Limited Options for Airmobile in 28mm

I'm reviving a thread I posted awhile ago at LAF. Thought I'd generate some good ideas from our knowledgeable membership at Fields of Fire.

I've been into 28mm Vietnam as long as I can remember, and one thing that bugged me was the limited selection of choppers in this scale. Italeri makes a great UH-1D kit, but model kits are fiddly and with added weight from pilot and gunner figures added, I've had a few involuntary tabletop crashes resulting in plastic kit damage.     Force of Valor did a great diecast UH-1D but the run was soooo limited you had to be fast on the uptake. Now that these are OOP, they go for almost $200+ on eBay these days. Too rich for my blood.

I know Corgi makes some great looking UH-1B gunships (as uglyfatblokes' photos attest), but I'm really looking for slicks. The other option I was considering, diecast wise, is New Ray makes an LAPD and LAFD chopper in 1/48 but it's a UH-1N. I guess in a pinch it might do.

This may be a good jump off point for compiling a Vietnam Firebirds - 28mm list.

For other chopper options, I've seen a 1/48 Kiowa kit and a T-tail MH-500 that could be kitbashed to be a Loach.

You could always go the 3d printed route... these are listed as 28mm or 1/56 scale




They are from https://www.butlersprintedmodels.co.uk/

I've seen some of Butler's work up close (through photos anyway) and it does look roughly printed and very layered.

You options are limited as I see it, you could,
1.) Not play Airmobile, so no choppers would be needed.
2.) Skip having a chopper, it would only be on the ground 5 seconds, the games it really about the grunt's anyway.
3.) Switch to doing Airmobile in the one true scale (20mm) and use slightly less expensive diecasts.
4.) Build plastic choppers, leave off the fiddly bits, and invest in some really robust flight stands.
5.) As above but use the fiddly bits, but play with your toys nicely.
6.) Save your pennies and with some luck you'll win one on eBay someday.
7.) Ask Santa...
8.) Marry a rich widow, who will let you spend her money on all the toys you want because your such a stud in the bedroom.

Option two rings pretty true. Especially on a small play surface.

nah go 20mm !

Look for Corgis that are not MIB and therefore more favourably-priced and proxy for slicks until the fiddly rocket pods and twin M60s fall off...that's pretty much the story at our house. I have yet to tell SWMBO that a point will come when I will no longer glue them back on when they fall off. The 'box of rockets' variant is much more sturdy, but you can always just ignore them. To quote somebody else' We're playing a wargame, not making a documentary'

The slicks are always a great draw to the game, but sadly, unless you are doing a downed chopper scenario they won't stay on the table long.  It's always the dilemma.  Do all that work for a few seconds of Wow?

Kinda the same with fast movers. But the visual appeal is part of the draw.

With our rules the choppers can't enter and leave the table in the same turn. In my heart I know I've just made the rules that way for visual appeal.

I think there are plenty of scenarios that could keep helos on table for extended time.
For 28mm I think it would be possible to make the 1/48 models without a lot of the fiddly parts, and kitbash more stout rotor masts. You could even have plexi/plastic rotor sweeps made to look like they are in motion and just use a metal tube/pin for the mast.

If you don't want to do plastics and can't find diecast you may look want to go 3d printed. You also might have some friends that have decent resin 3d printers... *cough cough* (but be aware that 3d prints are sometimes just as fragile as plastic models).

BadMoon wrote:You options are limited as I see it, you could,
...
2.) Skip having a chopper, it would only be on the ground 5 seconds, the games it really about the grunt's anyway.
...

That's how I've always played any sort of airmobile force. Although I do make an exception for 6mm where I'm playing a brigade+ a side, as the AA assets can have a significant impact on the tactical movement and deployment of airmobile assets.

Thanks for the input guys. You're the best!

@uglyfatbloke: Are the Corgis able to be taken apart to mount pilots? Or does one just have to live with a remote control looking helicopter?

I'm pretty sure it could be done - there's a guy sells spare parts (including the entire hull/fuselage) on Ebay from time to time. I might consider giving it a shot if I were not so incompotent a modeller. The Cobras might be easier and def. the ones where it would make most difference.

I've decided to bite the bullet and just go with an Italeri UH-1 Iroquois kit and see how I fare. The local hobby shop has one in stock.

I expect you'll make it perfectly - I would not......Fortunately Pat is well-provided with helicopters so I'm not going to have to!

Yeah mate, sounds like Pat has quite the inventory! Much to your chagrin.

The Corgi UH-1Bs are nice, but I guess eBay is going through a downturn with selection these days. All that's available are VERY pricey!

You have to keep an eye out for them, but they do come up from time to time. - mostly Cobras though.

I'm thinking of doing a "what if" option for Nam and sending one of these in to do the job....

B6, I think as long a Murdock from the A-Team is flying it, then it will be legit.

I frequently use air craft that are "under" scale. So 1/144 with 15mm, 3mm with 6mm. Can look wonky the one half turn they land and have troops next to them. But otherwise I actually like th look of forced perspective.

As for 3D which is really your best bet to get in scale models, nose around on Thingiverse and Shapeways. There are WAY better printers out there than what Butler is doing. If you can find the STL file you can find a better printer.

FlyinSquirrel wrote:B6, I think as long a Murdock from the A-Team is flying it, then it will be legit.

I wouldn't have anyone else other than Mad Dog Murdock flying it. Ok, maybe Roy Schieder.

I would take a Kingbee any time.

Tom