UH-60 history

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61. The UH-60A entered service with the U.S. Army in 1979, to replace the Bell UH-1 Iroquois as the Army's tactical transport helicopter.

The latest version is the UH-60M which culminates more than 30 years of technological advancement, improved performance and real world experience. This advanced Black Hawk aircraft serves dependably in the most extreme conditions found on earth. The UH-60M includes improved design wide chord rotor blades, T700-GE-701D engines (max 2,000 shp or 1,500 kW each), improved durability gearbox, Integrated Vehicle Management Systems (IVHMS) computer, and a new all-glass cockpit. Other improvements include better crash protection with improved crash-worthy fuel tanks, energy absorbing landing gear, attenuating gunners’ seats and improved crew seats in the rear. It also has better ballistic protection against small arms fire. First fielded in 2006, the UH-60M is scheduled to eventually replace all earlier versions of US Army Black Hawk helicopters.

The Cobra Company Set

Once again Cobra Company brings us another great update set for 1/35 Black Hawk helicopters. This set is designed to be used with the Academy Black Hawks kits. On first impression, it is really heavy. There is a lot of resin in this set. It contains 63 pieces of very nicely cast resin. There are no bubbles or short-shots, and very minimal flash. The set contains all the pieces you will need to convert a standard Academy UH-60A/L model or the MH-60L DAP model into an UH-60M.

The instructions are very well written and come on four full 8 ½ x 11 inch pages with clear pictures and drawings showing very well how to assemble the conversion parts onto the Academy kit. All parts are clearly labeled and laid out well for easy identification. Subassemblies are also shown as the build progresses to demonstrate how the parts are assembled.

The set combines some elements of other Cobra Company sets and new pieces to make the M version. The rear cabin takes the sidewall structures and rear cabin wall from their UH-60L Correction / Detail set. The seamless intakes and turbine faces are also from the UH-60L Correction / Detail set. The exterior has parts from the CMWS (Counter Missile Warning System) set such as the front and rear detector mounts. The doors, seats, chaff/flare buckets, cyclic and collectives, and some other smaller interior pieces are from the UH-60 Black Hawk Detail set.

Some of the new pieces include a totally new instrument panel and glare shield, center console modified to include new mission grips and some smaller panel changes. The overhead console has also been changed to include an additional circuit breaker panel and rotor brake. The crew chief / gunner chairs are the new crashworthy seat design with adjustable bases and a tracked floor. The step sponsons under the pilots’ doors get new end caps that are extended as well. For protection, the set includes new side body laser detectors, smaller APR-39 detectors for the nose and an all new tail APR-39 detector mount. The square, folding rear stabilator has also been totally redesigned to accurately represent the new composite type used on the M model.

Lastly, the set includes four new angled tips for the rotor blades. These are the most notable exterior feature on the M model. They have their mating surfaces beveled so they will be easier to match the contours of the Academy blades. The modeler will have to still make four new trim tabs for the blades, but these are easy to do and the instructions show and describe how to do them very well.

Conclusion

As stated above, this set is very complete. The interior parts replace almost all of the Academy parts. You will be left with very little of the original plastic once done. Additionally, the new parts are much better detailed than the Academy parts. They really dress up the interior. Likewise, the exterior parts are just as nicely done and finely detailed as the interior parts.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.