1/48 Italeri OH-58 Kiowa

by Gavin Rees

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This is the 1/48 Italeri OH-58 Kiowa done up with the JBot Decals for the 408 Squadron Commemorative paint scheme.  These is the first time I have used JBot decals and I was very impressed.  They went on beautifully and look great on it.  The chopper is pretty much OOB although I did use wire cutters out of the spares bin.  The Blue is a mix of MM. Azure Blue, Testers Sky Blue, and a touch of White.

Click on images below to see larger images

It isn't an exact duplicate of the original helicopter.  There are some changes that should have been made but I didn't worry about them.  The tail boom should be totally devoid of all accessories.  No light, antenna, and most importantly, the tail rotor drive shaft should be covered.  Since the kit doesn't have that as an option, and fabricating one was something I didn't want to deal with.  To overcome this I cheated.  I painted the area that would be under the shaft primer and left it as if the cover had been removed for maintenance.  I am quiet happy with it and it is now on display where I work, Bell Helicopters.  I really loved the Jbot decals and am looking forward to applying the set for the Polar Lights D-7.  

Thanks JBot.

Gavin

Photos and text © by Gavin Rees