Westland Sea King HU5

[825]

This has been sitting at the top of the stash for a while and I keep moving it to get into other kits. So I thought it time to bite the bullet and make it. I don't know where I go at it but it was cheap, which is probably why I bought it. It may have been during Modelzone's closing down a few years back but to be honest I don't recall. 

 

 

Its effectively the same basic kit as in my AEW build but without the new parts. 

so it's effectively the original 1960s mould with an original Sea King radome. 

 

This is what what is in the box

 

 

And this bundle of plastic has already had some Dark Admiralty Grey on it. I must have thought about starting it some time ago but that's all that's been done. 

 

 

There are transfers for an RAF HAR3 and a Norwegian Rescue helicopter. However, I'm going to build it as a Fleet Air Arm SAR helicopter of 771 NAS. This means some extra work to make it into an HU5. I've identified some transfers in the stash that will do. Most are for Culdross based HU5s and I'd like to build  a Prestwick based machine. 

 

 

This ModelArt sheet has markings for nearly every 771 machine including at least one Prestwick based aircraft. 

 

 

 

Now to search for the additional parts and the bottle of Signal Red I think I have. 

[825]

Managed to assemble most of the parts, air intake box, Searchwater radome, domed window and blanking plates. Just need the boxes from the countermeasures fit which can probably be made from plastic card/strip. And I found this paint so we're definitely off and running. Or should that be hovering?

 

[Valkyrie]

Excellent, I will be following as enjoyed your other build. My uncle was a Sea King Pilot at Prestwick and I’d like to build one from there too. Good luck 

[825]

On 8/16/2020 at 4:12 PM, Valkyrie said:

Excellent, I will be following as enjoyed your other build. My uncle was a Sea King Pilot at Prestwick and I’d like to build one from there too. Good luck 

Thanks @Valkyrie. The old Airfix kit is a decent shape but it takes a bit of work due to its age. The conversion to an HU5 is not too difficult and as I've got bits from a few Sea Kings left over I think I won't have to do too much in the way of scratch building. I hope I can build something that you're uncle would have recognised. 

 

Some work done done over the past day or so. There's a lot of cleaning up of parts needed and I spent a while doing that before getting some paint on. I've tentatively (and quite roughly without masking) started the fuselage to see how the red is an dits looking good. There will be a fair amount of filling and sanding so it's not going to be the finished product and I'll have to mask and paint after assembly. One frustration is I keep finding mould depressions after I think I've filled the last of them. Found two more on the upper front fuselage in front of the rotor housing as I put paint on. 

 

 

Started work on the interior, you can't see much inside if the main door is closed so I won't be putting any detail in apart from some seats the backs of which can be seen through the windows. The cockpit will be done OOB apart from some seat belts. Simple start. So far. 

 

[Valkyrie]

It looks good already with the red paint on

[825]

On 8/20/2020 at 8:32 AM, Valkyrie said:

It looks good already with the red paint on

The red is spot on, and I think it makes the Navy's SAR Sea Kings look a better look than the RAF's yellow ones. Personal opinion mind you. 

 

The work is moving on. Before closing up all the windows have to be put in. Although I've got a few domed windows there all just a little too big. The ones in the kit are quite thick while those from the HC4 are relatively thin being a much more modern kit. I wondered if the kit windows would stand being sanded down to fit the window opening. They were definitely thick enough to withstand a bit of work. And here is one that fits. 

 

 

And here here it is in the window opening. Isn't quite circular but once polished up and dipped in Klear it should be OK. 

 

 

The interior is now assembled and fitted into the fuselage. I'm doing a full interior as it will be closed up and the door closed. I liberated these seats from a Lynx and fitted them across the window as they can be seen from the outside. I've another set to pop in across the fuselage from the main door 

 

 

And a lot of bits assembled. The top of the air filter has gone astray and I'll have to make something up. 

 

[825]

Fusealge closed up after all the windows in and internals fixed. The bulged observers window looks fine 

 

 

You can see the seats through the window window and if you peer through the door you can just see the others. 

 

 

Id a lot of problems with the front end on my AEW2 but this time the fit, albeit not perfect, is a lot better. I'll leave the glue to cure before attacking it with filler and sanding sticks. I'll add the engine intakes and their fairing first as it was an awful fit before, so there's only one 'Big Sand'. 

 

[825]

A fair amount of sanding and filling done and the air intake put on. When I did the AEW I had problems with both the front end and the intake box. This time round they were not too bad, but I did a bit of fettling before fitting and they fitted a lot easier with a lot less bother, and a lot less filler and filing. 

 

 

i had problems with the canopy last time but dry fitting shows it should be not too bad.

[825]

Door and radome added and the canopy masked up. The canopy has also been attached but one side keeps lifting off and giving a big step so I've taped it down with Tamiya tape and will leave it for a while for the glue to set. If worse comes to worse I might have to use some cyano. Let's see how it is tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

The grey is pretty much complete and I'll mask it before I start attacking the canopy so it won't get damaged. As well as the demarcation for the red there will also need to be some masking for the exhaust panel protection. Which are Dark Sea Grey on these HU5s. 

[825]

The canopy has stayed on, although the join isn't the smoothest and won't stand up to microscopic inspection but should be ok after tidying and some paint from a normal viewing distance. 

 

 

Airframe is masked up now for the final painting hopefully. 

 

 

There is a bit of a trench at the front of the canopy and that does need a bit of filler. 

 

[825]

Slowly but surely coming along. Like all reds, I'm needing to apply a fair number of coats. If doing again, I would apply a layer or two of matt white first. However, it's almost done apart from some work round the nose. The DSG sections behind the exhaust have also been done. 

 

 

The canopy fit is not perfect and I probably could have done more work. I think I'll try and do a little work to remove what seems like a dent just below the middle of the windscreen. 

 

[825]

Some of the masking off and looking not bad. 

 

 

Canopy unmasked and glazing will need a little tidying up. I'll pop a new blade onto the scalpel, gently scrape then add a little Kleer to polish up. The tail has also been added. 

 

 

[825]

And now a start on the transfers. The walkway protectors and window surrounds are from an Airfix ASaC/AEW kit, I used the transfers for the other option. The specific transfers are from a Model Art sheet and they are beautiful and did not cause any problems at all. Went on perfectly. 

 

[Valkyrie]

Yeah that’s looking the business 

[825]

The rest of the transfers on. 

 

[desert falcon]

Looking sharp 😎

[825]

Thanks @desert falcon  The sponsons, wheels, air intake filter and some aerials on. Apart from the rotors, which are in the paint shop, there needs a few of the electronic fit boxes to be made up and added. They will take a little while as they are a little on the small side. I've also looked and some sources and checked out the aerials. I think I have enough to get them sorted. There are two last things, the first is that there's a step at the back of the main door, about half the size of that, but the same style as on the HC4, and a black weather sheet or similar behind the door. It's an irregular shape and I thought about a black transfer but that would probably mould itself over the rivets so a piece on thin plastic card would probably be better. 

 

 

[Valkyrie]

Can’t wait to see this next stage, looks great 

[825]

Thanks @Valkyrie here's she sitting waiting for a little touching up. 

 

 

The boxes on the front are from strips of 60 thou strip with the angles sanded on.  Due to the curve of the front a small bit of filler has been added.  The boxes for the lower rear fuselage are a bit beefier so I created a long box from two angles of plastruc and once dry cut off lengths and sanded the angles onto them. There is a need for some filler as obviously there is a space through the middle. Once dried they will be sanded smooth and popped onto the fuselage. 

 

[825]

And now the boxes added.  They don't look too bad when compared with the real thing. 

 

 

And now for the cabin step. 

[825]

Steps built up from plastic strip and bent plastic rod. Could have been a bit better on the lightening holes. I'll see what it looks like under a coat of paint. 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Apologies @825 i have only just caught up with this one, looks the business.

Its a great feeling when a long term stash resident finally gets built !

 

cheers Pat 

[825]

On 9/10/2020 at 6:04 PM, JOCKNEY said:

Apologies @825 i have only just caught up with this one, looks the business.

Its a great feeling when a long term stash resident finally gets built !

 

cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat. It's coming along nicely. All the bits on and a splash of paint. No photos yet unfortunately but there will be soon. I've just the rotors to finish and she'll be ready for the gallery. And a couple of transfers. 

[Col.]

Good to see another colourful RN 'copter taking shape

[825]

Almost done, just a few bits to add on and the nose window that fell out popped back in again. The main rotors were not the easiest as the leading edge needed fixed on two of them as they were ragged. I used the transfers from the Airfix kit for the stripes on the main rotors and tips of the tail rotors. Basically they were rubbish. They had massive edges which for the main rotors protruded about 2mm over so all had to be trimmed. Then they didn't stick, except to ones fingers. And the tail bands wouldn't wrap round. The tail bands weren't very good for colour depth either. I got round all this by floating them onto a layer of Kleer and this did work. I was worried it would dry too quick and I wouldn't be able to move them into place. However, this wasn't a problem and it worked fine. 

 

 

 

A little bit of tidying up and some last parts to be added. Then some varnishing to pull it all together.