This is Academy's 1/35 scale OH-58D. It's painted with MM helo drab and gloss coated. Added wires in both compartments. Still up in the air with the one on the bottom right. Cockpit area was painted w/ dark grey and the seats with off-white and dry brushed w/ a earth tone fro that worn look. The helo drab looks lite in this pic, but it is darker. One thing though, did the pilots fly with thier door off? I will post when finnished.

Yes, the OH-58D is flown with doors off (usually only the front doors, but I left all 4 off my model so you can see the equipment in the rear), unless it is winter, then doors on. The compartment on the left rear of the fuselage is a storage area for crew gear and the like. Throw a few bags in there if you want. The cockpit should be aircraft black, a slightly gray black. Seats should be black or dark green. Lastly, the engine compartment, interior of engine access doors and storage compartment interior should be painted zinc chromate yellow, a slightly greenish-yellow.
Overall it looks like it is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work.

Gino's right!

The Kiowa is usually flown with the doors off. This is kind a done for a couple of reasons.

One is Weight! Helos can carry only so much! The lighter the bird, the more performance you are going to have. And for those of us that are pilots, we want all the perfomance we can get. Not that the doors are that heavy anyway......

Another, is the "Cool" factor. It can get quite hot sitting under all of that plexiglass...plus it looks good too.

Adding a small map / charts to the top of the dash helps to add some realism as well. That's usually where my head set and sectional chart ends up. And, if the pilots are in a Cavarly Unit, than a black Stetson Hat for each is an abosulte must!

I'm wondering, how heavy are those doors anyway? Not only that, but how much protection do they offer? I would think that the protection offered by the door - no matter how big - is much better than a flight suit! I definitely wouldn't want a stray round coming through what could've been protected.

Anyway, mother it looks great! The interior is fabulous. One note though, I thought the access panel interiors (ie engine area, etc) was a drab yellow. All the pictures (and accurate models) have yellow interiors where access panels are concerned. Something to think about. Also, was the engine included and if so, how much of it was detailed? Can't wait to see the final product.

Jeff

Gino about the pilot seats. Are they all black or dark green. I had read an article over at Hyper scale about this helicopter which the seats were off-white. If so i'm glad you pointed this out before i had button this up. I did start to paint the inner doors using MM zinc chromate yellow, look above the co-pilot seat. It does look a little bright, again it's the lighting

Joe,
I have seen the seats in both black and dark green. I have never seen them off-white, not to say they were never that way, I have not seen them though. As for the interior of the cabin doors, they would be black too. Only the engine access and rear cargo area doors would be zinc chromate yellow, along with the engine and cargo compartments.

To the others. The doors are made out of aluminum and are about as thick as a coke can. They don't really provide any protection, just keep the weather out.

Howdy mother,

Just checked out your Kiowa, nice looking bird. Almost as good lookin' as that new Campaign medal yer sportin'

Gotta agree with Gino on the colours. I've opened more than one access panel in my life and just about every one of them were indeed painted that awful baby-poop yellow colour. All in slightly different shades mind you, so don't be too overly concerned with getting that precisely right.
As to the seats, hmmmmm, never even heard of white seats. Maybe that fellow over at Hyperscale was building a 'pimp' helo?

And targetdriver's comment about the doors is only too true. Last ship I flew before putting down my Log Book was the Bell 47 (OH-13 I think was the military designator). You know, like the one in the TV show M.A.S.H. And it had a total bubble canopy. Mannnn, did that get HOT in the summertime!! Flew with the doors off most of the time, except when we were spraying for Gypsy Moths, then we had to button up.......intolerable.

Keep up the good work.

Tread.

Doors are not bullet-proof. Also (and mostly) they are left off for easier and faster egress in case of an emergency....

I know they are not bulletproof (most things aren't bullet proof but bullet resistant), but I thought there were armored inserts available (available meaning "with the option" and not necessarily "in stock" as many veterans have found out). Or are these inserts attached to the seats?

Jeff