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Monday, April 07, 2008 - 09:42 AM UTC
It looks as though Dragon has given the same "upgraded" treatment to Panda's 1/35 UH-1N as they did to their 1/35 UH-1D/H model.
Dragon has released their third rework of Panda's 1/35 Hueys. The UH-1N is their latest announced version. To the basic Panda kit, they have added the same PE set, new decals, and all-new tooled M134 miniguns, ammo boxes, and M200 19-shot FFAR rocket pods. With these new items, the kit is quite worth the price Dragon will be charging, around $35, depending on where you get it. The Panda come Dragon 1/35 Huey kits cam be made into great models with a little TLC and elbow grease. Not fixed are still the over-sized rivets, wide panel lines, and mediocre detailing on the cabin interior. The PE set does dress up the cabin sufficiently though.

I for one am glad to see this reissue of a much needed model of a great helicopter that is still soldiering on today.

Thank you Dragon.
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Comments

WHATTA!!! Oh broody Kell!!! I gotta have one. Yerned for the Panda one for years and couldn't get it, this time I have to. By the way I am trying to do a 1/72 of the old 3 colour camoflaged Marine ones. The problem is, I couldn't find the camo scheme, nor the colors. Can somebody help me? Please?
APR 07, 2008 - 08:20 PM
Glad you guys like it. Upon further review, it isn't very accurate as a USMC UH-1N. The weapons are not USMC versions, but closer to the M93 system used by the USAF's 20th SOS in Vietnam. The USMC uses 7-shot rocket pods and externally mounted weapons, 1 each of an M134 minigun and GAU-2 .50 cal. Also, the nicely printed instrument panel is a single engined UH-1D/H version. The N has more gauges and dials for the second engine. As Joe pointed out above, the great Cobra Company UH-1N upgrade and weapons sets are still needed to bring it up to par. It is still a good starting place though.
APR 08, 2008 - 09:41 AM
I can feel a waterbomber coming on! This 212 has been whumping around here all summer. I'll try scratching up a belly tank for it and working up some decals. I have a full walkaround here if anyone is interested.
APR 08, 2008 - 03:32 PM
Good news - this is definently an interesting kit and the 1/35 scale opens up for a lot of conversion/diorama possibilities with AFVs etc. It is a little difficult to see if there are one or two miniguns? One each side or only one on the left side? Thanks for the update
APR 08, 2008 - 11:28 PM
It has 2 minis. Both sides have the mini guns, which is incorrect for a USMC N gunship. There should be one M134 and one .50 cal., both on external mounts, and only with 7-shot rocket pods.
APR 09, 2008 - 12:50 AM
Thanks for the quick answer, Gino. Should be easy to correct with the Cobra Company conversion.
APR 09, 2008 - 09:56 AM
Gino has pretty much covered all of my gripes with this kit that I posted over at ARC in his additional comments on this news item. Although I welcome the re-release of the UH-1N, I really think Dragon could have put more effort into the additional parts and research. All of the glaring inaccuracies and oversized rivets that existed in the Panda boxing are still there, yet the MSRP price will no doubt go up because Dragon has added inaccurate details. It is laughable that they can include this kit in their "Modern AFV Series." Where are the contermeasures, ALQ, and radar/plume detecting antennas that have existed on this airframe for almost two decades??? I find it absolutely stunning that at a time when kit manufacturers are making leaps and bounds in the technology of molding jet and armor kits, the quality of the lowly helicopter genre actually seems to be REGRESSING with releases like this one. Additionally, the UH-1N also mounts M240G machine guns, so that is another loadout option which Dragon did not include. Andy
APR 09, 2008 - 07:49 PM
Has anyone seen that Dragon is also releasing kit 3541, described as AB-212 ASW? Not a picture or description to be had. Anyone have anything on it?
APR 29, 2008 - 04:57 PM
Yup, its been listed for a while now, but nothing on it yet. Sounds interesting. We shall see.
APR 30, 2008 - 12:37 AM
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