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AW139?


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Kits in 1/72nd of the Ecuriel, A109 and S-76 were due from Airframe but got cancelled when the boss got jailed. Wonder how far they got?

Isn't the Heller Ecuriel really 1/50th scale?

Paul Harrison

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Overtorque, we can all but dream... Or scratch build... Personally, I'd love to see anyone (injection or resin people) do a Boeing 360. Very pretty and sleek high tech helicopter.

They use these now: http://helihub.com/2012/01/13/uk-special-forces-add-fifth-n3-dauphin/

Sean
Edit for Mr Headroom. The SAS have access to these. :rolleyes:

So that's who was using those helicopters. Most people 'in the know' said that it was the French Navy...!!! Logic?!

Two helicpters were skimming the lampposts around the PEEL (Police training) centre a while ago, dropping folks off at the top of the 'condemned' tower block. The 'little black men' (no offence, they were small and dressed in black) then started abseiling down the side of the building. The residents in the newly built blocks opposite the PEEL centre had an excellent view of everything they were doing...

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No matter, military subjects will always be more appealing. Any model show you go to will demonstrate this as will model forums' RFI's. Although there can be a lot of variation in schemes etc. of civilian operators, military ac seem to capture the imagination more.

So, being businessmen, model companies make models of ac that will sell to mass, not niche market.

Sorry Over Torque, I feel your pain as there are even some military kits that 'should' be kitted - but they aren't going to sell to the mass market, so only cottage industry is SOMETIMES an option.

Sort of a self-fulling prophesy - what you see at model shows represents primarily what is *on offer* not necessarily what modelers would find "more appealing". Research, discussion, web resources, etc. - all focus on the military aviation for the most part. Yet the use of helicopters by medevac, SAR, industry and police units is an interesting aspect of rotary aviation, it just isn't 'well served' for modelers. Hence, the preponderance of military treatments. As you note, civil subjects hold a lot of variation in missions & color schemes. As for capturing a modeler's 'imagination', the idea that 'civil' equates to airliners isn't true for helicopter subjects simply *because* of the variety of missions. It boils down to essentially publicity... how many books or movies have been about the adventures of medevac pilots? Recently, I have noticed more news stories of rescues at sea include video shot from the cabin of the Coast Guard helos, which makes for quite a bit of excitement. I believe, for those interested in helicopter modeling in the first place, the chance to build some "civilian" subjects would be welcome. I wonder how Skunk Works USCG Seahawk kit has been selling? I know I can't seem to find one... ;^) And who doesn't have a copy of Hasegawa's CHP Police MD-500 in their stash?

Regards, Robert

Edited by rbeach84
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Whilst I agree with some of the treads on this link I have to throw in my ten penuth.

First of all the AGUSTA Westland AW139 is used by military and civil operators, just cos the operators are non Euro it seems to fall outside the average interest of the helicopter modeller.

Skypilot make an out of scale Diecast model of the AW139 that is in general good. It could be used as a basis for a detailed kit.

Skypilot make numerous AW109E and S models in ‘near’ 1/48th, again the basis for a good AW109E or S and I say that as someone who spent 15 years working on the 109.

I hope that very soon because of two events the S92 will enter the British modellers view by means of the award of the S92 for the US presidents helicopter and closer to home the use of the S92 as the primary Search and Rescue helicopter. I for one really hope that one of the major model manufactures steps to the plate and produces the S92.

As for the Puma being a contender for looks, you must be mad. This Eurodisney pile of dust is by far the contender it should be resigned to the scrap pile.

S92.jpg

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Sort of a self-fulling prophesy - what you see at model shows represents primarily what is *on offer* not necessarily what modelers would find "more appealing".

However what is on offer comes from model companies that have been in the business for many years, some 40 or 50 years, and over the time these companies have witnessed through their cash flow what sells and what doesn't. If modellers had found medevac helicopters more appealing, modelling companies would be offering plenty of them. Just look at Revell's A109, it hasn't been reissued in ages, had it been such a strong seller we'd have seen countless reboxes as happened for other kits in their catalogue.

http://www.swapmeetmodels.co.uk/images/20110818150553-25613-westland-heli.jpg

I'm sorry but this one just doesn't come near to what a real model kit is. By the way i'm sure Italeri/hasegawa/Kitty Hawk or someone else will do a 139.

Hope is a great thing, but I wouldn't bet any money on it.

Italeri will 99% never do one, despite the type being in service with the Italian Army. They have been pestered with requests for Italian helicopters for ages and yet they've not done any apart from the Mangusta. They simply believe that an A109 or a HH-3F would not sell enough to justify the cost for a new mould. And to be honest I agree with them,

Hasegawa has done very few helicopters. Even if the AW139 is used by the Japan Coast Guard I can't see them doing one. I mean, they haven't even done that many new aircraft kits lately, only a few and of subjects a little better known like the F-35 and the Su-27 variants...

Kitty Hawk and the other chinese companies are issuing new subjects every day, maybe they might at some point do even an AW139... but I'd expect to see a lot of other types first.

Revell is the only company that has not feared venturing into the civilian helicopter models market, maybe one could come from them if the type becomes popular in Germany. Maybe...

In the end the same things I said about the Lincoln apply here: these are subjects that are not guaranteed good sellers and companies would be hard pressed to invest money in the mould for something that is not guaranteed to sell. Subjects like these are better left to short run manufacturers, maybe we could see a resin or short run plastic kit of the AW139 one day coming from Eastern Europe or somewhere else.

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But look at the 365 Dauphin. It's on duty since early 80s and only in the last few years we have seen some good kit (kitty hawk for example). So,probably, for the 139 i've only to wait 30 years... OMG!

Edited by OverTorque
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I hope that very soon because of two events the S92 will enter the British modellers view by means of the award of the S92 for the US presidents helicopter and closer to home the use of the S92 as the primary Search and Rescue helicopter. I for one really hope that one of the major model manufactures steps to the plate and produces the S92.

How many S92's is Bristow's going to use for the SAR contract? I know they've ordered 11 AW189's.

Mike. :)

Edited by MikeR
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... would be offering plenty of them. Just look at Revell's A109, it hasn't been reissued in ages, had it been such a strong seller we'd have seen countless reboxes as happened for other kits in their catalogue.

...

Revell's A109? Never heard of it. If I don't see it or have any idea it is being offered, then I can't very purchase it, eh? Of course, I build 1:48 scale so I am mostly unaware of the constant stream of new and psuedo-new 1:72 scale kits. A quick 'Google' shows quite a bit of discussion on the kit, and it does look very nice. Would be great if it was scaled up - I have wanted to build a USCG version for ages.

As I said... basically, if all you sell is tea, then you might not seem to have much market for coffee...we modelers can only purchase something if it is offered, being as we generally lack any direct input to the manufacturers. If your 'civil' rotary offering is simply a military model in civil paint, then you don't get much idea of what sales might be for a true, never offered, civil subject. In short, if you want to 'test the waters' then you have to use a toe, not a stick. Lets face it, modelers aren't going to stop buying plastic just to boycott the lack of something different... or something non-military. I still don't understand the lack of racing aircraft models what with all the weirdness and splashy color. Pond Racer anyone?

Regards,

Robert

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Personally, I would be interested in anything like aw139 or ecureil, or newish Sikorsky in 1/72. I personally have an ancient as.365 from revell in stash but never had enough courage to start building anything decent of it.

In my view all these new helicopters in coast guard or colourful polar livery should be popular with little Johnies. I do not see why manufacturers do not think the same.

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It took 20 years to see a good kit of the 365 and for those that always wanted to build a uscg the Kitty hawk is basically an mh65. Regarding the 139 it will probably take the same amount of time to see one kit by revell hasegawa and so on...and what i see is that manufactures always offer the same subjects because they think evergreen kits are the most certain way to generate profits. In their mind a 139 wouldn't be worth it in terms of return of the investments.

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Got my 356 coming in a couple of weeks via the sister-in-law, she's better looking than the posty. It looks like a good kit with a good amount of potentail for lesser documented air forces. A 139 would be a good idea, it is getting out there but whilst it remains an SAR cab then I think chances are slim..

Colin

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  • 1 year later...

Most successful helicopter?

Hmm...

So what about the Sea King, Huey, Bell 47, Puma, Gazelle, Mi-8/17, Mi-24, CH-47, CH-53, UH-60 just to name a few.

Actually, why is there no AS.350 Ecureil/Squirrel in 1/72?

I think Mach2 just put out the AS350 this year.

However not sure which variant it is.

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Thanks homebee. I see lots of a-stars here but it's the minor engine differences I mix up. For example currently have a b2, a b3, a fx2 working in district for us and just let go a b4 and base model version.

Just happy it's been released but every machine is owned by a different civilian company so tough to blame a large company for not wanting to build the kit with so many markings out there...even the larger companies I know of only have 10 or so AS350's.

Edited by foresterab
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  • 1 month later...

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