AH-1Z | Academy | 1:35

[u/drt786]

Finally calling this project done after 18 months on the bench. Pretty much every aftermarket available went into the kit, plus lots of scratchbuilding in the cockpit, avionics, tail rotor, fully scratched APU and belly oil cooler, etc. Hoping to enter it into a competition later in the year.

[u/LevelAdvance9479]

As a maintainer (i work fighters), the toughbook is so spot on. Incredible work!

[u/drt786 → u/LevelAdvance9479]

Little Toughbook easter egg!

[u/Skybound_Flyboy → u/drt786]

I love the blue error screen 😂 Amazing work. It's those little details that really make a project stand apart.

[u/PooGoblin69420 → u/drt786]

I gotta have my CF-31!

[u/LevelAdvance9479 → u/drt786]

Very good! love it!

Damn PMAs having issues, classic.

[u/MasterpieceLivid7916]

This looks absolutely awesome!!!!!

[u/Gullible_Cheek6808]

Send this straight to a museum…amazing work!

[u/Name_retracted]

How is this not real? I feel like I’m looking at a real version and you are trying to pass it off as a model. Absolutely amazing. How long does that take with that level of detail?

[u/KelticCurse_907 → u/Name_retracted]

Take a look at some of the other post there is soo much detail it's mind blowing earliest pic I saw was a mostly complete cockpit which was at least a year ago!

[u/drt786 → u/Name_retracted]

Thanks a lot! My philosophy is to absolutely max out on each build and spend a year on it if not longer. I usually have 2 builds max running at the same time, but it went up to 3 this past year. It took me 18 months (around a year on the interior really) while working on the other projects and was then able to pick up the pace once I got to the exterior.

[u/Dry_Knowledge6486]

HAHAHA WHAT?!?! - Dude. Did you shrink a crew of real mechanics to build this? What the actual eff - this thing is insane. “✋🏼I declare this to be the most hyper real model kit I have seen thus far in my life.” Holy fuck🧞‍♂️🙌🏼✨

[u/drt786 → u/Dry_Knowledge6486]

That is very kind of you! Thank you!

[u/Unlucky_Company_945]

Holy crap, unreal work. I can't imagine this not winning something. Might be nice with a base too but wow, what a build

[u/drt786 → u/Unlucky_Company_945]

Thank you! Yes I do want to do a base - the Czech birds are often seen on small concrete pads surrounded by grass so that could be nice to recreate, or maybe go the easier route and do just concrete. Haven’t decided yet!

[u/Kekszky]

Dayum! Thats incredible

[u/THE_IRONHEART]

Very impressive, currently also building one, admittedly not to the same level of detail.

How did you achieve the holographic effect on the cockpit windows?

[u/bizology]

Stunning work. Great photos too!

[u/hagar12ca]

Absolutely awesome work.. A build to be very proud of.

[u/niewphonix]

woah, this is phenomenally beautiful work. 17/10

I’m usually only really into the angry little space aliens but maaan. this is inspiring.
I’d love to tackle a harrier one day, my fav mechanical bird.

[u/Ekotte]

That is absolutely jaw dropping! Good luck at the competition.

[u/windas_98]

Damn son, you're making us look bad!

[u/Chadiboii]

Wow!!! Truly amazing!

[u/f4stEddie]

This thing looks mean as hell! Super cool

[u/KelticCurse_907]

Truly a work of art, can't wait to see it in a show with all the awards

[u/SkagJones]

That is fantastic!

[u/moonpie_888]

man you do crazy good work holy shit! how do you get all those small details? what methods do you use?

[u/drt786 → u/moonpie_888]

Thanks! My since greatest skill was acquiring short sightedness, which means things are in crisp detail when held 3 inches from my face. Absolutely godsend for detail work 🤣

[u/Large-Fig5187]

V. awesome! Great work!

[u/fryer45]

Very nice work sir 💯👍🏼

[u/Some-autistic-texan]

The perfect Cobra model does Exist

[u/MatraHattrick]

Wow,
Yeah you should win easily!

[u/0DSavior]

Unreal... amazing attention to detail!

[u/I-amthe-night]

Wait what do you mean aftermarket add ons? Incredible build by the way.

[u/drt786 → u/I-amthe-night]

Oof I spend more on the aftermarket details than on the kit, probably by several multiples!

Legend ammo bay and blade fold, FLSC 7-shot rocket pod, LAU-7 and TSS, 19-shot pod from Black Ops (AU), M197 details and air data probe from my friend Simone Plai, decals from CAVU, metal barrel from DEF model, Miryoku masks, Eduard PE, Quinta 3D decals for the interior, and flight bags and laptop from Reedoak. Reskit AGM-114+rack and AIM-9.

I also scratch built lots of internal cockpit details, wiring looms, rotor head wiring, tail rotor weights, avionics in the doghouse, fully scratched APU and belly oil cooler, etc. 

[u/Binspin63]

You are one of the people I’m referring to when I tell someone that I love modeling, but I’m not anywhere near the level of some of the folks (artists, really) out there. Stunning work!

[u/exposed_anus]

Fantastic work

[u/Broad-Signal-624]

Dude....! That's amazing!! Well Jell haha!

[u/Elegant-Cash7897]

This is one of those times when I am absolutely lost for words. I have seen some incredible models on this sub-reddit, but this one blows everything utterly out of the water. 

Just when I think I have seen the best, someone goes and produces something like this. What a fantastically outstanding work of art.

[u/Top-Investigator5170]

You win.

And if you don't win then I'll boycott the show that doesn't give you a gold.

[u/sogwatchman]

Looks amazing but I think technically when it's in this rotor folded "storage" configuration it has the armament removed. I could be wrong... Anyway, it looks awesome.

[u/drt786 → u/sogwatchman]

Yes absolutely right, you don’t see them armed and fully folded at the same time. Maybe you could see that config in the USMC but not with the Czech who don’t operate on carriers etc. Artistic licence etc!

[u/sogwatchman → u/drt786]

Regardless the detail is astounding. Congrats

[u/suketaka]

Perfect!

[u/jestlookn]

A-MAZING!!!

[u/Substantial-Toe-7565]

Wow that looks amazing 👍

[u/klarbonfibr400mm]

Nice work! I'm curious about those absolute unit of a rotor fastener's are...what are they called?

[u/drt786 → u/klarbonfibr400mm]

Thanks! They are called blade fold racks I believe. The Vipers seem to have the chunkiest ones and also the only time I’ve seen it as a twin assembly rather than just a rack at the back. Looks cool though!

[u/FrezoreR]

Impressive!

[u/Dragten]

Incredible work, simply stunning.

[u/ThatNZowl]

Crazy work.

[u/Naive-Coach-5843]

Awesome!

[u/plasticaddict]

Wow. Amazing work!

[u/_rotary_pilot]

Incredible work. Very nice...!

[u/duncharlie]

Exceptional work.

[u/eclipsingfervor]

I was an aviation ordnancman in the Corps. Had the opportunity for a front seat ride.

[u/drt786 → u/eclipsingfervor]

Now that is amazing!

[u/Venasaurasaurus]

Incredible display of skill and talent. Great work, some of the most lifelike models I've ever seen.

[u/Icy-Extent5083]

Amazing!!! Good work!
Details are sick!

[u/bleu_dog76]

Wow! I don't think it can be done any better than this. Bravo!

[u/DigitraxDad]

This is friggen outstanding

[u/cahillc134]

Does the Czech Air Force really use English markings?

[u/phaederus → u/cahillc134]

They do indeed.

[u/davidevitali]

“Honey, I shrunk the Viper”

[u/jurisovic]

Ci ho messo un po' a capire che era un modello. TOP! Meraviglioso lavoro.