There hasn't been a lot of choice when it came to building a 1/48th Blackhawk series helicopter. In the 80s and 90s it was Academy or Revell which were both based on this plastic. I picked up this 1/48th Academy MH-60G Pavehawk kit at a very reasonable price at my local hobby store figuring I would try it out as a Desert Storm era build. I had one of their earlier UH-60 series which seemed basic but still decent.
Notable Kit Features:
Decals for instrument panel (not raised details)
Finely engraved panel lines
Basic crew seats
Interior fuel cells provided
Forward miniguns and .50 cal cabin guns provided
Off-center dome radar provided
Build Inspiration:
I had a book on Desert Storm operations with a photo of a MH-60G in theater "desert" camouflage as a reference point. I thought this would make a fitting subject to add to my Gulf War display shelf. It would also be a nice contrast to the standard dark-helicopter green-drab UH-60 Blackhawk that I also had in the stash. I probably should have built the UH-60 first, as that kit was in the stash for quite a few years... but current inspiration seems to win out over building older stock every time. ;)
Heads-Up Report:
Basic instruction sheet details
Plenty of sink marks in the interior molding
Flash on some parts
The fit is a mixed bag on this one - some good, however as I recall the intakes were a real pain for fit and required plastic card as well as filler and sanding
Windscreen glass requires some work to get it aligned
Kit missing some sensors and grills
Interior lacking details and pilot seats are not correct shape (from what I could determine)
Rotors should have some droop, flexed (or heated) into them (I flexed mine however they straightened over time)
Kit Additions / Modifications:
Crew seat belts added
Engine strakes replaced with plastic card versions
Finishing:
There is a bit more glass work to be masked off, prior to painting on this 1/48th Academy MH-60G helicopter, and the only area I left the glass out of until post-paint was the main cabin doors. That all completed, I moved to the spray booth to start the FS 33711 Tan base. After sufficient drying I masked off for the FS 30117 Brown camouflage wrap-around scheme application. The black details and rotors were masked and sprayed last. Select areas were glossed for decals. Weathering was kept to a minimum as my reference photos showed a fairly fresh finish with just the basic national markings applied. The final thin coat of Model Master matte clear was sprayed to get this kit ready for the detail parts to be added, which would include the armament, antennas and rotor work.
The After-Build Report:
In the end, the 1/48th Academy MH-60G kit is a decent kit that builds up into a nice enough display, therefore in my books I can still recommend the kit if you are looking for a bargain build or good starting point. The interior could use a fair amount of attention or replacement parts (Cobra Company as well as Eduard produced a set at one point). Look at your references as this series has a few variables depending on the time-period (or just build it the way you want it to look depending on your importance of accuracy). Note: Minicraft and early Revell kits utilize this same Academy plastic mold. It wasn't until the 2000s that Italeri introduced their Blackhawk / Pavehawk lineup, which from what I understand has similar fit and detail issues. Note: Skunkmodels, Wolfpack and later Revel releases are based on these Italeri molds. Recently added to the 1/48th Blackhawk lineup are the new (2024-2025) ICM releases which appear to be the best in class for this series.
Keep on building, gain experience, challenge yourself if you like, but try not to stress yourself out over the build - it is suppose to be an enjoyable hobby after all - Cheers
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