Academy 1/72 AH-64 British Army Afghanistan Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2016 | Manufacturer | Academy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | AH-64 British Army Afghanistan | Scale | 1/72 |
| Kit Number | 12537 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Easy construction, nice detailing | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | $33.00 |
First Look
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When the British Army sought a new attack helicopter, it received a variety of proposals but it eventually selected the Boeing AH-64D Longbow Apache. The British Apaches look like the American equivalents, but these aircraft built from kits by Augusta Westland (and initially designated WAH-64) are powered by Rolls Royce Turbomeca engines and featured folding rotor blades for operations from warships. Look closer and you'll see a variety of small sensors around the aircraft for the defensive system installed. These aircraft have seen combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya.
Last year, Academy released their nice new-tool AH-64D Longbow Apache kit and this kit is that same kit plus the addition of a new tree of parts containing the aforementioned sensors.
The kit is molded in light gray styrene presented on three parts trees plus a small tree of clear parts. Among the features and options:
- Nice cockpits
- Multi-Function Displays (MFD) in front and rear cockpits
- Assymetrical extended forward avionics bays (EFAB)
- One-piece main rotor w/blades
- Distinctive defensive system sensors around airframe
- 8 x AGM-114 Hellfires on two quad-rail launchers
- 2 x CVR7 rocket pods
The kit provides markings for your choice of 66 different aircraft plus a nice array of airframe and weapons systems.
This is another nice release from Academy to enhance your scale flightline.
My sincere thanks to MRC for this sample!