Review
The MH-6 Little Bird has had some starring roles in films, where it is usually in the process of transferring special forces from point to point. ICM has now released a 1/48th scale model of this offering which is an unarmed version of the aircraft. Surprisingly there are only 3 sprues in the box, one of which is the clear sprue. The sprues are well protected, inside a flip top box with an additional card cover. One usual fault still remains, which is the lack of seat harnesses which are very obvious in an aircraft with this much glazing. There are quite a few ejector pin marks visible but I do not believe they will be in areas that are seen. The rotor head and top of the gearbox look to be well replicated, and other than some seam lines that will need to be filled to hide them all should be good. The central display housing has been provided with decals where needed and look to be a reasonable match. I would change the assembly process and add the foot pedals prior to adding the central display column. The helicopter can be finished with or without crew doors, and I appreciate this being pointed out in the instructions. Something for those modellers, who take their kits to shows, is that the tail boom could be left unattached if desired to ease the packing process. The skids and side saddle seats for troops are a nicely replicated. The panel lines are very well replicated on the model and should more than meet expectations. One thing that surprised me is just how small the helicopter is. ICM has technically only provided 2 finishing options, which are as follows:
With Doors Off
MH-6J Little Bird 81-23648, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Early 1990s
MH-6J Little Bird 81-23653, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Early 1990s
With Doors
MH-6J Little Bird 95-25371, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), 1990s
MH-6J Little Bird 81-23655, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), 1990s
The only additional comment I wish to make, is that you will need steady hands, a good eye and be comfortable with adding small parts.