Small Scale Military Headquarters

Have any of you guys done any different schemes on a Cobra?

I want to say that is has been done, but no one has shown anything for a while. With the Cobras so rare at the moment, it almost makes sense to keep the model in its stock configuration.

I do recall, however, seeing one on ebay back in the 2004-2005 timeframe painted up as a GI Joe XH-1 Dragonfly - essentially the XD Supercobra was given an OD green coat of paint with appropriate markings and crewed by GI Joe figures

Is it worth $ 200? I'd really love to have one.

fightin wrote:Is it worth $ 200? I'd really love to have one.

It's definitely one of the best pieces ever produced in the 1/18 line. It's worth the $200 or so, if you can snag one for that price do it.

CENT-ONE wrote:It's definitely one of the best pieces ever produced in the 1/18 line. It's worth the $200 or so, if you can snag one for that price do it.

Agreed. While I would not want to pay $200 for something I once could get for $40-$50, the 21c AH-1W is a fantastic piece and is the best 1:18 helicopter and a 21c Xtreme Detail masterpiece.

It has a detail level greater than any of the BBI helicopters and even most 21c aircraft with opening engines, avionics bay, and gun ammo bay, complete with the ammo magazine box. Then there is the fully detailed cockpit with painted instruments, dials, switches, and sculpted flight and gun controls. The canopy is really an ingenious design: the pilot's doors open in the accurate "swing up" manner, providing limited access. However, the entire canopy piece is designed to lift off, allowing one to place figures into the cockpit easily. The remaining features include the rotating prop and tail rotor as well as a rotating nose turret and spinning gun. The rocket pods and TOW missiles are not removable, however. The whole thing can easily "break down" for storage when not on display.

In my opinion, the AH-1W still very much holds its own in terms of detail and quality against the latest offerings and is the most detailed modern aircraft next to the JSI F-14. That makes it hard to believe that the 21c AH-1W was first released in 2003-2004, contemporary with the XD P-40 and P-47.

I have the snake version and like it quite a bit - think I paid about $120 for it a year ago or so. I like the 21st Huey just as much and now that I did some customizing to BBI pavehawk with Pickel's custom parts, I like it the best.
Click the thumbnails below for a larger view:

Okay, thanks for the replies. I'll try to get one.

Yes, the cobra is indeed a nice piece. I managed to acquire one just few months back at about $150.

Should I go for the one with the snake or wait until somebody puts the camo version up on ebay?

If you can try to get both of them. They're both worth getting.

tmanthegreat wrote:
It has a detail level greater than any of the BBI helicopters

*Looks at Super Cobra, then at Bbi OH-58D; chuckles*


Yeah, moving on.

I got a used Super Cobra, and can say honestly that i wouldn't pay much over retail for it, again. It's built from that shoddy plastic 21st loved, and it's not likely to survived accidental bumps very well, especially the chin gun. Pitot tubes, tail "stinger" and even the TOW racks on mine were delicate. Rotor droop is vicious on several i've seen, and while this is accurate for real-life helicopters, i don't want it on my 1:18 ones.

Hell, i'm about ready to throw mine in the garbage.

And while everyone will tell you this or that, i'd trust my Bbi birds to survive a "hard landing" a hell of a lot more than i would any of 21st's.


If you can get a boxed one i'd say go for it, but don't let anyone convince you that it's a 200 dollars well-spent. I didn't pay near that for mine, but i payed enough for it to leave a bad taste in my mouth.


Keep it very high away from any animals, edges or any thing that may cause you to bump it or look at it oddly.

I got the Snake nose art version on SSHQ for $40...what a deal.

Paid $20 back in 2005, wouldn't hesitate to pay $150 for one now. I actually prefer the hard plastic 21st used as opposed to BBI's limply soft plastic.

i am lucky a board member trade me in person a spit for a camo one

good trade never regret it....

Black_Dragon_One wrote:i am lucky a board member trade me in person a spit for a camo one

good trade never regret it....

curious, like to check with you guys which is more rare?
spitfire or cobra?

I actually prefer the hard plastic 21st used as opposed to BBI's limply soft plastic.

I'm not sure what type of plastic BBI's models are made from, but I believe 21st's were made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, AKA "ABS" which is a tougher, and more durable plastic than the Polystyrene that many models and kits are made from. The fragility of the 21st Cobra copter has far more to do with the relatively small size and diameter of it's protruding parts than it does the type of plastic it is made of. I mean let's face it.... if you drop the thing off a shelf, the skids and nose gun are going to break, and you don't need to be a polymer chemist to understand that, and BBI's helicopter models wouldn't fare any better under similar circumstances.

JEDIMECH:

On ebay, I've seen a lot more Spitfires than SuperCobras.

jedimech wrote:

Black_Dragon_One wrote:i am lucky a board member trade me in person a spit for a camo one

good trade never regret it....

curious, like to check with you guys which is more rare?
spitfire or cobra?

camouflage

i got both and love both....

I would argue that the Cobras are more rare than the Spitfires. Even though both went to Wal Mart and the small retailers at one time, based on numbers and repaints, there were only ever two schemes of the Cobra released and four for the Spitfire. So, by quantity, there are certainly more spitfires.

Hi Guys, thanks for the info & analysis.
Glad that i managed to acquire a cobra.

Hello from a NOOB!!

Im new to this hobby and, from what it sounds like, a day late and a dollar short. I have been trying to get a camo cobra but they are bringing big money on ebay. I pains me to hear that this things were sold at walmart and now bring almost $400!!

I have been trying to get a camo cobra but they are bringing big money on ebay.

I believe the so called "Land Camo" version was always more scarce than the "Snake" version, even when the Cobra was still available at Wal Mart and elswhere. I guess they just made fewer of them, and that would explain why they're bringing much higher prices than the Snake version now. I only had one of the Land Camo Cobra's and it boggles the mind to think what it be worth now if I had hung on to it..

MUDHEN336 wrote:Hello from a NOOB!!

Im new to this hobby and, from what it sounds like, a day late and a dollar short. I have been trying to get a camo cobra but they are bringing big money on ebay. I pains me to hear that this things were sold at walmart and now bring almost $400!!

Welcome aboard!
Yep, that's the deal. Get every model at the initial price and sell them a couple years later. That's the way to make some big bucks - assumed that you find someone willing to get rid of his hard earned $.

However, the Cobra isn't THAT expensive at all... compared to BBI's F/A-18s and F-16s or 21C's early Bf-109s. These are the ones that you have to sell your soul for.

I have a AH-1Z that I have made from the 21st Century AH-1W also have a few low viz repaints. But the Zula is one of my favorites. Since I made mine they have changed the exhaust and a few other things, Which I may update mine laterafter it has been in production for a while.
http://news.webshots.com/photo/11534100 ... 1150ZPlbpm

wolf8564 wrote:I have a AH-1Z that I have made from the 21st Century AH-1W also have a few low viz repaints. But the Zula is one of my favorites. Since I made mine they have changed the exhaust and a few other things, Which I may update mine laterafter it has been in production for a while.
http://news.webshots.com/photo/11534100 ... 1150ZPlbpm

thats pretty awesome man, real aggresive look it has as well, where'd you get the rotors?