What's the best Sea King in 1/72?

SH-3A's were used during the Apollo recovery operations, which is what the Airfix kit represents.  Fujimi did a SH-3H which is different in several details, most notably the longer sponsons with the sonarbuoy launchers.

As was typical with Airfix kits from the era, it provides the basic shapes with minimum molded detail.  There are an some fit challenges, particularly the clear parts.

While the Fujimi kit is superior in fit and detail, I still have a soft spot for the old Airfix kit since I won 3rd place in a regional IPMS contest with one years ago.

Mark

 

Thanks Mark,

I've got the same soft spot for the old Airfix kits - part of growing up with them I guess!

Thanks for the advice which is appreciated. Any chance you've got any pics of the one you won 3rd place with?

Cheers,

Dermot

Here's some quick photos taken on the dining room table.  Built it for the IPMS regional show in Orlando back in 1987, 22 years ago.  Pretty much out of the box except for the folded rotor blades.  Decals have started to yellow a bit.

Mark

Hi Dermo ,

I'm not sure if my post is going to be of much help , other than showing you what's in my stash and my general opinion on each kit. 

Personaly I think the Fujimi and Revell Seaking kits are a lot better than Airfix's offering .

I do have an Airfix Seaking in the works right now , however I replaced the kit main rotor blades and hub with one's from a old Revell kit . [It's the only reason I've decided to continue building the Airfix Seaking.

Back in 2008 , I used two Revell Seaking kits to improve a couple of Lindberg HH-3E Helicopters , by using the front cockpit section from Revell's kit and fitted it to Lindberg's fuselage .

This work out quite well , I know there not Seaking Helicopter's but Revell's front cockpit certainly improved the Lindberg kit . [I also used Revell's main rotors and rotor housing]

I have also built the Lindberg SH-3A Seaking but like it's sister kit [HH-3E] , It's quite basic .

The Fujimi kits I have in my stash have two different sized sponsons included as well a short and longer horizontal tail plane , [ SH-3D or SH-3H version ]. Plus an auxillary fuel tank .

The Revell kit's have a good fuselage interior so does Fujimi's , but I think Revell's is just slightly better.

Two of my Fujimi Westland Seaking kit's I intend building as U.S VIP Helo's as most of the port side windows are blanked of , so I can cut open the one's I require for the U.S version . The Revell kit's already have the windows cut open on their fuselage pieces and those window opening don't suit the U.S version . [ I wish they would have left them blank , it would mean you could build a lot more different versions ???. ]

Anyway , like I said at the begining , it's only my opinion about certain kits . I'm sure other modeler's would give lot's of other thoughts and opinions .

I hope this helps a little .

                                      Kind regards John .

BTW , The Airfix Seaking that RedCorvette built is absolutly awesome , I would have never thought an ordinary kit could turn out so well . I also like the rotor fold and tail fold as well .

That's one beautifull Seaking , well done RedCorvette

 

 

 Hi again Dermo ,

I thought I would add a couple of inbox pic's of the Fujimi and Revell Seaking kit's .

First pic is whats inside the Fujimi kit .

I really should get around to building mine as I have had the kit for over 8 years now . I would hate for the decals to become brittle and cause me a lot of grief when I go to use them .

The second pic is the Revell HAS.6 / AEW Seaking .

I'm going to build this one as the AEW version as I like the big radar balloon that sticks out the side cabin door . ' Very cool '

                              Kind regards John

 

Awesome build and love the rotor fold

Hey John,

Thanks for sharing the Sea King stash contents - I think at last count i had three (2 x Airfix) and an old Revell Monogram HH-3 that will get a USCG scheme. Thanks too for the in-box pics and you've some nice finished builds there. Look forward to seeing your AEW version!

The Revell HAS 6 version you have is really hard to find here in Europe and think it might be discontinued. Apparently Airfix are re-issuing their version later this year with extra bits for the latest RAF/RN versions.

Thanks again.

Kind regards,

Dermot

The RoG 1/72 Westland Sea King HAS.6/ AEW.2 has been OOP for about five years now. I have one in the stash, and it's a very good kit. About time RoG re-issued a 1/72 Sea King!

Although a very good kit indeed, there are lots of detail differences between the Westland Sea Kings produced by RoG and the SH.3A, which combine to make it a difficult starting pont for Black 66. You'd probably be better off with the Fujimi kit. Not as good, as far as detail is concerned, but easier to back-convert. Remember, though, that only Airfix gives you the 'spaceman on a waffle'!

Cheers,

Chris.

PS John - remember that when  AEW Sea Kings are on the ground parked, and the radome stowed, the dome itself, which is made of flexible plastic and is inflated to keep its shape, is deflated:

http://www.planespotting.eu/GR05%20pics/XV707%20Seaking%20AEW2A%20Navy.jpg

Airwaves do a resin deflated radome:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=AES72046

I have one, and it looks much better than the pictue suggests!

Hi Chris ,

Thank's for the link for the image of the Royal Navy AEW Seaking , that's one great pic

Thank's also for the info on the airwaves resin radome .

I have never bought anything from Hannants before , I'll have to give the web site a good look and see what other Helicopter kits they have on offer ???

                  Thank's again ,

                                      John

I think the best 1/72 is the Revel kit.  It is relatively cheap and the detail is crisp.  Here is mine:

 For more pictures go here:

/forums/911181/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

Helo 53 wrote:

Hi Dermo , I'm not sure if my post is going to be of much help , other than showing you what's in my stash and my general opinion on each kit.  Personaly I think the Fujimi and Revell Seaking kits are a lot better than Airfix's offering . I do have an Airfix Seaking in the works right now , however I replaced the kit main rotor blades and hub with one's from a old Revell kit . [It's the only reason I've decided to continue building the Airfix Seaking. Back in 2008 , I used two Revell Seaking kits to improve a couple of Lindberg HH-3E Helicopters , by using the front cockpit section from Revell's kit and fitted it to Lindberg's fuselage . This work out quite well , I know there not Seaking Helicopter's but Revell's front cockpit certainly improved the Lindberg kit . [I also used Revell's main rotors and rotor housing] I have also built the Lindberg SH-3A Seaking but like it's sister kit [HH-3E] , It's quite basic . The Fujimi kits I have in my stash have two different sized sponsons included as well a short and longer horizontal tail plane , [ SH-3D or SH-3H version ]. Plus an auxillary fuel tank . The Revell kit's have a good fuselage interior so does Fujimi's , but I think Revell's is just slightly better. Two of my Fujimi Westland Seaking kit's I intend building as U.S VIP Helo's as most of the port side windows are blanked of , so I can cut open the one's I require for the U.S version . The Revell kit's already have the windows cut open on their fuselage pieces and those window opening don't suit the U.S version . [ I wish they would have left them blank , it would mean you could build a lot more different versions ???. ] Anyway , like I said at the begining , it's only my opinion about certain kits . I'm sure other modeler's would give lot's of other thoughts and opinions . I hope this helps a little .                                       Kind regards John . BTW , The Airfix Seaking that RedCorvette built is absolutly awesome , I would have never thought an ordinary kit could turn out so well . I also like the rotor fold and tail fold as well . That's one beautifull Seaking , well done RedCorvette

John,

On the Fujimi kits in your pic, are those Tiger Meet markings?  If so, could you post the kit number as well as the one for the RoG kit as well?  Now if they'd only do their Tiger Meet Puma in 1/72.  Some more kits to look out for.

 Hey REDCORVETTE --that,s an awesome looking chopper . I too, am casually (when ship parts need to dry ) working on the old airfix kit . I had one advantage though . Years ago ,when an officer in the old C.A.M.S. model club out of LITTLE ROCK ,I did for the members a lot of vacuform canopies and  glass for all types of aircraft .I was going through a very old box of parts , and lo and behold ! a vacuform set of sea king glass parts !!! It turned out to be the only set of those I have in existence. They will get used ! That helo looks good . If you want ,why don,t you get a set of aftermarket decals and upgrade them . I am sure that it can only improve on an already great model . Thanks for showing it to us .--------tankerbuilder

Hi Lewbud ,

Sorry for the delay in answering your question on the Fujimi and Revell Seaking kits .

The Fujimi kit with the "Flying Tigers" decals is kit No. H-18 [72073]

The Revell kit is boxed as the HAS.6/AEW Seaking , kit No.04450 , FSM did a build review on the Revell kit , the article is in the February 2002 issue .

                                 Kind regards John

John,

Thanks for the info.  Will keep an eye for them.

RedCorvette wrote:

SH-3A's were used during the Apollo recovery

All of the Apollo manned missions were recovered by SH-3Ds, which for all intents and purposes is identical externally to an SH-3A, so that's sort of academic.

To add a note to all of the above posts, a friend and I have been doing some in-depth research on SH-3D BuNo 152711 of HS-4 - the famous "66". Turns out that almost nothing ever done on it is either complete and/or correct. We've uncovered some new information about slogans that were painted on the belly for Apollo 10 and 11 (welcome home messages to the astronauts). There were also a fair number of hardware modifications to the airframe specific to the Apollo recovery mission that haven't been documented before.

Hopefully all this new information will come to see the light of day in the form of a magazine article and/or some new, complete, and correct decals. There is a possibility that we may even do the hardware bits required to make it accurate. Stand by in the modelling press for announcements later this year. I'd like to think it would happen for the 40th anniversary (!!!), but that's not likely at this point.

J