OOB Review and Build
NewRay/Sky Pilot SH-60B Seahawk helicpter 1:60 scale
I have been purchasing some die cast model from Nu-Ray and Sky Pilot. Generally they are all helicopters and these two companies do a great job.
They come in parts that you assemble, but generally there are maybe 10-12 parts.
Also, generally, I do some customization and repainting to make them more authentic. Nonetheless, they are very well done and they are more rugged than the plastic kits I buy...and cheaper.
This thread is about the Sky Pilot 1/60th US Navy SH-60B helicopter.
Here are two videos abut the model I put out on youtube:SkyPilot SH-60 Sehawk Helicopter Pt. 1
SkyPilot SH-60 Sehawk Helicopter Pt. 1 (YouTube)
SkyPilot SH-60 Sehawk Helicopter Pt. 2 (YouTube)
The Seahawk is the US Navy's premier Anti-Submarine, Patrol, and Search and Rescue helicopter. It is used on US Navy frigates, destroyers, aircraft carriers, amphibiuos ships, and from land.
Most US Navyal caomabatants are set up with hanger space to carry two (or for carriers and the larger vessesl, more) of these helicopters.
The SH-60B was recently upgraded and is now called the MH-60R, but nonetheless, the helicopter is an excellent mid-sized helicopter that is outfitted with a full array of sensors, from radar, to Magnetic alloy detection, to sonar buoys, to infrared, to tagting and acquisition, laser deignation, etc.
The Royal Navy's AW101 helcippter is the only main line helicopter that equals and in sme areas surpasses the Seahawks capabilities...but it is a larger aircraft. The naval versions of the Lynx apporach the capabilities.
Here's the pictorial description of the model:
It comes in a box as shown. It includes a small screw driver and the screws to put it together with some very straight forward instructions.
I proceeded to first take the all black cabin section, including the cockpit, and paint it appropriately.
  
I then also painted the Mk-54 Torpedoes appropriately:
 
I then painted the blades and rotor mechanism, and put the model together:
   
And she ended up looking very good.
    
BTW, for those wondering...and I am sure perhaps Popeye can verify, the device on the starboard side of the helo, is not a refueling probe. It is what they call the MAD Bird.
This is a special, towed Magnetic Anamoly Detector device these helo carry, which they trail off behind the chopper, well away from the metal of the helo, to look for submerged submarines.
All in all...very nice, and very quick build, with some nice results. You could really go a lot more into this revision. It would be pretty striaght forward to light the entierior and some people do..
Some models these companies do not carry, but I now have the following helicopters in this scale:
- SH-60B Seahawk ASW naval helicopter
- UH-60B Blackhawk transport/gunship
- AH-64E Apache attack helicopter
- AH-1Z Viper Attack helicopter
- MH-53E Sea Stallion Counter mine helicopter
Nice thing about these is that they are relatively inexpensive. The Seahawk that I just did retails for $16.99, but I got it for $13.99 online.
By comparison, the AW101 Merlin I recently built, which these companies do not have as yet, was $29.99 for the kit. These die cast models do not look quite as good, or have quite as much detail. But for the money and what you do get...they are very nice.
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