Historical Background
When the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne attack helicopter was cancelled in 1972, the US Army began its search for an anti-armour/attack aircraft that would still be under their command. As the 1948 Key West Agreement forbade the Army from operating fixed-wing aircraft, its next attack/anti-armour aircraft would have to be another helicopter, but one with better performance, firepower and range than the AH-1 Cobra. Also needed is sufficient agility to allow nap-of-the-earth flying. On 15 November 1972, the US Army issued a Request For Proposal for an Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH). Proposals were submitted by Bell, Sikorsky, Hughes, Lockheed and Boeing Vertol/Grumman. In July 1973, the US Department of Defense selected Hughes' and Bell's proposals as finalists. Each company build a prototype for a fly-off : Bell with Model 409/YAH-63 and Hughes with Model 77/YAH-64. After evaluating the test results, Hughes' YAH-64 was selected as the winner. Reasons for YAH-64's selection include more damage-resistant four-bladed rotor of the YAH-64 and the instability of YAH-63's tricycle landing gear arrangement. The AAH program then entered Phase 2 where three pre-production AH-64 would be built, plus the two YAH-64 flying prototypes (and a static ground test unit) would be brought to the same standard. The airframes would be used to test weapons and sensor systems, including the new AGM-114 Hellfire (Helicopter-Launched, Fire and Forget) missile.
In 1981, the pre-production AH-64As were delivered to the Army for further operational tests. They were successful but the Army decided to upgrade the engines (General Electric T700 turboshaft engine) to the more powerful Dash 701 version. In late 1981, the AH-64 was named the Apache, keeping with the US Army's tradition of naming its aircraft after American Indian tribes. In 1983, the first production Apache rolled off the Hughes Helicopters at Mesa, Arizona with the US Army formally accepting it in January 1984. In the same year, Hughes Helicopters was bought by McDonnell Douglas. The 7th Battalion, 17th Cavalry Brigade became the first operational Apache unit when it began training with the AH-64A in 1986.
The Apache's configuration followed the arrangement first used on the AH-1 by having the two crew members sitting in tandem with the co-pilot/gunner in front and the pilot behind and above him. Both are however capable of flying the helicopter and performing weapons engagement separately. There is a shielding between the cockpits, so that at least one crew member can survive hits. The cockpit compartment (and also the rotor blades) are designed to sustain a hit from 23mm rounds. In total, some 2,500 lb of armour protected the airframe and the fuel system is of the self-sealing type. The airframe was also strengthened to meet the crashworthiness requirements of MIL-STD-1290. The original AH-64A was powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701 rated at 1,696 shp each driving a four-bladed main rotor and a four-bladed tail rotor.
A Hughes (now Alliant Techsystems) M230 30mm Chain Gun formed the Apache's permanent weapon system. The M230 can fire up to 625 rounds per minute. The Apache can carry 1,200 rounds of ammunition but usage of the so-called 'Robby tank' reduces this capacity to 300. The weapon-carrying configurations of the Apache are highly customisable for the roles assigned to it. The most common weapons carried by the Apache are Hydra 70 general-purpose 70mm unguided rockets, usually carried in 19-shot M261 rocket launchers. The most significant weapon however is the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Originally developed for anti-armour use, later version of the Hellfire can be used for other target types, including individuals. In late 1980s, the Apache was also evaluated to carry AIM-9 Sidewinder and FIM-92 Stinger air-to-air weapons and also the AGM-122 Sidearm anti-radiation missile. The Apache crew is provided with the Integrated Head And Display Sighting System (IHADDS) which, among others, allow the crew (any one of them) to slave the Chain Gun to their helmet, making the gun track to wherever the crew member is looking. The gun can also be controlled via the Target Acquisition and Designation System (TADS), or locked to fire ahead. The TADS is also part of the TADS/PNVS (TADS/Pilot Night Vision System). Other systems also include GPS and passive IR countermeasures.
Apart from the US Army, the Apache was used by Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, UAE and United Kingdom (who licence-build the AH-64 as AgustaWestland Apache). The Apache was first used in combat during Operation Just Cause in 1989. In the next year, nearly half of the US Army's Apache was deployed to Saudi Arabia for following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. On 17 January 1991 around 0210L, Task Force Normandy, consisting of eight Apaches led by two USAF MH-53J Pave Low III, fired the first shots of Operation Desert Storm when it destroyed Iraqi radar stations near the Saudi/Iraq border which could have warned Bahgdad of the upcoming attack. A total of 277 Apaches took part in Desert Storm, destroying 278 tanks and numerous APC and other vehicles. One Apache was lost to ground fire, when it was shot by a RPG at close range.
The Apache was then sent to the Balkans during the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo, The deployment was a failure for the Apaches as none were flown in combat missions due to fears of casualties. Problems faced include deficiencies in training, night vision equipment, fuel tanks and survivability. One Apache crashed during training in Albania on 27 April 1999. In Afghanistan, for Operation Enduring Freedom and in Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The D-model Apaches often remove their Longbow radar due to lack of armoured threats. In Iraq, an Apache was downed by in a flak trap on 24 March 2003 for which the then-Iraqi government attribute the downing to a farmer armed with a rifle (he denied it later). The Apache was captured intact, although it was destroyed by an airstrike the next day. By the end of US operations in Iraq in December 2011, several Apaches had been shot down or lost in accidents. Apart from the US Army, the Apache was also used by its other users in combat.
The Kit
The Hasegawa kit dated from 1983 and the particular boxing I use here is a 2008 re-release, featuring new parts. The kit, as with many other Hasegawa kits feature nicely engraved details but lack the rather prominent rivet details . The rotor head while having a correct shape, lacked details. There aren't much option for the weapons load - just the basic two FFAR pods and 16 Hellfire missiles (at least Hasegawa helicopter kits come more or less fully armed cf. their aircraft kits). The decal sheet provide markings for an AH-64 from the 3rd Battalion, 227th Army Aviation Regiment. Also included is a 'numbers jungle' so that any AH-64As can be built.
Construction
I have an unbuilt Italeri Apache in my stash. It suffered an awful accident, resulting in a broken fuselage and decided to keep the best bits to be used when I finally have the Hasegawa version. Anyway, as usual, the build starts at the cockpit. As with many 1/72 scale cockpit, the detail is sparse with all the instrument faces, switches and dials in decal form. The entire cockpit was painted XF-1 Flat Black and I didn't bother with dry-brushing or washes as there are no raised or recessed details to speak of. I originally wanted to replace the kit's seats with the Italeri ones, but I felt that the side armour plates of the latter are overscale. Although not mentioned, the cushions (or, as it is, just the seat back) were painted XF-62 Olive Drab. Before mating the fuselage halves, the cockpit sidewalls were painted Flat Black and the cockpit tub cemented to one side. I was thinking of making the rotor moveable but in the end decided to fix the shaft in place. I found that the ALQ-144 IRCM 'disco ball' has no details so I cut it off and have replaced with the one from the Italeri kit.
Although the next step is concerned with the engine pods, I skipped that step for a while and add the bottom of the fuselage first. To ease painting and assembly, the main landing gear and the Chain Gun were left off. The tail plane was also cemented although the tail wheel was left off, again to avoid accidental breakage. After that I returned to the engine pods. Each engine pod consists of three parts, plus two-piece exhausts. The parts fit nicely but I only dry fit the exhaust assembly at this time, again because of painting considerations. The canopy, which have the pilot's access panel moulded separately (so that it can be posed open), was cemented, with the separate panel in the closed position. I however neglected to check the fit, resulting the panel being slightly off. Looking at the TADS/PNVS turret, the Italeri one has sharper detail and substituted the former with the latter. Finally the stub wings are attached to the fuselage. The pylons were however left off at first. The rocket pods and the Hellfire missile racks were also assembled at this time, but remain separated.
Painting and Decalling
US Army helicopters are painted the so-called 'Helo Drab' although nearly all of the instructions for so many US Army chopper kits called for Olive Drab. As far as I know, only Testors' Model Master brand have Helo Drab in their range but I could not find any. Online searching also turned up nothing about Tamiya mixes to get this colour. Photos on the internet show a bewildering shade: being greyish, olive-ish or brown-ish, depending on the camera angle! In the end I decided to make a custom mix, using just the eye to judge the 'accuracy'. I mixed Tamiya XF-51 Khaki Drab with XF-62 Olive Drab until I get the approximate colour (it may still be the wrong shade!) and paint the model. The sensor apertures were painted X-18 Semi-Gloss Black and /or Gold. The canopy sealant are not painted as I do not own a small enough brush for that purpose. As for markings, since there is effectively only one marking set, I applied the decals according to the instructions. I may be wrong, but the Italeri "United States Army" title looks better and I use them. The decals were then set in place using Mr Mark Softer.
Finishing
I started by assembling the landing gears, so that the model can stand on its own. Afterwards, the pylons were cemented onto the stub wings. The Hellfire missiles and Hydra rocket pods were painted straight Olive Drab, while the seeker portion was painted silver (I should have dabbed just a bit of silver as the seeker window is pretty small. Afterwards the ordnance were loaded onto the model: the Hellfires were cemented to the launch rails before the assembly was cemented to the stub wing. The rocket pods, being placed outboard, were the last. The Chain Gun was pretty simplified, so I added a bit more parts using plastic rod and fuse wire. The assembly was then slotted into the lower fuselage. The exhaust assembly was then cemented. Finally the main rotors were assembled. I however replaced the kit rotor assembly with the Italeri one as the latter has better detail (then again the detail may be wrong for an Apache!). In any case, the rotor blades in both kits are moulded without the droop (when idle). To add the droop, I soaked the blades in hot water and then carefully bend them downwards. It might not match photos but at least the blades are now droopy. The mast is the last item cemented although somewhat inexplicably, I used the Hasegawa rather then the Italeri counterpart. Sludge wash was then applied to enhance the panel lines.
Conclusion
The Hasegawa kit of the Apache, even though dated from the 1980s can still hold its own against its market rivals. The fit is good with well-detailed parts (of course there are certain exceptions) and the ugliness of the design was well captured by Hasegawa. The details can be improved, if one wished, by using aftermarket parts but what comes in the box are enough satisfy the average modeller.
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