The AH-1Z “Viper” is the latest (and last?) development of Bell’s Cobra helicopter gunship which first appeared in the mid-1960s. At first, the single-engine Cobra was a U.S. Army weapon, but soon, twin-engine Cobras became the standard in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Army moved on to the AH-64 Apache, but the Marines stayed with the Cobra.
The “Viper” was introduced in 2010 and features the upgraded engines, sensors, and weapons systems, as well as a foldable four-blade main rotor and a four-blade tail rotor.
Also a relative newcomer, Dream Model has issued this nice little snake in 1/72 scale. I was impressed with the amount of detail molded into the fuselage halves. The kit features excellent PE brass screens, seat harnesses, and other fine details. It comes with a load of eight Hellfire missiles — four each of two types — two rocket launchers, and two Sidewinder missiles. The main rotor is molded in sections so you can pose the blades folded. Brackets to hold the rotors in the folded position are also included, as are tow wheels and a tow bar. Decals are provided for three Vipers, two from an unidentified squadron, and one from HMLAT-303.
The 15-step, single-sheet instructions are adequate but don’t provide any historical background or a parts map. The small diagrams make it hard to determine the correct placement of the main rotor push rods in Step 9.
Overall, the fit is fine. The canopy is clear, but the one-piece design doesn’t allow for open hatches. While I like the folded-rotor feature, the stowing brackets are missing crucial diagonal braces and other details. It’s not clear how or where the brackets attach to the aircraft. The tow wheels are a nice addition, but again, there are no defined attachment points for their installation. The tow bar is neat but the microscopic PE tow rings that are added to the front end of the landing skids are difficult to handle. The same goes for the tiny parts on the attitude indicator on the mast in front of the canopy. You don’t get spares, so be careful.
I painted my Viper with Mr. Color lacquers and chose the colorful red markings of the HMLAT-303. The decals are very thin and easily distorted, so handle them with care.
I spent 17 hours on my ultimate Cobra. It’s an easy and quick project for experienced modelers. If you have trouble handling tiny PE parts — and who doesn’t? Take your time and take deep breaths. Thaaaat’s it. R-E-L-A-XXXX …
Note: A version of this review appeared in the November 2020 issue.