1:18th BBI Kiowa helicopter

[Dropshipbob]

I was lucky enough to pick one of these up on eBay after a short bidding war. It's missing a few bits like the pilot and the radar globe, I think I paid $50 in all.

I don't really need the stuff that's missing, I wouldn't be using it anyway. Was this a good deal?

 

[NSA]

Hard to tell, I think retail was $40? But they are getting hard to find.. And if it makes u happy it's worth it it's a decent sized chopper for sure I was surprised!

 

[Bravestarr]

The dome on top of the propeller is what makes it the perfect weapon guidance system.

It can transmit a laser that allows a missile or other SMART projectile to hit its target. It is also used to detect enemy thermal/heat signatures, and can relay collected digital information and images from the battlefield back to Friendly Forces for further analysis.

See if you can pick one up loose to complete the Kiowa, as it is a signature part of the aircraft itself.

 

[K-Tiger]

Eh, i think it looks naked without the MMS. Personally i'd pay 50 for one without TOWS or Hydra 70s before i'd pay that for one missing the MMS. It's kinda an integral component of the 58D.

As for retail, i think they originally were around the price point of the MH-6($20-$25)

 

[thelegoguy]

Dropship,
I was watching that Kiowa on the 'bay myself. Even though it does not have the MMS it is still worth it I think. You MAY be able to construct one yourself if your a customizer. I don't think I have seen just the dome loose on the net yet. I'd say you got an OK deal. I have seen them go up and over $150 on there and I am currently in pursuit of one right now.

Enjoy it man. That airframe will be in the US inventory for a while.

 

[NSA]

$150!

I have one I can sell you

 

[K-Tiger]

Damn, and i remember when Bad Cat was selling them for 20.

Almost makes me want to sell mine.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Never cared for Kiowas in combat. I was always like, why's channel 7 covering the war? Plus, the Kiowa "Warrior" is what "replaced" the Comanche, and that cannot be forgiven...

 

[NSA]

I wish they made a Kiowa with an opening rear compartment.

 

[K-Tiger]

Never cared for Kiowas in combat. I was always like, why's channel 7 covering the war? Plus, the Kiowa "Warrior" is what "replaced" the Comanche, and that cannot be forgiven...

The OH-58 should have never entered the inventory at all. I believe rumor has it LBJ was behind that.


On the RAH-66, maybe if the fucking Army wasn't adding specifications every 15 minutes the fucking thing would have been in service instead of languishing in development hell and finally getting the axe.

 

[ThunderDan19]

The OH-58 should have never entered the inventory at all. I believe rumor has it LBJ was behind that..

He had friends at Bell, no?

On the RAH-66, maybe if the fucking Army wasn't adding specifications every 15 minutes the fucking thing would have been in service instead of languishing in development hell and finally getting the axe.

Yeah, it's still pretty amazing that the Raptor ever got to the field. Same issues...

 

[K-Tiger]

I think he was actually getting money. I think there was something about Ladybird being his front person.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Nice...

 

[K-Tiger]

I bet the guys who were at Hughes who wanted the OH-6 to be the observation chopper would love to piss on LBJ's grave.

 

[ThunderDan19]

They used them in 'Nam and the SOF guys still use them, no? Talk about your "oldie but goodie" airframes, the H-6 is a classic...

Seems like the Army ran a bunch of 6's and 58's concurrently for a while, no? Did the 58 replace the 6?

 

[K-Tiger]

If it hadn't been for the 58 you'd be seeing a lot more 6s.

They ran them at the same time, but after war the Loach was sidelined until the development of SOAR in the '80s.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I had literally thought they'd all been retired until Black Hawk Down introduced me to the Night Stalkers...

 

[K-Tiger]

That movie was just proof of their vast superiority over Kiowas.

 

[ThunderDan19]

You mean like where they killed more skinnies than everything else in the theatre combined?

 

[K-Tiger]

Exactly. Kiowas can't do that.

 

[loadedtomcat]

SmallJoes had them at about $34.00 during the winter.

 

[K-Tiger]

Supplies are definitely drying up. I'm glad i got one, though i would have preferred the first version as opposed to the Kosovo Force one.

If i could recall my HT password i'd go get those pics i had of mine.

 

[Bravestarr]

Yeah, I hate that KFOR crap.

So annoying.

We don't write ISAF on all our aircraft and vehicles here.

Would be nice to take that stupid KFOR white lettering off.

 

[K-Tiger]

Well, to be absolutely fair KFOR vehicles were marked as such.

The tampoed markings shouldn't be entirely impossible to remove.

 

[thelegoguy]

Not to be a PITA but our vehicles and personnel were marked with KFOR. K-Tiger is right. I think I still have my patches from there deep in the bowels of my old military stuff.

 

[K-Tiger]

He'd really hate the white and orange MFO birds.

 

[Dropshipbob]

Like I said, the missing parts aren't important. I'm going to turn this into a civilian aircraft. (please don't hurt me)

The biggest challenge I face in that endeavor is turning it from a four blade to a two blade and also scaling down the engine area. I'm not looking forward to that.

Thelegoguy, when I saw this, I figured it would be my best chance at getting one of these at a reasonable price since it was missing parts. I didn't completely expcet it to go for as much as it did, but there were some last minute snipers that pushed it up.

 

[K-Tiger]

Like I said, the missing parts aren't important. I'm going to turn this into a civilian aircraft. (please don't hurt me)

The biggest challenge I face in that endeavor is turning it from a four blade to a two blade and also scaling down the engine area. I'm not looking forward to that.

Thelegoguy, when I saw this, I figured it would be my best chance at getting one of these at a reasonable price since it was missing parts. I didn't completely expcet it to go for as much as it did, but there were some last minute snipers that pushed it up.

You know the Bell 407 has a four blade main?

You'll still have to scale down the engine housing, but you won't really have to modify the main rotor.

 

[Dropshipbob]

This is going to be for my "The Thing" line of custom figures, and the Bell Ranger they had was a two blade.