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I've just received the following P.M. from a French modeller: "Homebee, did you see in the HLJ video at 27mn/29sec what was on display on the KH stand at the All Japan Model & Hobby Show 2013? http://www.hobbylink.tv/all-japan-model-hobby-show-reports-2013-part-2" You're right Norbert it's a.... So after its future Kaman SH-2D Seasprite - ref.KH80122 - (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234943427-kaman-sh-2-seasprite-148-from-kitty-hawk/?hl=seasprite), Bell AH-1Z Viper (Super Cobra) - ref. KH80124 - and UH-1Y Venom (ou Super Huey) - ref.KH80123 - (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234943269-148th-bell-ah-1z-viper-and-uh-1y-venom-by-kittyhawk-in-progress/?hl=cobra), KittyHawk is working on a 1/48th Eurocopter/Harbin SA.365/Z-9 Dauphin 2/"Haitun" kits family. Source Wikipedia: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PLAAF_Harbin_Z-9WA.jpg V.P.

Hi I managed some time ago to pick up a copy of the Dream Models Z-9 WA as a basis for a 1:72 SA.365Fi Dauphin II. I will be building it as an Irish Air Corps a/c with Maxdecals. Have yet to decide the particulars as to which a/c but we will see. Am using various Internet sources for photos and Joe Maxwell's "The Irish Air Corps an illustrated guide". I also have an old resin update set made for the Matchbox kit by Roy Kinsella. Not sure yet if it will fit as the Dream Model kit has more girth than the old Matchbox. It is also a dam sight better detailed. I couldn't get the dedicated Sa 365F version of the kit and had to settle on the Z-9 WA Chinese attack helicopter. The only shortcomings of the kit is that it has no rear door, no seating inside the main cabin and the ventral surfaces are nearly devoid of detailling. This latter is an area where there is a lot going on so it will have to be scratch-built using photos and the 1:48 Kittyhawk kit as a guide. I started by chopping off the nose of the Z-9. Then marking out the rear door; these differ from the modern French and Israeli ones so get a good photo. You will also find photos of ex- IAC Dauphin's in Chile Navy service these are a good source as well. Addition of interior rear door detail Interior was filled with extra detailling And then testfitting More to follow ….

Hi all, So this one started life as my build for an online 'Matchbox GB' elsewhere. My plan was to build an Irish Air Corps machine, mid- 1990s. But then I came across a picture of one them before they were (controversially) retired in late 2005. So I thought I'd give that a go instead. Not really "scratchbuilt" in the true modelling-sense of the word but bodged together from different plastic spares, sprue, plasticard, wire, etc. The build WIP is here if you're interested. Close up of up top.. I thought I would give it a go and enter her in the Helicopter class at the IPMS Ireland Nationals last weekend - and was gobsmacked to win a Bronze in Class and Best Irish Aviation subject. More than a bit shocked as the standard of builds was unbelievable again this year. Thanks for looking and enjoy your modelling. Cheers, Dermot

So I'm also in with a Dauphin, picked up at Telford last year deep among the 2nd hand kits.. IMG_6063 IMG_6064 Being Irish, when this kit was first issued in the mid 80s was like Christmas for some of us modellers as five Dauphin 2's were soon to be delivered to the Irish Air Corps between June and December 1986. Operated by SAR Squadron, No 3 Support Wing, the five aircraft combined SAR, Air Ambulance, naval ops (with the Irish Naval Service aboard the LE Eithne P-31) and VIP transport. The aircraft served with great distinction and bravery with Irish Dauphin crews receiving some of the highest national and international decorations for their SAR work in rescues of the Capitaine Pleven II in 1989 and Locative in 1990. These missions were often at night and at extended ranges over stormy Atlantic seas in an a/c type not really suited to that role. Sadly a/c 248 was lost in a fatal crash along with its crew of four returning from a Search & Rescue mission in July 1999 in Co Waterford. When our SAR helicopter service was privatised soon after, the Dauphins were retired from service between 2003 and 2004 and all four were sold in 2006 and now operate with the Chilean Navy. If you want to read more about Irish SAR ops, I can recommend this book by Lorna Siggins. I've previously built the Revell version of this kit as an Irish machine and want to try it again but do a better job with it....my last attempt was a bit rough and ready! . by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr And that's it. Thanks for reading and look forward to seeing your Matchbox builds! Dermot

Hi I have posted some NATO QRA pictures and some visiting Warthogs from my recent Centre of Aviation Photography assignment to Šiaulia, but I thought you might like to see some of the Lithuanian assets and vehicles as well as some monochrome Hungarian Gripens..... Thanks for looking.

Seen on IPMS Philippines http://ipmsphilippines.com/test-shots/testshot-hobbyboss-35th-eurocopter-as365-dauphin/ 1/35 - 05106 - SA.365N Dauphin II - 05107 - HH-65C Dolphin - 05108 - AS.565 Panther - 05109 - Z-9WA Haitun V.P.

Hi everyone, Following on from the Irish Air Corps Gazelle I built earlier this year, I was asked by the same person to finish him a kit that had been started of an Irish Dauphin, also from our Air Corps. Here's the real thing Irish Air Corps Dauphin on Airliners.Net And this is the kit as I got it with a resin aftermarket nose already added and some other bits started. This kit is the Matchbox issue of this one, later re-released by Revell. Now I won't go into all the details but this kit isn't that accurate for a modern Dauphin but I'm not going to change all those things because I just don't have the skills! But will try to bring the old girl to a decent, acceptable level. Added a scratchbuilt bench seat in the back with belts from tape, front and back. Also repainted the cockpit to be more accurate. New collectives for up the front office. I also cut out the rear sliding door to have it open. Underneath, I added the distinctive fuel dump line and radar blade antennae. The bigger resin bit at the back was already added with the nose bit when I got the kit. And here she is with a coat of primer and a couple of coats of Revell Acrylic Light Grey 36371. I've masked the tail rotor bit as part of that stays white (tricky) and also the upper engine panel which is white on the sides and bright red on top. When I took off the front canopy to give it a coat of Klear, there was a nasty stress crack on one side. So a replacement from a donor kit in the spares box will be needed. Having built this kit before, the airframe glass can be more than a bit fiddly to fit...ho hum. Thanks for looking and more soon! Dermot

After the SA.365F/AS.565SA Dauphin II kit - ref.KH80108 http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234952105-aerospatiale-sa365565-dauphin-ii-148-kittyhawk/- Kitty Hawk is to release the Chinese version from this helicopter, the Harbin Z-9B/C/W "Haitun" - ref. KH80108 (same ref. number as 1st boxing!) Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=909570175761936&id=736521713066784 V.P.

This will be my first ever aircraft WIP. It follows on from some prompting, coercing and downright bullying from Nigel and company. My last few builds (3 in the SciFi forum, and one in the vehicle forum) left me somewhat battle scarred and traumatized and I needed an easy, trouble free build to relax me after pulling my hair out in the last few builds. I have wanted to do this aircraft for a while but it got pushed off to the side and overtaken by a couple of SciFi builds. Now it is time to give it the some attention. Not knowing much about the Dauphin, I looked at what was available and the closest kit to the aircraft I wanted to replicate appeared to be the old Heller kit. I've had it in the stash for some time and had actually started gluing a few pieces together a while back. While the kit has been neglected sitting on a shelf, I have been building a folder of reference photo's. Of course, once I really started looking at the photo's I realized there was quite a lot of work to do to the Heller kit to make it represent the aircraft I wanted to model. Starting with this screen shot of one of the Heller boxings..... Rotor Head: Kit is very basic and some scratch building will be needed to make it look better. Aerial faces wrong way on kit (easy fix) and the intake looks out of scale Some scratch building required in this area for bits hanging off aircraft Actual aircraft does not have spats. Heller kit has wheels molded into spats, so will have to find some alternative, and scratch build undercarriage More scratch building required to replicate more bits hanging off real aircraft. Heller kit tail comes to a knife edge - real aircraft has flat, blunt tail edge. Fenestron linkage is wrong Exhausts are completely incorrect. Kit exhausts are parallel with each other whereas the real aircraft exhausts are angled away from each other as they exit the aircraft. Additionally, the cowling around the exhausts on the real aircraft is markedly different from the kit profile. More scratch building required. Vents and access panels on kit cowling is different than the aircraft I am basing this build on. As mentioned earlier, this was supposed to be an easy, trouble free and relaxed build, and before I've even started, I have found a whole batch of things which need changed/fixed. Such is life I guess. Initial impressions of the kit are mixed. There is some finely molded detail which looks good, but on the other hand, there are raised panel lines (which, tbh, I really don't mind), but the biggest issue I have found so far, is the lack of positive alignment features for many of the parts. I have a few ideas of how to model the aircraft, (doors open, winch fitted etc.) but haven't fixed on a particular mode yet. As far as I am aware, there is no photo etch or upgrade parts available for this particular kit, so I'll have to make do with what I have. I should mention that I plan on doing aircraft HKG-1 of the RHKAAF around the 1982 time frame. Decals don't exist so I'll need to figure out how to do my own, and I think the paint job, though relatively simple, will be extremely difficult to get accurate. If anyone knows of a more accurate kit, please speak up before I commit myself too far down this tortuous path

This is the Revell (Germany) 1/72 Eurocopter SA365 Dauphin 2 (Kit # 04467), modified to the AS365 N1 configuration used by my local constabulary, the Maryland State Police. Though these birds perform many duties, their highest-profile one is to medevac accident victims to the local emergency hospitals for timely critical care. Biggest construction challenge was an extended and re-contoured nose, accomplished with the help of a Monogram 1/48 Mosquito slipper tank from the spares box, and lots of Testors white putty and sanding. I added fixed main gear fairings from styrene sheet (replacing the kit's retractable gear wells & doors), a medevac interior with gurney and assorted equipment, and scratchbuilt external details like the rescue hoist, nose FLIR mounting and the searchlight under the rear fuselage. All decals were laid out in MS Paint using assorted carefully-tweaked online images, then sized and printed in Open Office on my HP inkjet printer. Body colors were custom mixes of Tamiya acrylics carefully color-matched to the printed surrounds for the light-colored markings. [Resulting colors are probably not 100% accurate, but close enough for me, and actually match photos of the real things pretty well.] Probably the most complex decal scheme I've tried to date, but I think it came out OK. Hope you rotorheads enjoy the photos.

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