a Hellenic magazine that offered them as part of an Apache kit that came with an issue of the magazine more than 10 years ago, but can still be found from suppliers and model shops. 

 

              Paints that used here are Gunze Aqueous acrylics and camouflage scheme is the same with US Army Apaches in olive drab. Lighter shades of the basic colour were sprayed at panels on fuselage and wings, in combination with dry brushing and oils, for weathering the model. However Hellenic Apaches today show a heavier decay of camouflage and most stencils are erased after 15 years in service. 

 

              After all this model shows a view to a fine war machine that is not perfect in terms of modelling, but the final result is as close to the real one as my modelling skills could reach and I thoroughly enjoyed building it!

Konstantinos Vergos

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Photos and text © by Konstantinos Vergos