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1/72 Belgian Sea King Mk.48


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A few pics of my latest build, a Belgian Air Force Sea King Mk.48 based on the 1/72 Revell kit and using the excellent decal sheet from DACO Products. For me, the Belgian scheme is one of the most attractive Sea King schemes out there. I really like the combination of the bright orange with the sand and spinach camouflage.

IMG_2717

 

Matching the green was straightforward. I used MRP-376 which is their version of Olive Green BS220. Matching the sand was more of a challenge. Following some exchanges with @janneman36, @825 and @thorfinn, I finally went for Xtracolor X813. This is actually an armour colour that I used c.15 years ago when building a Gulf War Challenger (BS361 Light Stone). Despite its age, it sprayed very nicely.

 

Finding a good match for the Dockerblaze orange was also challenging. After various trials with Humbrol and Tamiya, I opted for an automotive colour from Zero Paints in the end: ZP-1057 Jägermeister Orange. 

 

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I had to scratchbuild the radar at the left of the cabin. It's not 100% accurate, more representational than anything but "good enough and done" is the right way forward. I cobbled it together from 2 balls of Milliput, a Little Cars lens and some plastic card.

 

All in all, it was quite an involved build and I am pleased to have got this one over the finishing line. The Revell kit still holds its own despite being over 20 years old. I actually like the raised rivets and the subtle surface detailing. The kit goes together well and is sharply moulded.

IMG_2713

 

Cheers

 

Richard C.

 

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That’s an absolute beauty. And I agree that it’s probably the best looking scheme a Sea King has ever worn (although I did like the Royal Navy’s SAR choppers too).

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Spot on!

An excellent rendition of the SAR chopper that served our Air Force so long and so well (and an opportunity to thank the crews for their dedication).

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On 5/3/2022 at 8:09 PM, NavyWessex said:

Excellent build, I still prefer this kit over the newer Airfix tooling.

I am yet to build the new Airfix tool. I have their Commando boxing in the stash and I can see why you would prefer the Revell kit. The lack of surface detailing in the new Airfix kit makes it look all too smooth. I do think in general that Revell has the edge over Airfix in terms of surface detailing (e.g. compare their 1/72 versions of the Shackleton). Anyway, I would like to build the Commando variant at some point and it will be interesting to compare buildability with the Revell kit. The one issue with the Revell version is the overhang of the canopy on the right hand side. I have had this issue twice now and I have had to resort to various grades of wet'n'dry to blend it in followed by some Micromeshing.  

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