Tamiya 60708 - 1:72 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra

Plastic model kit of the Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter in 1:72 scale

Tamiya 60708 depicts the AH-1W Super Cobra – the twin-engine member of the Cobra family, used mainly by the U.S. Marine Corps. Its slim fuselage with a narrow frontal cross-section, tandem crew arrangement and underside gun turret are features that have defined this family of combat helicopters for decades.

The kit is based on Italeri tooling offered under the Tamiya catalogue in the War Bird Collection. It captures the Super Cobra's distinctive shape and includes pylons with underwing stores, clear glazing parts and waterslide decals.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, rotor and undercarriage parts
• Pylons with underwing stores
• Clear cockpit glazing parts
• Waterslide decal sheet to complete the marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Item number: 60708
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Assembled length: approx. 197 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

Assembly is approachable, though this older tooling needs dry-fitting of the fuselage halves, the cockpit glazing and the rotor parts. Paint the tandem cockpit interior before closing the fuselage and fit the glazing last, after painting.

U.S. Marine Corps helicopters usually wore a uniform dark camouflage (field green / gull gray). Lay the decals over a gloss coat to prevent silvering, then finish with a matt varnish. The instructions provide paint references.

Tools you'll need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper for cleaning up sprue-gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes of various sizes and modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Panel-line wash to emphasise detail and recesses
• Gloss varnish for the decals and a satin coat to finish
• Optional: self-adhesive canopy masks

About the aircraft – Bell AH-1W Super Cobra:

The Cobra family dates back to the 1960s, and the AH-1W Super Cobra is its twin-engine variant developed for the U.S. Marine Corps. Two engines increased power and safety over water, which mattered for operations from amphibious ships.

The slim fuselage made the machine a harder frontal target, while the tandem arrangement of pilot and gunner improved visibility. The Super Cobra carried varied armament – from a cannon and unguided rockets to TOW and Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles – serving in the close fire-support role.

Original aircraft specifications (AH-1W Super Cobra):

• Fuselage length: approx. 13.9 m (approx. 17.7 m with rotors)
• Main rotor diameter: 14.63 m
• Height: approx. 4.3 m
• Max take-off weight: approx. 6,700 kg
• Powerplant: 2 General Electric T700 turboshafts, approx. 1,690 hp each
• Max speed: approx. 280 km/h
• Armament: M197 three-barrel 20 mm cannon, unguided rockets, TOW and AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles
• Crew: 2
• In service: from 1986 (U.S. Marine Corps)

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of Japan's model-making industry. It launched its first injection-moulded plastic kit in 1960 and over time became one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby, known for precise tooling and a broad range of accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. During the 1990s, alongside its own-tooled models, Tamiya offered a range of 1:72 aircraft and helicopters in its War Bird Collection based on Italeri tooling – this kit belongs to that group. Today the company operates in dozens of countries and remains a benchmark for the whole of scale modelling.