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Westland Sea King HC.4 (A04056A) 1:72 Airfix The Sea King is one of the most enduring rotary-winged aircraft of the Cold War period, the original Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King flying for the first time in 1959 under the company code S-61. Although no longer in production, the Sea King continues to serve with air arms around the world, including those of Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the until recently, United Kingdom, although they still fly in private hands. The WS-61 built under license by the then British-owned Westland was substantially different from the American airframe though, powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Gnome turboshaft engines, which were a development of a General Electric power-plant, so not entirely new. British air-sea warfare doctrine required other changes to equipment fit of the Westland built Sea Kings, which were further sub-divided depending on what tasks they were expected to undertake. The first British Sea King flew at the end of the 60s from the docks to Westlands to act as trials and patterning airframe, going into service first as Anti-Submarine HAS variants, and adding more capabilities as time went by. The HC4 Commando played a part in the Falklands War, alongside other marks that were transported into the islands aboard the ships of the Task Force, where one was lost, presumably due to a bird strike, with the crew and SAS passengers killed on what should have been a routine ship-to-ship trip, sadly. During the Gulf War conflicts, the Sea King was deployed again, providing important inter-ship transport facilities, although their AEW facilities weren't needed due to the blanket coverage provided by other assets. A further crash during Gulf War II highlighted the need for better night operations equipment, and throughout the type’s service, one constant was change, with earlier variants often upgraded to the same standard as their replacement, which is evidenced by looking at the history of XV666, which started life as a HAS.1, was re-engineered as a HAS.5, and finished up as a HU.5, going through many livery changes, and changing operator into the bargain. Many Westland build airframes have been sold to overseas operators, including Norway, Australia, India, Pakistan and Belgium amongst others, and although the Sea King has been retired from operations with the British Armed Forces, they still fulfil a training role under the auspices of HeliOperations, training German crews to operate the Sea Kings that are still on charge with the Marinefliegerkommando. The Sea King remains in the skies of Britain thanks to Historic Helicopters, who have restored several airframes, some of which still fly. The Kit This is a reboxing of a 2015 tooling from Airfix with new decal choices, and moulded in the new darker grey plastic that seems to be very popular with modellers. The kit arrives in a top-opening red-themed box, and inside are five sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, printed in spot colour on matt paper, with a glossy sheet that has the colour profiles printed on both sides slipped in between. Detail is good, extending to the interior of the crew and passenger cabs, plus a choice of two rotor blade types, although these don’t have any sag moulded in. That can be remedied using hot water after taping the blades to an appropriately curved surface, letting them cool before undoing the restraints. Construction begins with adaptation of the well-detailed floor, which extends the full length of the fuselage. Four holes are drilled in the part, then the cockpit is separated with a bulkhead, plus a boxed in avionics area, adding another bulkhead to the rear and removing two tramlines in the aft section. A jump seat is sited in the half-height bulkhead between the two areas, adding runs of canvas and tubular-framed seating down each side, a single seat in the very rear and a short two-seat run on the starboard side near the rear. The pilot seats are built up in-situ in the cockpit from three parts each, installing collective, cyclic and foot controls for pilot and co-pilot in recesses in the floor, then making the instrument panel and centre console from two parts, applying a large decal to the front once painted. The console is glued into the centre of the cockpit on two raised blocks, followed by preparation of the fuselage halves by inserting windows, exhausts, drilling out holes near the tail boom, and detail-painting the sides in appropriate colours. The floor is first glued into the starboard fuselage half, building a roof section insert with an additional part slotted over the rear, gluing that into position, locating it on blocks moulded into the fuselage side and the back of the bulkhead. The rotor tower top is added above the ceiling insert, closing the fuselage and dealing with the seams in your usual manner. The bow panel under the instrument console has a pair of clear lights fitted from the inside on a carrier, joining it to the front of the keel shaped underside of the fuselage, sliding two antennae on a carrier through two holes from the inside. There are two styles of stand available separately for this model, with corresponding flashed-over holes on the centreline that can be drilled or cut out before gluing it in place under the fuselage, as per a scrap diagram nearby. The nose cowling is completed by fitting the top panel over the instrument coaming, adding the two intakes to the cowling at the front of the rotor tower, leaving the canopy until later in the build. The tail fin is assembled from two halves, slipping the rotor axle inside before gluing the halves together, with a choice of linking it to the boom with a blank insert, or portraying it folded using extra parts later. Attention shifts to the landing gear, building the HC.4’s winglets (No sponsons for this variant) from three parts each, and bracing them with an aerodynamic strut against the fuselage, whilst a scrap diagram reminds you of the anti-slip decals that should be added to the top surface during decaling. The stubby gear legs are inserted in the conical fairings, adding a wheel to each side of the axle, then fitting the tail wheel into a hole under the rear fuselage. A crew step is glued under the side door, adding various parts and sensors to the sides, fitting a three-part winch above the door, and a series of clear parts to the ends of the winglets and to a frame added earlier, with a choice of additional sensor fairings under the nose for decal option A, or removing the mounting lugs for option B. Another forest of antennae and aerials cover the underside, with a towel-rail antenna under the door, and a few more under the boom. The cockpit glazing comprises two side panels and the combined windscreen/roof, which has an overhead console with instrument decal applied before it is installed in the fuselage, and it has windscreen wipers moulded in. There is a choice of filter styles for the intakes, both made from two parts, a rectangular unit for decal option A, and a sloped filter for option B. Sensibly, the side door has been moulded clear for a neat finish, fitting it in the open position and fixing a door gun on a substantial mount that also carries the ammunition box, inserting it in a hole to the left of the door. A drive-shaft is dropped into the rotor cowling, gluing a stabiliser to the tail fin on the starboard side, and the six-blade rotor on the port side. If you elected to fold the tail, the fin is fitted, both sides of the open bulkhead moulded as one part create the join between it and the boom in the folded position, gluing the rotor in place lastly. There are more choices ahead, posing the crew door open by using a clear upper and styrene lower step opening up and down, cutting off the tabs that hold the closed door flush with the surface, that is made from a single clear part. The fuselage is finished by adding a pair of ‘feeler’ antennae either side of the intake filter, and a series of stand-off brackets for a long wire antenna that you can add yourself from fine wire or invisible mending thread. The options don’t stop yet, allowing you to fold the main rotor, or deploy it ready for flight. Both options involve trapping the blades between the top and bottom of the rotor head, the open setting with 72° between them, while the folded rotor option is achieved by using blades with folded root fairings, so it is important to fit the correct blade in the right position, paying attention to the overhead diagrams in each step. Both options are finished off with the domed cap, lowering the completed rotor onto the drive shaft installed earlier, gluing the cap to the axle, and leaving the rotor head loose for the in-flight option if you want them to remain mobile. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, wearing very different camouflages. From the box you can build one of the following: No.848 Naval Air Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, England, 2006 No.846 Naval Air Squadron, Operation ‘Granby/Desert Storm’, Iraq, January 1991 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion The Airfix HC.4 is back, and having built the 1:48 Sea king, the detail in this smaller kit is pretty impressive, with interesting decal options. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A new tool 1/144 Curtiss EC-46D Commando by Platz Source: video 4:59' Source: https://www.1999.co.jp/10271001 A review in your favourite forum: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234968990-c-46ecm-jasdf-ew-training-aircraft-1144-from-platz/ - ref. PD22 - Curtiss C-46ECM JASDF Electronic Warning Training Aircraft V.P.

Valom is to release new tool 1/72nd Curtiss C-46 Commando kits. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4222542457757137&id=208070375871052 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/curtis-c46-commando-us-navy-usaac-valom-vaclav-lomitzk-72151-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=177189 First box art V.P.

I'm joining in with this Airfix's Sea King HC4. A proper 'Junglie'. It's a nice kit with 5 sprues of crisply moulded grey plastic. Though there is is a lack of rivets compared to older Sea Kings. Also a single but fairly busy clear sprue. A little different from my recent Seafires with a canopy and a couple of other small parts. Usual modern style Airfix instructions. A number of options in the box, the biggest being the option of a folded tail and folded rotors. Comprehensive transfer sheet with loads of stencils and two options. I'll be doing this one. Now for the paint.

I've noticed several C-46 Commando's this week show up, so thought I'd share mine. I finished it a few years back, and it's still one of my favourites. The Williams Bros kit I felt needed a bit of work. Here's some of the mods I did: -Scratch built engine mounts -Scratch built open cowl flaps -Scratch built exhausts, all the way to the back of the radial engine -Thinned out and opened up cooling holes in the cowlings -Scratch built ignition harness for Quickboost upgraded engines -Propellers were shortened Marauder propellers -Scratch built wheel wells- these were non existent -Scratch built tail wheel section (I used sanded down spitfire wheels for the tail wheel) -Main wheels were resin casts of the Valom Albermarle wheels, home made -Lights had bulbs put in place -Side windows were reverse mounted, then sanded to match fuselage- it was very hard to then have to drill holes in each one for the machine guns to mount through -Vac formed canopy -Scratch built cockpit interior -Scratch built aerials and antennas all over the place. -Full rescribe -Homemade decals. I'm sure there was more I did to it, but that gives you an idea to the work put into it. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Alan

First the obligatory picture of the boxes I think we all know what the insides look like! I haven't yet decided what aircraft to build other than a MK 4 in delivery condition with the white lettering. I was thinking of doing either a Pakistan aircraft with the Exocets (Old bobcat kit of the super puma has them I can rob) or an Indian navy one both decals on the way to me if eBay is to be believed. If not as you can see I have 2 set of C Scale conversion for the Mk 4 and decals for 8 different aircraft so may do a winter one or SFOR aircraft Anyway here we go....... Cockpits can be done with out choosing the 2nd aircraft yet. Rodders

Hi, Perhaps the biggest secondliner so far on mine shelves: Curtiss C-46 Commando. Model is made from Williams Brothers kit. Markings (nose arts are hand painted) are presenting machine which survived the war, was used in Pacific area and is now on display in Pima museum in US. I was searching for some interesting markings and was not successfull with this some years ago, when I was making this model. Just from curiosity I started to search in web yesterday and found very interesting set of photos of C46 from Burma, 1944-45, with yellow strip going across all windows, probably with red nose and many different nose arts. I made a post about in in WWII forum - the llink is there. Perhaps one day I will re-paint mine C46 to those markings. I am so impressed about it... So far - she looks like this: Comments welcome Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek

Hi I've just found interesting set of photos with Curtiss C-46 Commando belonging to 4th Combat Cargo Group of USAAF in Burma during WWII. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tresijas/sets/72157630818092194/ You may find eleven serials of C46 serving there: http://www.comcar.org/4th_ComCar/14th_CCS_so317.htm Any idea how to link nose arts with serials? Cheers Jerzy-Wojtek

In 1944, 3 British Commando's decided that they had had enough of bimbling round Europe on foot. Luckily they came across an M16 with the keys left in & engine running. Being Churchill's best they did what they did best & liberated the vehicle. On finding a garage they qued the music & modified the van, adding roof bars, PSP planking & a spot light. The large white stars didn't fit in with their low key approach so some black paint was applied. This is my first Amour build (mostly build aircraft). I really enjoyed it. Spray painted Humbrol 30 from a rattle can, It was weathered using Flory light dust wash,& AK pigments. The aerial is made from a paint brush & the PSP is the foil from my old razor. Please leave comments & anything I can improve on, as I have the Tamiya 1/35 M16 Halftrack to build. Thanks for looking

Westland Sea King HC4 ZA293 WO Pics from Richard E Westland Sea King HC6 XZ580 Pics from Richard E

C-46ECM JASDF Electronic Warning Training Aircraft PLATZ 1:144 The design for the Curtiss C-46 Commando was originally intended for the civil airliner industry, however its capability for high altitude flight, with pressurised cabin and freight space, plus the large load carrying ability it was soon identified as ideal for the military needs of transporting troops and logistics. The design of the C-46 was not trouble free and was there were constant series of modifications and version changes in order to try and overcome some of the major deficiencies. One such problem was the unexplained, at the time, losses of aircraft or those that exploded whilst in flight, which weren't really overcome until after WW2. The early versions C-46 Commandos had enlarged side door facility which allowed for the loading of abnormal loads, including Jeeps etc., but later versions such as the C-46D reverted to a single side door as typical for parachute drops. Post war many of the later versions of the C-46 were sold out to commercial interests, however some were sold on to developing nations for their military requirements. One such country was Japan, with the establishment of the Japanese Self Defence Force (JSDF) in 1954, who purchased 48 C-46D Commando transports between 1955 and 1957. The JASDF C-46D transports remained in Japanese military service for many years and until their own, domestically produced, transport the Kawasaki C1 entered production in 1975. Most of the JASDF C-46D's were retired out of service after that but three were kept in service; 91-1140, 91-1143 and 91-1145, and in 1973 were converted for Electronic Warfare (EW) training roles for which they operated between 1973 and 1978. These airframes were redesignated C-46ECM however all three were externally different from each other, most notably in the shape of nose-radomes and antenna fits. Of these three ECM variants, two have been preserved and are on display at air museums in Japan: 91-1143 (ex USA Bu No 43-47222) is on display at the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park. 91-1145 (ex US Bu No 43-47328) is on display at the JASDF Iruma Airbase. The Kit The box is a sturdy, if somewhat large for this scale kit, lid and base design which does allow for stacking in the stash without fear of crushing. As I mentioned, the box is more 14 inches (36cm) wide and typical of a small 1:48 model rather than a 1:144 kit. The box underside contains colour art work for the colour call-outs,the decal positioning and also includes the relevant FS numbers in order to match your particular model companies paints to. Inside the box we find three sprues, in light grey plastic, holding the main aircraft components of fuselage, wings, engines etc. A futher clear sprue contains the canopy plus a clear 'bomb-aimer' style front canopy; the use of which would be dependent upon the version of C-46ECM you build. The fuselage is produced with fine engraved panel lines that look just about right to be still visible after a coat of primer and topcoat. The windows are depicted as solid indentations in the fuselage, however PLATZ has catered for this by providing neat little grey window decals. Looking at the jointing elements for the fuselage halves, this kit has rectangular male and female stubs, as opposed to circular ones on other producers kits, and this looks to allow for a more secure alignment when assembling the fuselage. The cockpit consists of a deck-piece, with intergral pilot's seats and instrument panel, and two control columns which should be adequate as visibilty into this tight space would be very limited. The engine cylinders are constructed as separate components from the cowling covers and this should be very beneficial when it comes to painting and detailing these tiny parts. There side covers are also moulded separately and, although there is no side engine/cylinder detail, this possibly could allow for a scenario with the covers open? The main undercarriage system consists of four pieces; the main strut, support calipers, wheel and tyre. Separating items into constituent components is excellent for painting as it minimises the chances of overpaint onto adjacent components. Looking at the main struts, they are very fine indeed and care may be needed not to snap them as they are removed from the sprue; plus they may be a tad fragile once assembled, even with the attached support calipers. The tail wheel assembly has been produced as a single entity and is a much sturdier unit. Interestingly, there are some hard points/hinges visible on the fuselage port side, between the nose and wing root, that are not obvious in photos I've seen on the web. At the rear of the fuselage, the hardpoints for the ladder to the cargo doors are also slightly more pronounced than need be and could benefit from sanding down slightly. The next Sprue has the wings, tail planes and wheel bay doors. Again, the panel lines look just right as are the small fillet extensions on the tail planes ailerons. These first two sprues appear to contain all the parts needed to make a basic C-46D Commando so, in effect, there are choices to make one of four variants of the C-46 in this kit. The third sprue is the extra sprue which contains the elements to make up the ECM variants; including a separate nose section, for use if modelling either 91-1145 or 91-1140, and all the ECM antenna pods and aerials for all three ECM aircraft. It would appear that only 91-1143 retained the original nose section (with the exception of the clear bomb-aimer type canopy) and therefore, if you are not building that one, this part of the fuselage needs to be cut away with a fine saw and a new nose section, shown below, has to replace it. The inside of the fuselage has a cut-out area prepared to ensure the new nose is attached correctly. The final sprue contains the clear glazing for the canopy and also the small window which fits at the front on 91-1143. If you were to build the basic C-46 Commando version then this clear front would just need to be painted over to look like and intergral part of the nose section. As I mentioned earlier, although all three aircraft have the designation C-46D ECM, they are each visually different in their shape and antenna fit. Care needs to be taken in ensuring the correct components are used in your build and PLATZ has been helpful here by providing profile views of each aircraft in the instruction sheets. Examples from the instruction sheet, describing the differences is shown below: 91-1143 has the least amount of changes with only the 'bomb-aimers' style front glazing and a few antennas to be added to the fuselage. This is also the version which could possibly be built as the basic C-46D Commando, by painting the glazing in the same colour as the rest of the fuselage and leaving off the antenna points. 91-1145 would require the front of the fuselage to be cut away with a fine saw and the new nose from sprue 3 to be attached and the join filled etc. Once the nose is installed then the relevent nose radome would need to be fitted along with all the antenna points as shown in the profile below. 91-1140 as seen in the profile view below, would also need to have the surgury done to it as 91-1145 but the smaller radome being fitted and the correct antenna points added. DECALS Once the kit has been assembled and painted then the decals would be attached and these variants were very colourful hi-viz aircraft. The bright red nose and fuselage bands have been provided as decals, thereby removing the need to mask off and spray those awkwardly shaped areas. In addition, there are pre-shaped cut outs for the windows and canopy, plus an additional canopy frame decal (35B or 37B) if wishing to match all the windows and not use the clear glazing part. The remainder of the decal sheet contains high and low vis warning signage and Squadron tail flash, walkway runs and the Hinomaru (red nationality disks) of the Japanese Self Defence Force; and altogether makes a comprehensive set of decals for a 1:144 scale model aircraft. Conclusion This is a very colourful and interesting aircraft and I am very please to see a plastic kit of this aircraft being produced to 1:144 scale. Although PLATZ has produced a C-46D Commando as a separate kit (No. PD-21) I suspect that all the parts to make up a C-46D Commando, with the exception of relevant decals, are contained within this kit so that is an added bonus. I think the undercarriage is really good however, because it looks accurately thin, it may just be a bit fragile when holding up this model. The panel lines look just right and the choice to build one of three versions allows for some interesting build variations. I may just have to get more of these to make up all three, or even four, versions. Review sample courtesy of

Curtiss C-46 Commando, pics thanks to Mike (a.k.a da gaffer!)

Pics taken in Sierra Leone by Greg Buckely