Vital Stats

Manufacturer: Kitty Hawk

Kitty Hawk Scale: 1:48

1:48 Aircraft: Bell AH-1Z Viper

Bell AH-1Z Viper Markings: VMM-161 | United States Marine Corps | Present Day

VMM-161 | United States Marine Corps | Present Day Aftermarket: Werner’s Wings decals | Fireball missile stencil decals | Master rotary cannon barrels | Hasegawa AGM-114K Hellfires (from the AH-64D kit)

Paints: Gunze Mr. Color | Tamiya | Mr. Paint | Alclad | Vallejo | Mig AMMO |AK Interactive

Mini-Review

Overall, I really enjoyed Kitty Hawk’s take on the latest and greatest evolution of the AH-1. The Zulu is nicely detailed – particularly the fuselage – and goes together quite well.

Frustratingly, it does miss on a few of the Zulu’s details. The sensor ball could be a better reflection of the real thing. The pilot and gunner’s seats could be more detailed (particularly considering the spartan nature of the cockpit). The rotors could use more detail where the rotor folds should be. And the Hellfires criminally lack clear seeker heads – speaking of which, why in the hell hasn’t Eduard or someone pumped out a really fancy set of resin AGM-114s?

Aftermarket Verdicts:

Werner’s Wings Decals: Solid decals that went on with not problem. While they seemed a bit thick, they absolutely vanished under the final float coat.

Solid decals that went on with not problem. While they seemed a bit thick, they absolutely vanished under the final float coat. Fireball Stencils: A pain in the ass, frankly. Definitely, these decals fill a void, but the fact that they’re untrimmed, and the entire sheet is carrier film, makes using them a rather tedious proposition. Especially across EIGHT Hellfires.

A pain in the ass, frankly. Definitely, these decals fill a void, but the fact that they’re untrimmed, and the entire sheet is carrier film, makes using them a rather tedious proposition. Especially across EIGHT Hellfires. Master 20mm rotary cannon: So lovely, and such a pain to put together!

Photos

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