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Westland Sioux Helicopter


dwh

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I have a model of the Bell AH.1 / AB-47 helo by Italeri, is it suitable for making the RAF version as used by CFS in the dayglo red scheme.

I have heard that the plexiglass dome is the wrong shape?

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There are I believe that there were 3 diiferent shaped bubbles for the 47G-B3.

I think that this to do with where they were built. USA (Bell), Italy (Augusta) or UK (Westland).

If you have the 1/72 version which I am currently building, the following may be of use.

You need to make sure you use the correct fuel tanks and I am not sure of the avionic fit of the CFS cabs, but the full width radio box was not used on UK fits, there is a platform on the top of the framework and HC1 (Army) had two covers on this, one for the UHF radio and one for the Tactical VHF. CFS may have used Tactical VHF in the HT2 but someone else may have the answer.

Regards

Keith

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I remember talking about this a while ago on the now defunct Heli kit forum

Still some good links there though

Here

Some of the links from here don't seem to work any more, but you can get the gist...

The Flying Marines link is good..

As far as I know, their are no after market sets.

I have both Italeri and Ecostil (or something like that) Sioux in 48th in the stash, I'll dig them out and see if the non Uteri has the larger bubble....

Sorry messed the link up.. fixed now though..

Edited by OzH
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Hi Guy's,I don't think there are any wrong shaped bubbles on any of the Bell 47 Sioux kits, they are all US pattern bubbles ie, not as tall as those built by Westlands for home or export use. There are as yet no aftermarket bubbles for the UK pattern 47's, I have however passed over to Ali at A2zee the master for both scales for the Italeri kits with corrected cockpit tubs.

To distinguish a UK pattern bubble from the US look at a front on shot and the UK pattern bubble has a higher profile, more egg shaped.

I hope this is of some use to you all.

Regards Colin @ ROTORcraft

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Hi Colin, good to hear from you...

I remember you talking about having a pattern for the UK Sioux a while back, good to hear its on its way...

on a side note...

How's the HC2 nose coming along?

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Managed to dig out the other kit that I have for the Sioux, Esoteric is the manufacturer... I knew it was summet like that!

Some pictures below

Box top

Sioux004.jpg

Instructions and Decals - even though their is the Army Air Corps version in the decal sheet, their are no differentiating features picked out in the instructions...

Sioux005.jpg

The kit - even some coloured resin for the navigation lights

Sioux007.jpg

Sioux006.jpg

And a comparison of the canopies with the Italeri kit. Not a huge amount of difference, but I think the vac formed one could be the better option for the UK versions...

Sioux002.jpg

Best wait for Colin's kit to be released by Ali...... no hint...!

And...

A couple of shots of the Sioux at Middle Wallop and Weston-super-mare showing the hight of the bubble...

Picture427.jpg

P8080025.jpg

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Hi Colin, good to hear from you...

I remember you talking about having a pattern for the UK Sioux a while back, good to hear its on its way...

on a side note...

How's the HC2 nose coming along?

Hi Oz, The HC.2 nose and goodies are all but done, the decals were printed ages ago along with other kits in Ali's range. He posted me a set a couple of months ago, they look superb. Al the parts are with Ali now, for my part I have the instructions to prepare unless you guys think they are unnecessary!

To come shortly before or aft, we haven't worked out the release dates is the Wessex 1 Prototype. I released it over 8 years ago but was never totally happy with the parts. I've added some PE and the new u/c parts from the HC2,and a decal sheet, so now it looks a whole lot better.

Colin

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I don't 'spose there any decals for RNZAF Siouxs among them are there? (he says hopefully). I've the most recent Italeri kit for the Augusta Bell 47-g & after reading this thread I'm hoping its the right version now. :unsure: I have read that the RNZAFs ones, the last ones anyway, were AB models rather than Bell or Westland, but don't know much about them.

Steve.

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Looking at the first photo the CFS machines didn't have the Dipole aerials on the tail boom like the Army a/c's did but they do have an extra blade aerial on a smaller disc in front of the standard type also they didn't have the whip aerial at the rear of the tail boom.

Steve

5428393075_f8e3015d8b_o.jpg

1210950.jpg

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Looking at the first photo the CFS machines didn't have the Dipole aerials on the tail boom like the Army a/c's did but they do have an extra blade aerial on a smaller disc in front of the standard type also they didn't have the whip aerial at the rear of the tail boom.

The aerials were for the tactical radio, but I noticed that the second cover is on the avionic deck, presumably for a second UHF radio to go with the second UHF blade aerial.

Keith

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I've since been studying the second photo more closely and it looks like the second/front disc on the tail boom has a thin short yellow aerial (about a foot long) mounted on it which I've seen on fixed wing RAF a/c of that period.

Steve

A1-1.jpg

Edited by worm
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I've since been studying the second photo more closely and it looks like the second/front disc on the tail boom has a thin short yellow aerial (about a foot long) mounted on it which I've seen on fixed wing RAF a/c of that period.

Steve

Thats a VHF aerial, which means they didn't use the Army fit of an STR37 on top of the instrument panel and an aerial on the back of the radio. Methinks a VHF set with a bit more poke or an older one on the avionic deck.

Keith

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Looking at the first photo the CFS machines didn't have the Dipole aerials on the tail boom like the Army a/c's did but they do have an extra blade aerial on a smaller disc in front of the standard type also they didn't have the whip aerial at the rear of the tail boom.

Steve

5428393075_f8e3015d8b_o.jpg

1210950.jpg

Is that b&w taken at Ternhill by anychance?

Mark

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Hi Mark

I think it was.

Steve

I thought it looked like the far side of Ternhill looking from the tower Steve.

The first airshows I ever went to were at Ternhill in the late '60's and I've spent

many a happy hour there on summer Sundays watching the gliders from that

far side.

Cheers Steve.

Mark

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Hello All

Are there any Sioux kits in 1/32 or 1/35 other than the Revell H-13?

Hi Tony

Academy do a Bell 47D but it has a saddle tank, so it would take a lot of scratching to turn it int a Sioux

Keith

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Two things you would have to do to convert the 47D to a 47G-3B-1 as well as the fuel tanks is lengthen the tail boom and increase the rotor diameter.

Steve

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Two things you would have to do to convert the 47D to a 47G-3B-1 as well as the fuel tanks is lengthen the tail boom and increase the rotor diameter.

Steve

Indeed so. I'd forgotten about that. :dunce:

Keith

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  • 2 weeks later...
There are I believe that there were 3 diiferent shaped bubbles for the 47G-B3.

I think that this to do with where they were built. USA (Bell), Italy (Augusta) or UK (Westland).

If you have the 1/72 version which I am currently building, the following may be of use.

You need to make sure you use the correct fuel tanks and I am not sure of the avionic fit of the CFS cabs, but the full width radio box was not used on UK fits, there is a platform on the top of the framework and HC1 (Army) had two covers on this, one for the UHF radio and one for the Tactical VHF. CFS may have used Tactical VHF in the HT2 but someone else may have the answer.

Regards

Keith

Don't get too worked up over the canopy shape. I saw two side by side today with different shaped canopies, one having a more pronounced hump than the other. I believe this is due to the manurfacturing process. I believe a sheet of perspex is clamped in a frame, heated, then blown with hot air rather than being formed in a precise, solid mould. This would explain variations in canopy shapes between different aircraft. Hope this helps.

Edited by Phil Ogden
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  • 2 years later...

Hello there... Sorry to resurrect an old thread but could someone please tell be how far the doors opened out on a Westland Sioux AH-1. Do they open out perpendicular to the canopy or do they open out and forward similar to a gazelle?

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks in advance for any help

Edited by milktrip
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