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Italeri's Merlin HMA.1


Graham

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Hi guys after spending a lot of hours building my Mosquito my youngest has demanded that I now help him with his model kit, he has the above mentioned kit and are there any online builds as I can't find any. I am a jet and prop man so helicopters are usually not my thing but it looks a nice kit and it will be finished as a SAR as yellow is his favourite colour.

Cheers

Graham.

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It goes together quite well except for a few things to look out for.

Attach the tail boom halfs to the relevant cabin side halfs so that you make two long sides up. And then attach the two full length side together, therefore any fit problems can be filled top and bottom where there is no detail to rub off.

The second thing is the side panels to the cabin. They need to be dry fitted and packed with bits of plastic card so that they fit flush.

Yellow eh...... :hmmm:

here are some pics

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PICT0071.jpg

PICT0069.jpg

PICT0070.jpg

PICT0072.jpg

Edited by palacefan
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Graham,

I've done a couple of these, one as a Merlin HAS1 and another as a Cormorant SAR aircraft (which is nearer to what you intend, although it has the tail ramp).

They do go together very well, without any major problems. For the SAR aircraft you can go to town on detailing the interior (stretchers, boxes, blankets etc etc); try Westland Agusta's website for interior layouts.

For a build article, this one is good:link to Designer Models EH101

..... and here are some piccies of mine:

Fred's helicopters

Edited by gengriz
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Thanks for the info guys and great pics, I can use some artistic license here, as my son isn't bothered about the internals it just has to be yellow. It does look a nice kit and with some of the pictures posted I might have to get myself one.

Cheers

Graham.

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nice shots Wayne,

Ed

Thanks Ed, they were taken at Yeovilton last year. One thing to note is the new D module, probably due to the corrosion/fatigue problems they had a while back.

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  • 1 year later...

Are there any good interior pics available? I´d like to build a detailed HM1 (with some help of Eduard.cz) and already searched:

- B-Domke

- ARC

- Primeportal

Im looking for the sonar-console, the walkway between cockpit and cabin and the backwall of the cockpit.

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I think I've just worked out what he's talking about - the new tail cone. We have been replacing them over the past couple of years due to corrosion at the tail fold bulkhead. You can make out the different newer coloured tail cone in one of the pictures above.

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I think I've just worked out what he's talking about - the new tail cone. We have been replacing them over the past couple of years due to corrosion at the tail fold bulkhead. You can make out the different newer coloured tail cone in one of the pictures above.

we fitted the new tail pylon to that aircraft a few years back and the paint shop never bothered to re-paint the tiger stripes on...... as pinky says, theres quite a few Mk1's knocking around now with freshly painted tail pylons compared to the rest of the airframe.

the Italeri/Revell Merlins are really nice, it's a shame that the Mk3 kit seems to have been discontinued now. i built a trio of them a year or so ago straight from the box, but they could benifit from a good detailing

STA70642.jpg

STA70643.jpg

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I've got a pile of these in the stash and one is being built. One thing to note on the Cormorant, it should have twin main wheels like the HC.3. The Marine One version has the same problem.

And yes the Revell kit is the Italeri kit just with extra bits to make the HC.3

This might be interesting to some, it's a what-if I'm doing, I call it the EH-101 AWAC Petrel. It will have Canadian markings and it's nearly finished.

EH-101PetrelExterior028.jpg

EH-101PetrelExterior029.jpg

EH-101PetrelExterior021.jpg

Robert

Edited by kitnut617
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Basically yes, but decals are better in the Revell boxing's. Latest Italeri boxing of the RN version is Revell kit, unfortunately the decals are poor. All the AW101 models have basic same sprue's (Cormorant, VH-71 & HM MK1) with additions where required.

Dave

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It goes together quite well except for a few things to look out for.

Attach the tail boom halfs to the relevant cabin side halfs so that you make two long sides up. And then attach the two full length side together, therefore any fit problems can be filled top and bottom where there is no detail to rub off.

The second thing is the side panels to the cabin. They need to be dry fitted and packed with bits of plastic card so that they fit flush.

Agree the warning about the side panels. I've got it wrong twice now. Take no chances.

Nick

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Takamota, that looks great. i love the weathering.

just a couple of small detail points from a Merlin qualified techie though....... Merlin main and tail blades are dark green on all marks of the aircraft, the mains having natural metal leading edges, the BAU (the small radome shaped 'black box' just above the trailing edge of the port sponson) should be black, and the cockpit eyebrow windows should be tinted. i hope you don't mind me pointing these out, the kit instructions are a little inaccurate when it comes to some detail painting. :)

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I finished one tonight. Click here Went together really well with no real problems.

Great build!

...and the cockpit eyebrow windows should be tinted...

Grey or green?

The Italeri HMA kit has a couple of refinements on the Revll issue - an ideal would be the Italeri kit and the Revell decals

What are those refinements? I searched the web but I didn´t find a list of what are the differences.

And still: If there are any interior-pictures available, I´d be more than just happy.

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nnnnoooooo

must not add to the stash

lovely work Tom and robert

i can see me having to do a RN Merlin sometime- love the beauty of it :wub:

never knew hich kit was best to get

the Italeri kit is the only one which will build into a Naval Merlin, the Revell kit is the mk3 utility

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