The Blackhawk is a helo that the media has placed in my heart. With Blackhawk Down, the Californian Blackhawk Police helo and pictures of Blackhawks flying around New Orleans, you can only admit – the Blackhawk is one ugly piece of beauty. Otherwise my only exposure to the Blackhawk was flying it in Battlefield 1 and 2 and she is not prettier there either?! But in the Blackhawk’s defense, it is like the case of the A-10 Warthog; it is so entirely ugly that it is a thing of beauty.

The kit

Italeri in my book is synonymous with excellence. Sure I’ve had my doubts with Italeri at times, but that was only a few times with older kits. Which said kits were most likely bought in from other toolings or manufacturers than their own. I’ve been more than pleased with the kits from recent years. As so was with this kit that I got as a birthday gift!

The surprisingly enormous box is not a waste of packaging, or an advertising gag – this is a big model. I’ve been building models since the late 70’s and I can vouch for that big was not necessarily better in many cases. Luckily enough technology has advanced in the interim, because what I saw when I opened the package was a sight for sore eyes. Crisp, clean and flash free sprues with all kinds of detail, I was in heaven. Now I must also say that I am not a millimeter-feister. I don’t care if the model is 3 mm off or not, if it looks like the subject, then I’m pleased. And it did!

The model is packaged in individual clear plastic bags to avoid the separate pieces getting scratched. It is molded in a light grey color. There are five sprues, an instruction booklet and a decal sheet. The tooling is excellently done with amazing detail and a scale thickness. Of the five sprues one of them is clear for the windows and running lights. I’m pleased to say that the tooling has made the windows to scale thickness. There is nothing like a well done model with a grotesque canopy. Not the case here though! Interesting enough to note is that on the sprues it is stated that the molding was done in Korea (Editors note: I think this kit originates with Academy).

Instructions & Decals

The instruction booklet is well done. A lot of expanded views to help the modeler find the correct position on the model, to be able to attach the subsection put together on to. This fact makes this model something a beginner could handle.

The best for last I always say - the decals. There is a plethora of decals. Not only for three different versions, US Somalia, US Bosnia and Israel, but all of the intricate details that only the Army can put on a vehicle. They are well marked, well made and seem to be rather thin.

Conclusion

With all of the good in this model, there still is a gripe I have. Why couldn’t a pilot and co-pilot come with the model?? You put out a considerable amount of money on it, but yet have to go out and find someone to pilot it. I’m sorry, maybe I’m being picky, but it would have been a great touch to a great model.

All in all I can’t wait to build it!