Boeing AH-64 Apache Longbow 1/72 Scale Diecast Helicopter Model by Amercom
$ 29.99
1:72 Scale Diecast metal and plastic parts – Boeing AH-64 Apache Longbow Lenght: 10" (from tip tail to tip of rotor at the front) Rotor span: 8”
This Apache model is a twin seat model and does not include a pilot/crew figures. The cockpit can not open. The landing gear is nicely detailed. Attached to the wings are a variety of rockets and missiles. A stand where the model can be attached for display is included. The display stand has the model's info such as country, flag and scale.
The blades for the main rotor need to be attached. Although they are supposed to be snap/friction fit, it seems that it will be better is a tiny (very tiny) drop of super glue is applied just to keep things secure. The assembly for the rotor and the blades are very fragile, so one needs to be very careful when attaching the blades since it is very easy to bend or break things out of shape.
These helicopter models are really not toys, they are not made to be played with. They will not last long if played with. Moreover, these models are made to look realistic and faithful to the real thing, so little parts like landing gears, skies, weapons, pods and antennas are made from small parts and are very fragile.
The maker of the model, Amercom, really did a good job with the model, the diecast metal construction feels quite heavy. The metal seems too be more rigid and thicker than comparable 1/72 scale models. The panel lines and details are very clear and crisp.What really caught my attention, however, is the way the markings and coloring are done.
These models come in what could be described as a disposable blister pack (sandwiched between two transparent plastic shells and then glued/attached to a piece of cardboard with the branding info. There is really nothing spectacular about the packaging, but at the end, the packaging is supposed to be disposable and with the sole function protecting the model, which it does very well.
Unlike bigger models, there is nothing to assemble for these models. All weapons and fuel tanks are already attached to the model. One just needs to open the pack and display it (or play with it).
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-typelanding gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has fourhardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles andHydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.
The Apache originally started as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army's Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. The prototype YAH-64 was first flown on 30 September 1975. The U.S. Army selected the YAH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, and later approved full production in 1982. After purchasing Hughes Helicopters in 1984, McDonnell Douglas continued AH-64 production and development. The helicopter was introduced to U.S. Army service in April 1986. The first production AH-64D Apache Longbow, an upgraded Apache variant, was delivered to the Army in March 1997. Production has been continued by Boeing Defense, Space & Security; over 2,000 AH-64s have been produced to date.[3]
The U.S. Army is the primary operator of the AH-64; it has also become the primary attack helicopter of multiple nations, including Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates; as well as being produced under license in the United Kingdom as the AgustaWestland Apache. U.S. AH-64s have served in conflicts in Panama, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan, andIraq. Israel used the Apache in its military conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip; British and Dutch Apaches have seen deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
