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++++ Westland Lynx HAS 3 - The Black Cats ++++


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As my Sea Kings are nearing completion, believe it or not I thought I'd add another in this Lynx. I've a couple of Hobbyboss boxings in the stash and may follow up with a HAS 2 but this one has transfers for a Black Cats airframe. The Black Cats were the FAA Lynx display team and they did things with a small helicopter that you didn't think was possible including a loop. The paintwork is complex and although I've got some aftermarket transfers in the stash to do one of the Black Cats, Hobbyboss include it as an option here. 

 

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The box has four grey plastic sprues which are nicely moulded with both raised and some restrained engraving. The sprue gates are a little on the large side and there are some mould depressions. I must have opened this before to start as they're filled in but it's well below the 25% as nothing is off the sprue. 

 

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One clear sprue and a nice transfer sheet, still in its plastic bag. 

 

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Double page instructions but no colour call outs. 

 

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Two options provided, an 829 NAS cab from HMS Endeavour, I think, and the Black Cats option of 702 NAS. Comprehensive painting instructions including impressive ordinance but only torpedoes included in the box. 

 

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As I said above I'll be doing the Black Cat option. 

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Hi @825, I recently did a Lynx build from Hobbyboss in the Nordic GB and I have to say I found it to be a very good kit.
 

The sprues and instructions looks exactly the same as the kit I did, only my option was for a Danish Lynx. 
 

 

Good luck with the build, will be following with interest. 

 

Cheers

 

Johnny b 

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4 hours ago, desert falcon said:

Hi @825, I recently did a Lynx build from Hobbyboss in the Nordic GB and I have to say I found it to be a very good kit.
 

The sprues and instructions looks exactly the same as the kit I did, only my option was for a Danish Lynx. 
 

 

Good luck with the build, will be following with interest. 

 

Cheers

 

Johnny b 

Thanks Johnny. I've another boxing which is for a Royal Navy Lynx HAS 2.  But it only has transfers for a French and a Dutch navy helicopters but no Royal Navy. It looks like it's the same sprues and instructions too. 

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Got the interior pretty well finished. A pretty full cabin. A little touching up to do and then the ceiling on. The only addition is some harnesses from painted Tamiya tape for the crew seats up front.  

 

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On 7/29/2020 at 11:29 PM, JOCKNEY said:

Thats looks a really nice kits and the Black Cats version will look amazing when completed. 

Good luck with this one.

Cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat it's a lovely little kit and goes together like a dream. Well engineered, you just need to take care removing the sprue gates as most are on mating surfaces. I have a HAS2 and an HMA8 in the stash so I'm tempted to have a go at them too. 

 

Anyway an hour or so after touching the interior paint has got us here. And she looks every bit a Lynx. 

 

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The seams, especially on the underside need a bit of work, but nothing a smear of filler and some light sanding won't sort out. 

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Seams all tidied up and the paint restored. The black will need a coat of Gloss before we start putting the transfers on. Although this is a lovely little kit, I've had a few problems the last day or so. First I had to prise off a door as the window had fallen in, then I lost the tail skid to, not the carpet monster, but the lawn monster, an even bigger monster. I'd taken the work sanding and polishing out into the garden. Then an undercarriage strut snapped off. All fixed and as said above the paint all tidied up. 

 

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ive added the 'cat' transfers to both sides and they've settled down really well with Micro Sol. I'll let them dry before progressing further as there's some to go over them. 

 

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They do look good IMHO

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The rest of the transfers added. 

 

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Coming on leaps and bounds. All the aerials on, and all the transfers on. Canopy masked fixed and painted. Wheels on and tail rotor done too. 

 

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The air intake covers on Lynx's are always a challenge for kit makers, their shape is really complex and although etch would probably give the best look turning a flat sheet into something with all those complex curves would not be easy. Hobbyboss' solution is to use a transparency but on its own it just looks odd. Straight painting it would leave it looking like another panel. I've dry brushed it, quite heavily, with Humbrol 85 - Coal Black which has a satin finish. It's OK but I think next time I would layer some Tamiya Smoke on the inside first. 

 

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The main rotor blades are painted and just need fixing on. 

 

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I'll put some varnish on to pull it alll together. I'll probably use a satin finish as this aircraft is a display machine it will be kept clean and in tip top condition. 

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This is effectively finished. Just to put it all together and remove the mask from the canopy. There's a coat of satin varnish on which is still a little tacky so I'll wait a few hours before final assembly and photographing for the gallery. I've looked at a fair amount of photos of the Black Cats and those of HAS3s all seem to show that the weapons rails are kept on so I've added them. 

 

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I've three finished kits now which need photo'd and added to galleries. That'll be today's job. 

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2 hours ago, Jur said:

Looking very nice and I'll check your gallery pics when you have put them up!

Thanks. The Lynx is all done now and will be in the Gallery very soon. I think the Lynx is a very handsome helicopter and the Black Cats livery is very nice. 

 

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That’s  a great build. She looks spot on. 

I road moved her back from a school playground  in London where they had put it down due to a bird strike cracking the screen. Somewhere in the cave is a Black Cats cap they gave us. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

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