Cutting Edge 1/35
OH-58D Kiowa Warrior Update/Upgrade Set

Straight out of the box, the MRC 1/35 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior is a nice kit. Unfortunately, it represents the OH-58D as it first entered service and that aircraft has undergone a number of changes over the years to improve the aircraft.

Cutting Edge has come to the rescue with this combination Update and Upgrade set which brings the aircraft to a configuration which closer resembles the era of Kiowa Warrior that you're wanting to depict. The set includes the most radical change - a new 'doghouse' that houses the transmission and rotor as well as avionics and support equipment. This new 'doghouse' was retrofitted to the OH-58D back during the Bosnia war.

Another surgical change to the kit airframe is the distinctive ALQ-144 mount that sits at the base of the tail boom. This is an infrared 'dazzler' jammer that protects the aircraft from IR missiles. Other details include an engine barrier filter added during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a GPS antenna and mount, pilot and copilot seat armor plates, APR-39 radar warning antennas, and IR formation lights.

Cast in light gray resin, these parts require the removal of the corresponding sections of the kit, but assembly is simple and instructions walk you though the process.

This is a nice update for the MRC Kiowa Warrior kit to bring it up to current operational configuration. You can get this set directly from Meteor Productions (www.meteorprod.com).

My sincere thanks to Meteor Productions for this review sample!