Wessex HU5 848 Squadron FAA

[825]

I'm going to join on with this little guy. Not my usual scale but the moulding on this is nice and crisp. And it should be a lot more straightforward than my previous battle royale with the Magna Sea Devon. Four options provided, and I was tempted by both the true Junglie green 707 Squadron and the 771 Squadron SAR cab but the 60's camouflage Wessex's from Albion and Bulwark always invoke my childhood. I always recall the black and white pictures in the Royal Navy magazine my school library used to have. Happy days.

 

 

I do like the 'Versatile Helicopter ' branding on the box. Says it all about the Wessex.  The variants in the box

 

 

Don't know why it's upside down. Probably Photobucket on one of its usual meltdowns.

 

Here is the gratuitous sprue shot and instructions 

 

 

 

 

I'll see if I can sort out the pictures later. But enough  of talk and pictures let's get modelling. 

[heloman1]

Welcome 825, great choice, they are great little kits, I have one I may throw in later in the GB.

 

Colin 

[AdrianMF]

Well there's a new approach to colour scheme selection. You can do all four and use the same amount of shelf space as a 1/72 one!

 

Looking forward to it.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[825]

Finally got some work complete on this little Wessex. Loads of other things getting in the way, but managed to get a couple of coats of paint on the interior and detail parts. Hopefully start glueing parts later in the week. 

 

[Colin W]

Interesting that 4+  have chosen to partner with the smallest kit!

 

I wish my eyesight was good enough to appreciate some of the 144 models never mind actually building one 

 

Colin w 

[825]

23 hours ago, Colin W said:

Interesting that 4+  have chosen to partner with the smallest kit!

 

I wish my eyesight was good enough to appreciate some of the 144 models never mind actually building one 

 

Colin w 

There is a range of these 1:144 kits and I think (though I may be wrong) that they all come from the same stable, 4+, Mark 1, possibly CMK. 

 

The size is neat and probably at the bottom of my eyesight resolution and finger clumsiness. 

Edited December 20, 2016 by 825

[Colin W]

Yes I look at the details in the 4+ book and it's hard to know where to start or finish in 1/48 so I think 1/144 must be a bigger challenge. 

 

Colin  w

[825]

I'm going to build straight out of the box. It's far too small for me to add further detail. Although I know there are more than a few BM'rs who have the requisite skills and I look on in awe at their work.

[825]

Off we go. First the cockpit. In this scale it truly is a minuscule office. 

 

[heloman1]

Wow, that is tiny, I looked at my kit and put in back in the box... Good luck.

 

Colin

[825]

A bit more work done. Windows in, which took a little bit of fettling, but not overly much and the fuselage closed up.

 

 

A bit of filler needed, I used Perfect Putty and smoothed it off with a wet finger. We'll see how it all looks after a light polishing up and a coat or two of paint. I've managed to lose one of the cyclics in the cockpit along the way. I might replace it with a bit of fine wire or rod, but I'll check how much can be seen first

 

 

[TheBaron]

Nice one 825, that looks a smashing little kit.

[825]

On 28/12/2016 at 9:32 PM, TheBaron said:

Nice one 825, that looks a smashing little kit.

 

Thanks. It is a nice little kit, well moulded and detailed. Although, the fit at times is a little loose and some filler is needed. Although that might be me. It's also quite small so it's a real challenge for my clumsy fingers at times. 

 

The nose panels are now now on and the joints all filled, checked with some white paint, re-filled where necessary and then sanded and polished.

 

 

 

Much of what you see is the paint so the need for filler isn't as bad as appears at first. i have also now got the cockpit side windows on but no photos yet.