UH-60 Blackhawk repaint

[norwaystar06]

I am still on my buying/altering streak, and my next conquest is going to be the F-16/MH-60 Blackhawk... I plan on getting the Blackhawk 1) because its about 50 dollars cheaper and 2) cause i have yet to put a whirly bird in my collection. But i hate the spec ops look of it, i am a huge advocate and supporter of the United States Coast Guard, and always loved the paint scheme on their Blackhawks. I wonder if anyone here can do the repaint and adjustments or give advice? (e.g get rid of the exhaust things and make the exhaust flush against the body like the USCG Blackhawk, get rid of the Minigun and put the window back, so on and so forth). Id also though about getting the Older version of the Blackhawk but on ebay those things run for double the cost of what the current one is marketed for.

I am a DIY type of person but never have i had the massive task of repainting the ENTIRE aircraft and adjust things by removing/adding material. As far as some of you know the most ive ever done to my airplanes were add Invasion Stripes.

[granch]

The US Coast Guard version is more like the SH-60 Sea Hawk. The doors are completely different, with pod supporting devices on each side of the rear part of the fuselage. Somebody on this board made a very complete custom of the BBI UH-60 to obtain the SH-60. Another guy put the very nice Coast Guard colours on a (cheap) Powerteam Elite/World Peacekeepers Assault Helicopter (a chinese licensed rebuilt of the french Aerospatiale Dauphin).
The pics I saw are really fine, but I don't know how to put a link in this reply, so use the browser. Hoping it will give you inspiration...

[15tango]

Something else that would have to be considered in this project is the rear stabilator is completely different on the Jayhawks compared to the Army's blackhawks.

[pcoughran]

I think the original blackhawk/pavehawk would be easier to modify vs the newer nite raid version. Although, it does require major modifications regardless of the version you choose.
Have you seen MIG29K's thread on his seahawk (it has many of the same mods you would have to do for the coast guard version) scroll down and you can see pics of his work progress.
http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/view ... it=seahawk
He does beautiful work.
Several years ago I saw a Coast Guard BBI version on Ebay that was absolutely beautiful - maybe it was done by MIG29K for all I know. It was listed for around ~$400. The mods were all top notch and the paint was fantastic - a real professional work. I don't know what it sold for if it ever did. As a rotary wing fanatic myself and having almost all the versions including Pickel's mods, I thought the Coast Guard version I saw on Ebay put all mine to shame.

[norwaystar06]

Off topic, didnt think it was worth a new post (as i post enough already) anyway i still love the Blackhawk Helicopter even if it was left in its original Paint anyway ive been having extreme Trouble deciding between the F-16 or the Blackhawk (my budget currently barely allows for 1)... So im not much of a rivet counter im more interested in the WOW Factor, which one presents that? I love both aircraft alot their history, what they are capable of doing within their class. So to those that own these aircraft which one seems to be the better choice?

[pcoughran]

My vote goes to the Blackhawk. I have both the F16 (Wolfpack) and the original blackhawk, as well as a Pickel Pavehawk and a NIB pavehawk waiting for Pickel's DAP conversion.
They both really are cool, but I find myself taking the Blackhawk down more often to "mess" with. It's a beast in terms of "playability" - although the F16 is as well. If you like "playing" with them the blackhawk allows a lot more options for figures, dios, whatever.
In terms of space - the F16 wins as it takes up less space as the 4 blade blackhawk has a large area. You can always take 2 blades off and it is just long and skinny, but then it isn't portraying the real deal.
You can display the blackhawk hanging from ceiling with several figures in it and even have some Rappelling or Fast Roping if you like and since a helicopter can hover it is a "diorama" of sorts hanging from the ceiling.
My 2 cents.

[norwaystar06]

I was thinking blackhawk as well mainly cause I don't have any choppers yet... and i ordered a kiowa which looks awesome but I also want a big chopper to compliment the other one... and I love black hawks sikorsky is awesome at building big gentle birds... blackhawk doesnt look aggressive (aside from the mini guns hanging out) so I guess my mind is set for the Sikorsky

Edit: I hung my Corsair and Hellcat to my ceiling i gotta say they look pretty bad ass in their "habitat", This of course gave me some desperately needed Real Estate, I feel like buying 1 Jap Zero just so the Corsair looks like its chasing after it .

So far all my Navy Fighters (Not the Avenger, Too heavy and i think the strings would break under its weight) are in the air, i grounded the European Ones cause i want my skies to look like a battle.

But I gotta ask... whats the best way to hang my airplanes... all i did was get a fishing line, and put the string from the ceiling under the body and up the other side... i did not want to Drill my planes cause that looks ugly, and they seem to balance themselves out very well (when i tried to make my corsair look like its turning it would always go back to the level position). Also instead of a single strand holding one section i did double it up with another line... hopefully this will hold up the planes for a while.

[aferguson]

i wonder how well these are selling at the $169.99 price point.

[granch]

I also prefer to make a loop with fishing line. If you dig a hole, you'll reach an other intermediate panel, then you also have to make an other hole and so on. At least, it's a chinese torture to bring a wire into these successive holes.

I've both: many Blackhawks and 1 F-16 (1st release). Definitively, I recommand you to buy the UH-60, that allows a lot of possibilities to custom, place different figures inside and outside fast-roping. I will sell my F-16 to buy the new F-18, because I've been very disappointed as I measured the F-16: it is not 1/18, but 1/16,5. No right pics because of the scale when set side by side with my son's BBI Hornet or with vehicles. But of course, if you only want to hang it at the ceiling, it doesn't matter...

[aferguson]

so how well are these selling, anyways? I haven't really been paying attention.

[granch]

Blackhawk still betwween 150 and 190$ on eBay, but can reach 230$ in Europe. Kiowa used 80, new in box up to 180$...

[aferguson]

oh, i was referring to the new release, repainted one....the mh-60 that has the big price tag.