Cobra Company 1/48
OV-1B Mohawk Cockpit Detail Set

If you haven't visited the Cobra Company website recently, you haven't seen the interesting research (and fun) that Chris Miller has been doing - he has restored a full-scale OV-1 Mohawk nose! So when you look at a resin detail set for the Mohawk cockpit, you'll see that this was a labor of love as well!

This set is designed for the 1/48 scale OV-1B Mohawk kit released by Roden earlier in 2005. The kit is beautiful on the outside and naturally has the bulbous canopies over the cockpit, but the cockpit itself is a little on the spartan side. This detail set doesn't just improve the cockpit - it transforms that front office!

The detail set is molded in tan resin and features some very nice detailing on the parts. The set provides several options for you to replicate the version of the Mohawk you'd like.

Unlike the OV-1A/JOV-1A versions, the OV-1B is not an attack aircraft. It was the first of a series of reconnaissance aircraft. This is reflected in the cockpit as the instrument panel is not repeated on the right side nor are their flight controls on the right as there were in the A-models. Instead, the right-seater is an 'observer' (radar operator). The OV-1B was set up to carry a Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) system in an under-nose pod.

The kit provides two sets of ejection seats. One set has the seat belts and harnesses molded in place, the other lacks the belts and harnesses should you prefer to do your own or put a flight crew in the cockpit.

The new nose gear well is completely boxed in to reflect the anti-FOD curtain used to keep rocks, stray cats and debris out of the avionics bay. This provides your nose with some privacy to stash around 40 grams of ballast up front to offset the model's tendency to be a tail sitter, even with this resin cockpit installed!

The instructions are well done and nicely illustrated. There are some good photos of the observer's side of the cockpit from which to do some detailing if you wish.

This set is definitely recommended for the Mohawk modeler and will provide a beautiful front office to sit inside the kits huge canopy. This detail set is available directly from Cobra Company (www.cobracompany.com).

My sincere thanks to Cobra Company (www.cobracompany.com) for this review sample!