AW139?

[Giorgio N]

1 hour ago, Truro Model Builder said:

Nobody seems particularly interested in producing kits of modern helicopters, unless they are plastered with weapons or have two sets of rotor blades. It is surprising as they are most likely the aircraft types that people see on a daily basis. And while they may not be as charismatic as a Spitfire or a Red Arrows Hawk they deserve their spot in the limelight.

 

Same as with car models, what most people see every day are Polos and Fiestas and yet what most modellers want to build are race cars and exotic sport cars.

Our hobby involves many aspects and I believe one of them is that it fulfils our emotions. And for most a combat aircraft generates stronger emotions and a famous combat aircraft, one of those that made history, generates even stronger ones.

Maybe it's just that there's part of the hobby that appeal to the kid inside us and this kid if given a choice would most times choose to climb at M2 and land on aircraft carrier, or fight the baddies in his Spitfire. The everyday helicopter, that's just a tool for a 9-to-5 job in the mind of the same kid. But give him a famous fighter and the same kid will be the number one ace in his personal world !

 

Said that, I'd quite like to build a model of the AW139, guess that the kid inside me has so many fighters to fly in his stash that he's happy to let something else in,...

Edited September 2, 2020 by Giorgio N

[perdu]

I think I could be happier with a Wildcat or two to build, maybe a conversion kit for a Lynx kit huh guys

 

But that Coast Guard 'Ferrari' looks a delight, I could/would be tempted...

[wellsprop]

58 minutes ago, perdu said:

I think I could be happier with a Wildcat or two to build, maybe a conversion kit for a Lynx kit huh guys

 

But that Coast Guard 'Ferrari' looks a delight, I could/would be tempted...

 

There is a 1/72 conversion

 

https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/cs-13-leonardo-aw-159-wildcat-conversion

[Truro Model Builder]

9 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Same as with car models, what most people see every day are Polos and Fiestas and yet what most modellers want to build are race cars and exotic sport cars.

Our hobby involves many aspects and I believe one of them is that it fulfils our emotions. And for most a combat aircraft generates stronger emotions and a famous combat aircraft, one of those that made history, generates even stronger ones.

Maybe it's just that there's part of the hobby that appeal to the kid inside us and this kid if given a choice would most times choose to climb at M2 and land on aircraft carrier, or fight the baddies in his Spitfire. The everyday helicopter, that's just a tool for a 9-to-5 job in the mind of the same kid. But give him a famous fighter and the same kid will be the number one ace in his personal world !

 

Said that, I'd quite like to build a model of the AW139, guess that the kid inside me has so many fighters to fly in his stash that he's happy to let something else in,...

 

Actually, in terms of cars, when I was selling kits to the public what people really wanted were the cars from their childhood.

[Giorgio N]

13 hours ago, Truro Model Builder said:

 

Actually, in terms of cars, when I was selling kits to the public what people really wanted were the cars from their childhood.

 

And did they find them ? Just going by memory I can think of maybe 10 mainstream kits of "normal" cars from the '70s and '80s, with Revell being the main producer. No Fiesta Mk,I or II, no Cortina/Taunus or Granada, no common Fiats like the 127 128 or Uno,...

Even when kits were made of cars like the Escort Mk.III or the Renault 5 they tended to be of the sporty variants like the XR3 or the Alpine (I remember well searching the Revell XR3 to see if I could modify it into my 5 door Escort GL).

In the meantime companies continue to offer money to get a license from Ferrari, that would sound a waste unless they know that kits of anything with a prancing horse sell better than most...

[perdu]

On 02/09/2020 at 17:52, wellsprop said:

 

There is a 1/72 conversion

 

https://air-graphics.uk/shop/ols/products/cs-13-leonardo-aw-159-wildcat-conversion

Funny enough I found that a couple of days ago when searching for the rocket pods for my Apache, thanks

 

Is £40 steep for a Lynx-alike I wonder, admit I could be tempted if I cannot find 1/72 scale plans one day

[JagRigger]

Still waiting for a 139

[GeejeeZ]

Same here!

I remember a reply from mr Evans of the late Whirlybirds who stated that for a small company like Whirlybirds starting up the design of an AW139 kit was too risky when there's still a chance that the 139 would be realeased by a big manufacturer like Revell or Italeri. In the current modelling market I would guess that this risk is no longer there with Italeri nor Revell venturing into new helicopter kits. 

I would (love to) put my money on DreamModel, having released a very nice Dauphin and other helicopter kits, and planning to release the S-61N.

[Shorty84]

Unfortunately still no kit on the horizon The only option at the moment is the 3D printing route. Bought two of these years ago:

They were printed using an FDM printer so the usual limitations apply. Still better than nothing, now I just need to find someone doing custom decals...

 

Cheers

Markus