Introduction
The AH-64 Apache has had a big impact on the world in terms of air to surface attack on armour, and it has made it into the arsenals of many countries with various types having been supplied to 17 countries. The biggest surprise may be the fact that a number of Middle Eastern countries are using the Apache with one being Israel who were also the first international operator. Israel operates the AH-64D currently with some homemade modifications due to issues with American supplies which have often been restricted due to differences of opinion. It is my belief that the changes to the Israeli AH-64D are the radio communications and the use of Spike air to surface missiles. It is the mounting of this missile system and the visually appealing paint scheme that will help identify this aircraft from other operators.
Review
This offering is provided in a cardboard tray with a card lid. The contents are supplied in individual sealed bags except for duplicated sprues that are packed together. The information cards, decals, paint masks and photo etch are bagged together. The instruction booklet is loose in the box and with this being the special edition of the model two resin crew figures are supplied packed in a bubble wrap bag. An examination of the contents reveals nothing that concerns me as regards production issues; however that may not be the case with every offering of the model.
The cockpit of the model is a little beauty and the directions for assembly call out painting as you go and are also colour printed; I find this a big plus as I get older and the peepers no longer work as well as they did. The instrument panels on each side of the crew are separate mouldings and so detail painting is added by this. The quilted padding is very nicely detailed and will show the effort you put into the painting of it. Instrumentation throughout the cockpit is of a very nice level and accurate from what I can see. Personal weapons are included in the form of M4 rifles which I am unsure of for Israeli aircraft. There is a major disappointment for me in that there is no harness detail provided; although that is not an issue in this release due to the resin pilots it will be in products minus the pilots.
The mechanicals of this model are another nice area as you get both a left and right engines with a well designed method to accurately display them. Something I like about this model offering is the very limited amount of photo etch needed as I have found using it harder as I get older and the eyes and hands are not what they use to be. Of course the modeller who wants huge quantities of photo etch to super detail the model can source it from the after market providers. The rotor head is also well tackled and I particularly like that the rotors can be folded and so making this a model for those with limited display space.
There are a number of access panels that can be shown open on this model and while I do not know what all of the access panels are covering they appear to be accurate when compared to online images. I really like that the boxes and wiring are model separately to the openings again making painting an easier prospect and thanks to painting directions provided a stress free proposition.
The external features of the model are of a very high quality as regards both raised and recessed detail that is stunning in its finesse. Another aspect I like is that the fuselage halves are robust and so unlikely to warp; plus being the central structure to build from gives that rigid base. The engine nacelles, stub wings and undercarriage blisters all have very pleasing detail second to none that jumps to mind. The cockpit glazing offers crystal clarity for viewing the interior and is also tackled in a way that makes it easy to use either open or closed. The painting masks provided are for both internal and external services which is another plus point.
The chain gun in the nose offers a good level that which can be elevated or lowered but I believe that the ammunition feed will prevent this. That will need to be considered when setting the nose sights as these also look to be moveable; however I believe this sight is locked in the gun targeting. Just in front of the chain gun mount is a nicely detailed cable cutter. On the external stores side you have the option of Spike or Hellfire missiles, I would go for the Spike missiles being an Israeli aircraft. On the end of the wing stubs is the guidance system for the Spike missiles only. This area is finished off with fuel drop tanks on the inner pylon.
A disappointment comes at the end as you have a great double sided gloss finishing sheet of roughly A3 size. The painting guide is very nice but does not tell you anything in the way of detail as to what your masterpiece represents, this is something that really gets my goat.
Conclusion
This offering from Meng is a fantastic kit when it comes to detail both separate and moulded, but it loses marks due to the lack of harness detail. I rate the model highly as regards the instructions as they are clear and easy to follow, another plus is the colour callouts as you progress through the build saving the modeller a lot of back and fourth. The disappointment here is that the finishing options provides no details. From what I can see this model will be a reasonable model for anyone to tackle added by the minimal use of photo etch and the clear instructions and so I highly commend this model to you