1/72 Puma HC.2 in special Tiger livery

[The Shearwater]

Didn't really enjoy this one - some significant fit issues, and the brittle plastic caused my hair to go grey with the number of times I snapped parts! The old SA330 needs a lot of scratch-built additions in terms of aerials, sensors etc to create an HC.2 version - an interesting introduction to plasticard, and one that was actually quite fun. I love this livery and haven't seen a model of it to date. Having fancied a 1/72 Puma for ages, I'm glad I've done it... but won't be going back there until someone brings a new kit out!!!

 

 

Too many mods to mention but the significant changes were:

shortening the u/c legs

aftermarket rotor blades from Whirlybird, and some Eduard etch

cutting away the kit main rotor shaft as it's bizarrely thick and not at all like the real thing - a replacement was made from plastic tube

masses of aerials, sensors etc

and I replaced those huge, thick door rails with some scratchbuilt slim ones.

 

Airbrushed black primer, then masked the stripes and sprayed Hataka medium sea grey. Aftermarket decals were by Model Art. The diorama cards are Noy's Miniatures, and the crew member perched in the door is one of the amazing Reedoak figures, which my rubbish iphone pic really does not do justice to! (To be able to mould a tread pattern in the sole of a boot at 1/72 scale is mindblowing...),

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by The Shearwater
Spelling/layout

[Plasticbasher]

That’s really nice! Not seen the scheme before. Shame the kit gave you a hard time but you’ve come out on top!

[spruecutter]

Very nicely done - and good photography too.

[TimB]

Nice to see a model of the HC2 - and very nicely done!

Regards

Tim

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Beautifully done!  Having seen this kit as-is, and seeing what you did with it, I am really impressed.  This looks very much the HC.2, despite all of the kit's attempts to push back against you!

[tonyot]

I enjoyed your progress on this and the finished Puma looks superb,.... well done. 

Cheers

          Tony

[Team Aer Lingus]

Outstanding looking model great scheme fantastic work and a great set of photos Kudos to you 

 

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Eamonn

[speedy]

That’s looks absolutely brilliant especially in that scale. A rarely seen subject considering the aircraft has been around for a bit.

[Lord Riot]

Superb! Looks like a lot of work went into it but it’s certainly paid off. Outstanding model and very realistic photos too.

[The Shearwater]

15 hours ago, Plasticbasher said:

That’s really nice! Not seen the scheme before. Shame the kit gave you a hard time but you’ve come out on top!

Thank you, I more or less beat it into submission...!

14 hours ago, spruecutter said:

Very nicely done - and good photography too.

Thanks - it's good practise for the other hobby!

[The Shearwater]

12 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Beautifully done!  Having seen this kit as-is, and seeing what you did with it, I am really impressed.  This looks very much the HC.2, despite all of the kit's attempts to push back against you!

Thanks! I think the most disappointing bit was the cabin section, which if mounted correctly, pushed the nose glass section forward about 2-3mm (and there was no way to sand down the instrument binnacle that much to let the nose glass sit flush). Easy decision, eventually, as to where the ugly gap needing filling should be... cut lots of the inside away and move the cabin section back. Regardless of the innards, the outside certainly resembles XW224 now!

Edited May 1, 2021 by The Shearwater

[The Shearwater]

9 hours ago, tonyot said:

I enjoyed your progress on this and the finished Puma looks superb,.... well done. 

Cheers

          Tony

That's very kind, thanks - I honestly lost heart halfway through the WIP thread as the problems (and untidy solutions) piled up - I honestly didn't feel qualified offering advice or evidence of my butchering, so stopped taking pics (and very nearly stopped the build). By the final decals / aerials stage it was looking much better though, much to my relief!

[The Shearwater]

4 hours ago, Team Aer Lingus said:

Outstanding looking model great scheme fantastic work and a great set of photos Kudos to you 

 

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Eamonn

Thank you kindly... it really is a striking livery (I wasn't so much a fan of the previous, orange tiger schemes), enough to tempt me away from the traditional drab green I was almost committed to! The backdrops look great for any model especially the Noy's hangar.

[The Shearwater]

2 hours ago, speedy said:

That’s looks absolutely brilliant especially in that scale. A rarely seen subject considering the aircraft has been around for a bit.

Thank you. You're right, I think it's strange that after re-issuing kits like the Phantom, Buccaneer, Harrier GR1, Sea King etc in 1/72, Airfix haven't got round to updating the Puma which - unlike these other types - is still in operational service! Presumably they don't see a sufficient market for it, as perhaps it's seen as more niche? I'd certainly take my chances with a new tool / new plastic version though!

[The Shearwater]

1 hour ago, Lord Riot said:

Superb! Looks like a lot of work went into it but it’s certainly paid off. Outstanding model and very realistic photos too.

Thank you very much, it was an exercise in the word "compromise" - I could have carried on for days, adding more and more tiny aerials to the damn thing! I do a bit of photography away from this, and one of the best quotes I ever read from a pro was along the lines of "it's often the background, not the subject, which makes a great photo". True enough with the great Noy's Miniatures backdrops I've got here.

[Paulaero]

That looks and excellent result. Take it they are resin engine intakes.

 

Love the hangar shots looks the business...

[F-32]

Great build, very nice indeed

[The Shearwater]

1 hour ago, Paulaero said:

That looks and excellent result. Take it they are resin engine intakes.

 

Love the hangar shots looks the business...

Thank you. They’re actually the kit plastic parts (the Heller kit came with the extended intakes, unlike the Airfix boxing) but with a piece of Eduard etch wrapped around each one (from their Super Puma detailing set). I sanded the plastic intake down a bit, to help the etched part sit more flush. You can see the join where the etch starts, just about 1/3 way back from the intake mouth. Bit of weathering wash on the side vents to highlight them, and they came out ok, even if the paint hid most of their lovely detailed surface!!!

 

The hangar’s a great backdrop, isn’t it. I’d love a bigger version so I could photograph more models inside, sadly it’s one at a time for now!

[The Shearwater]

1 hour ago, F-32 said:

Great build, very nice indeed

Thank you!

[cngaero]

All your efforts in beating this into submission has paid dividends in producing a first rate model of the Puma in a most attractive colour scheme. Well done. 

[troschi]

That’s a very good result. I like it. Proof that an nowadays ancient kit doesn‘t have to hide! 

[The Shearwater]

14 hours ago, cngaero said:

All your efforts in beating this into submission has paid dividends in producing a first rate model of the Puma in a most attractive colour scheme. Well done. 

Thanks, it’s an interesting livery alright!

[The Shearwater]

12 hours ago, troschi said:

That’s a very good result. I like it. Proof that an nowadays ancient kit doesn‘t have to hide! 

Thank you - although it’s by no means perfect, it certainly looks more like XW224 than when I started! (The next couple of builds will be more modern kits, which hopefully require less butchering and swearing!)

[Pat C]

Really nice Puma - that nose glazing is a nightmare isn’t it but your end result is excellent!!

 

Pat

[TheyJammedKenny!]

I agree with Pat--the whole model is tough, and Airfix/Heller make you earn your modeler's stripes.  I was under the impression that the nose area of the original Airfix kit, if built SOB, bore only faint resemblance to that of the real aircraft.