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1/72 SAAF Puma

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  • Member since
    April 2010
1/72 SAAF Puma
Posted by Theuns on Friday, August 3, 2012 1:30 AM

This is a kit I have been after for a long time and eventually found in New Zeland!

Airfix 1/72 SA 330 Puma. The South African Air Force used them allot as their medium tpt helo during the Angolan bush war and as main rescue helo.

As a youn Air Force trainee I had my fist rotor wing flip in the back of one of these good looking French birds :-D, so it holda a special place in my memory banks. I can still recall how they use to rock from side to side on startup till the blades settled into place.

The SAAF rebuilt most of the Pumas to a local "version" of the Super Puma (Oryx) witch has stunning performance, but for me lack the looks of the old "standard" Puma.

The pianting inside the cowl is very crude, but little will be seen of it anyway. I had to make new controll collombs and yaw peddals as the office was a little bare. The one big problem with this kit is that any filling and sanding allong the joints will result in sanding away the raires rivet detail, I will have to still figure that one out....

 Airfix 1/72 Puma

Hoping it will look something like this - http://www.saairforce.co.za/gallery-and-media/47/puma#viewport

Theuns

  • Member since
    August 2012
Posted by Sir Blue Henry on Friday, August 3, 2012 3:43 PM

Hey Theuns. Ive also got a couple of these. Been planning to do one as well. Where are you living now. Im from Pta, now in Christchurch.

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Saturday, August 4, 2012 2:10 AM

Howzit!?

I live in Jhb , but I lived in PTA for a while...miss it.

I must still see if I will do the Puma with the squared off sponsons or leave it as is.

Theuns

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Monday, August 6, 2012 3:35 AM

The fuse halves have been joined and the bottom joint sanded.

Puma

The SAAF used different wheel sponsons on later Pumas so I needed to modify the round ones to the squared off ones. Some plastic sheet and a little filler. I was very surprized at whow well the sponsons seated on the fuse! To try and sand that joint will result in loosing difficult to replace raised detail.

Puma wheel well mod

 

Theuns

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Saturday, August 11, 2012 5:56 AM

I made the exhause plates from thin clear sheet but the front canopy and cockpit doors have been giving me a hard time. They just do not fit well and allot of work will be needed to get them sorted.

Airfix 1/72 Puma

puma glass

 

Theuns

 

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Thursday, August 30, 2012 9:11 AM

A little work done, the boom colour do not match the rest of the airframe as you might see. This is because the full size one I am modling had it's boom replaced in-field after loosing the tail rotor.

1/72 Airfix SAAF Puma

The door rails on this kit are way to big and needs some surgey to rectify.

 

Theuns

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Monday, September 3, 2012 8:03 AM

Completed.

The replacement tail # for this SAAF Puma is 143 , while the nose # is 156.

Paints are Humbrol enamel # 29 and 30. Future matt coat to dull it down. Out the box build except for modified sponsons and added antenna and standoffs.

1/72 SAAF Puma

1/72 SAAF Puma

 

Thanx

 

Theuns

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: hamburg michigan
Posted by fermis on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 8:47 AM

Looks quite nice Theuns!

The Puma is starting to grow on me. The airport that I work at has a company called "Construction Helicopters". The operate H-34s, H-3/H-63s, and thier most recent aquisition is a Puma.....quite impressive!

(I'll post a pic or two in a bit....photobucket is being retarted

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 8:54 AM

Cool!

I have a hobbyboss 1/72 H-34 Chocktaw in the stach, yes the one whith the wrong direction turning main rotors! :-(

The French do have an eye for style I must admit.

Theuns

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: hamburg michigan
Posted by fermis on Monday, September 10, 2012 6:26 AM

Here's them pics I promised....

Here's their parts doner

 

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2010
Posted by Theuns on Monday, September 10, 2012 9:12 AM

Ah yes, that is a super Puma. The SAAF developed their own version of a "super Puma" using the much lightened old Puma airframe and replacing the engines ,transmition ,instruments and rotors with locally made improvements.

I recall doing ops in the new Oryx and being weighed down by a flackjacket, opsbags and other heavy things it still felt like a real kick in the rear when the pilot hauled the collective with a stick of Army and a stick of Police in the back.....all of this in the summer at an elevation of 5800' AMSL

A realy amazing helo that, but for pure good looks, the old Puma takes the prize :-)

Theuns

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