With the release of RoG OH-58 D rebox, I wonder why there are so few 1/35 scale helicopter kits? Trumpeter kit are only mediocre, Academy Blackhawk are o.k.. But why no AH-64 family or early Cobra`s? Has anybody seen that obscure AH-64 from Kangnam?

I would say that they are not out of favour just not top of everyones list due to size and dare I say it 1/35 being seen as an armour scale while the subject is seen as an aircraft scale.
However Kittyhawk have bucked that trend of late with their A/MH-6 Little birds and their Blackhawk family with more to come. The AH-64 is odd in that a obscure manufacture released one but no one has ever seen it. Academy are re-releasing the AH-1W but yes we could do with an early Cobra.

I was lucky to receive a Heller 1/35 Super Frelon G for Christmas, the molds date back 30 years but the kit is still good for it's age shame that the only company that did the rotor/tail fold is long out of business and no one does any pe for it that I can find.

What would I like to see, well for starters;
CH-53E or K (with folding blades and tail)
Early Cobra and/or J
Lynx / Wildcat

I wouldn't call them out of favor at all; more of a niche market. They seem to have been accepted in the common armor scale since they are more closely associated with ground Armies in most cases. There are already a bunch in 1/35, with even more planned/coming as well. The new ones by Academy (AH-1Z) and Kitty Hawk (Little Birds and Black/Pave Hawk) are really nice kits. Hopefully they will release more variants.

Here is a pretty complete list.

Academy/MRC
H-13G M*A*S*H (Bell 47G)
HTL-4 USCG (Bell 47G)
UH-1C Heavy Hog Gunship (3 different decal/weapons versions/boxings, also reboxed by Italeri and Revell)
UH-1C Frog Gunship
UH-1C Gunship Special Noseart
OH-58D Thugs
OH-58D Black Death
UH-60A/L Black Hawk
MH-60G Pave Hawk
AH-60L DAP (MH-60L DAP - AH designation not used by US military with Black Hawks)
MH-60S Knight Hawk USN
AH-1+T Gold Cobra USMC
AH-1W USMC
AH-1W NTS (Night Targeting System) Update USMC
AH-1Z USMC

AFV Club
S-70-C Hong Kong SAR UH-60 (Reissued Academy/MRC w/added resin and ROC decals)
OH-58D (Reissued Academy/MRC w/added resin and ROC decals)
AH-1W (Reissued Academy/MRC w/added resin and ROC decals )

Dragon
UH-1D/H (reissued Panda kit, updated w/PE)
UH-1N Gunship USMC (reissued Panda kit, updated w/PE)
UH-1N Antifa IDF (reissued Panda kit,updated w/PE )
OH-6A
AH-6J Little Bird
MD-530G MMS (Mast Mounted Sight) Gunship
MD-530 TOW IDF
MD-500 LAPD

Heller
SA 321 Super Frelon

Italeri
UH-1C Mekong Raider (Reboxed Academy/MRC w/new decals)
OH-6A (Reboxed Dragon w/new decals)
UH-60A/L (Reboxed Academy w/new decals)

Kitty Hawk
MH-60L DAP
HH-60G USAF Pave Hawk
MH-60R USN (planned/announced)
SH-60B USN (planned/announced)
SH-60F USN (planned/announced)
AH-6J/MH-6J Little Bird
AH-6M/MH-6M Little Bird

MiniArt
FL 282 V-23 Hummingbird (Kolibri)
FL 282 V-21 Hummingbird (Kolibri)
FL 282 V-6 Hummingbird (Kolibri)
AVRO 671 ROTA RAF autogyro
Cierva C.30A civilian autogyro
FW C.30A German autogyro
Cierva C.30A with Winter Skis autogyro

Panda
UH-1D/H
UH-1N USN

Revell
UH-1C Gunship (Reboxed Academy/MRC w/new decals)
H-13H M*A*S*H (Bell 47H)
OH-58D (Reboxed Academy/MRC w/new decals)

SAR/Seminar
UH-1B
UH-1C

Trumpeter
MI-4A Hound
MI-8MT/MI-17 Hip
MI-24V Hind E
AS-356N2 Dolphin 2
AS-565 Panther
HH-65C Dolphin USCG
Z-9WA (Chinese-built AS-356)
CH-47A
CH-47D

There are a bunch more helicopters in 1/32 as well, mostly by Revell.




The 1/35 Apache was by Kangnam/Imex and was horrible. It was all out of porportion. They made an A model and a D model. The D was just the A model w/a targeting radar on top and none of the other extensive D mods. Neither was worth the plastic they were made out of. That is why I didn't bother to mention them in the above list. The old Revell/Monogram 1/32 AH-64A Apache is a much better kit.

Unfortunately Gino, most of those you listed, especially the Academy/MRC kits, are long OOP and essentially in the "unobtainium" category unless one is willing to fork over some serious simoleons on ebay, when and they are available.

I guess it all comes down to how much you want them. I can still find pretty much any one of them at what I consider reasonable prices.

I still think 1/35 helos are far from dead though based on the buzz around the new Kitty Hawk H-60 kits and Academy's AH-1Z.

For me, any helicopter is a risky proposition because of the real estate they take up with the rotors extended. Sure, I have a bunch of 1/32 4-engine bombers but wings are much sturdier and break-resistant than long, slim blades.

A number of helo has blade fold options. Additionally you can remove to rotor for shelf space and add back when needed.

Putting them in folded configuration takes away from an essential element of what makes a helicopter FOR ME -- your opinion may surely differ -- and having to remove a major piece of a model for display purposes counteracts the whole purpose of displaying the model.

If I may add to this thread, I’m staggered that companies, ie Trumpeter, don’t make great use of their kit moulds and release multiple variations of kits. Similar to Hasegawa with new decals. Or Dragon tank kits, release multiple versions with minor variations. Like the Hind F, of the new one with a twin chin heavy mg.

And, if we’re asking for helos, what about an Fa 223, which I expect we’ll see from MiniArt this year, or a Gazelle? The later see action over several years, multiple wars, and numerous different users. And I’d absolutely take an MH 53K in 1/35, too. Not to mention an AH 64. Again, the later, multiple users, wars, years of service. I know Kangnam did a couple, Gino omitted these, maybe because they were such examples of kits... but maybe now is the time for a new tool, current technology kit of this iconic attack bird?

Still waiting for the fabled 1:35th UH-1D Huey from KittyHawk Its been on pre-order with Hannants since march 2018. It just seems to have vanished!

They were intentionally left off the list, but I did address them below the list in response to a question about them. They were also reboxed by Imex. They are horriblly inaccurate and not worth the effort, let alone the plastic they were made out of. I would stay very far away from them.

A new 1/35 AH-64 would be most welcomed.