**** DONE: GB-37 1/72 Airfix Westland Scout (RAN) - Helicopters / Military a/c of BoB 1940

[parsifal]

Username: Parsifal
Category: Intermediate
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Airfix
Model Type: Westland Scout light utility helo
Aftermarket addons: "Hawkeye" decals to convert to RAN livery, "Airwaves aftermarket interior upgrade including IP on order, awaiting arrival)​

Two light utility helicopters operated from HMAS Moresby, in support other hydrographic operations. The Westland Scout flew from the vessel from 1963 until 1973 until replaced by the Bell 206B (Kiowa). Both aircraft were employed ferrying personnel and equipment between the ship and shore camps.

Some images for this build;

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Nifty looking little beast

 

[Airframes]

Good one Michael.
Always liked the little Scout - had a few trips in them, with my knees in the breeze.
I remember building this kit when it was first released, back in the late 1960's, and it was quite an advanced kit (detail wise) for its day - should turn out well.

 

[Donivanp]

Nice

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice choice.........for a helicopter.

 

[parsifal]

Found a walk around site called 'Grubby Fingers" which I think is really good for details especially for museum a/c. There are also several british based walk arounds as well

Westland AH-1 Scout Walkaround

Westland Scout AH1 (XT626) Walk Around Page 1

I have a bit of a problem in that I'm waiting for the aftermarket "Airwaves" PE pack to arrive . I really cant start the internals really until that arrives. For the moment I will start the engine bay, looking at the detail that will be displayed with the basic kit build and adding scratch built bits and pieces as I am able. I now have received that fine tubing from England, which I should be able to use to simulate some of the engine pipework and some leftover PE parts from the UH-1B build which have a similar look to some of the parts used scouts engine configuration. Anyway, the point is, my starting point for the moment will be some external parts

 

[parsifal]

This is an old kit. The instruction sheet in the intro says that the type was "on order" by Australia....we took delivery of our Scouts in 1963!!!!


Not exactly a glowing review....


"This nifty little compact five/six seat helicopter was the British Army's chief helicopter before being replaced by the larger Westland Lynx. Originally a Saunders-Roe design, the Scout first flew in July 1958, followed by an improved powered version a year later, and the helicopter entered service with the British army in 1963. The Scouts have seen extensive duty over Northern Ireland on anti-terrorists duties and have been used by the Army Air Corps for a variety of uses, almost everything other than heavy lifting. Westland AH.1 Scouts also played a role in the Falklands war, being used as a counter-insurgency supporting weapon and airlifting patrols/casualties. It's primary role is to be a TOW anti-tank combat helicopter, the role which has now been replaced by the Army Lynx. The Scout also has a sister, the Westland Wasp which is used for maritime duties. The most distinctive differences other than torpedoes attached are wheels on the Wasp instead of landing skids, the engine and the omission of a rear stabiliser under the tail rotor. Five countries used the Westland Scout for military use being the UK, Australia, Bahrain, Jordan and Uganda.

The Airfix is quite an old mold and contained bits that would most likely make a completed Wasp version if one chose to, however, I could only see the wheels added and there is a little bit of difference between the two. In any event, I was constructing the Scout version, which is subject to this review. The kit comes in a small box, about the same size as the Boomerang and other small aircraft and you can see why when you open it up. There aren't many parts to this kit and it looks pretty simple. The parts put you off a bit, they are molded in a dark green injected plastic and are up to the quality one would expect of late 70's Airfix kits. Raised panel lines with a reasonable amount of detail.

The cockpit is quite disappointing when you start to assemble the kit, you are given two pilot figures to put on seats attached to a base, with a centreline instrument panel. There are no other added details to speak of such as side panels or rear cabin seats. This is further made annoying by the fact that the interior is easily visible through the top canopy on the completed model.

Construction is extremely fiddly and quite difficult. The helicopter stands at only 5" in length (excluding rotor area), 2" in height (including rotor strut) and less than 2" in width (excluding rotor area), which makes for a very small model. There is nothing wrong with this as such, because the size is accurate but it makes it hard to construct small components like struts and landing skids. Unfortunately Airfix has not made your job any easier. The engine comes in a few parts and the landing skids have to be totally assembled with all the components being separate.

The fits of most parts are terrible, in particular the helicopter's 'back' where the engine sits behind the cockpit and the one-piece canopy unit (which includes front and side floor windows, windscreen, rooftop and rear corner windows). Nevertheless with a lot of patience, a bit of attention and a good swab of putty on hand you can fix it so it looks quite presentable. Curiously all the other larger parts presented no real problems at all. Attention needs to be taken with the rear stabiliser as it is only glued at one point in the centre, underneath the boom and needs quite a bit of care to get it sitting correctly - if you can fix up something to keep it steady, then it will make drying a little less tension inducing. The engine constructs quite nicely to sit on the helicopters back, behind the cockpit, but I would recommend painting both the body and engine before attaching to avoid any nervous breakdown getting it done afterward. There was quite a bit of flash encumbering the engine pieces which required sanding back before commencing assembly.

Both the main and tail rotors sit on spikes - one pointing up and the other pointing out - and in particular for the main rotor it makes it quite attractive and moveable, abling one to spin it around at high speed - great for the kids! The downside of this is that both the mounts are therefore blatently inaccurate (you don't have rotors sitting on spikes!), not to mention them easily coming off and disappearing somewhere in the expansive void of a similarly coloured carpet, only to be stepped on when you think it's landed somewhere else. But it does add another dimension to the attractive little model. These are the only two moveable parts on the model - no doors or windows, for instance, can be left open (not that you would want to given the lack of detail in the cockpit area). I have a few flying shots of 'doorless' Scouts and this would have made for an attractive in-flight alternative with troops peering out but it wasn't to be. The detail revealing the doors are barely visible on the kit's surface anyhow.

Because of all the frustrating corrections and fit problems associated with this model it took some time to complete, but was very attractive once finished. You're given a couple of options for different aircraft and I chose a Royal Army Air Corps chopper XP890 which is in real life an AH.1 variant. Both the model itself and my reference photo of this actual aircraft lack the pylons and roof sight for missiles that an actual AH.1 would have. Of course, the real life example would have had these fitted later as the shot was taken in about 1978!

Overall, accuracy can only be awarded an average at best. While the helicopter is quite clearly a Scout, a number of small imperfections make it an undesirable kit for those who like exact replications of the real thing. The engine is mounted too high on its back in proportion to it's size and compared with reference photos. A number of small details (like door handles, fairings and panel lines) are omitted - not to mention the rotor mounts and inadequate cockpit area as touched on above. You would have to say that this kit is really one for the kids and those just learning to make models, except the fit problems I encountered are only suited to at least those of intermediate modelling skills! You will have to make your own mind up on this one, I'd personally look elsewhere for a better replication of this attractive little helicopter and given that Airfix obviously use the same mold for their Wasp you wouldn't expect much better in that offering either."


Airfix 1/72 Westland Scout


Personally I think this review is a bit too critical. Ive started to assemble the engine. I have some accuracy concerns, but the fit so far is pretty good. The critical point will come with the canopy I think.

 

[Wayne Little]

Neat little bird Michael.

 

[parsifal]

Thanks everyone


Ive started to do some basic assembly and carried out some dry fitting of the model to see just how bad the fit issues actually might be,

I think there will be some fit issues with the clear parts, particularly at the front. But solvable just the same.

I have work out a way of making the air intake and the ducting underneath and behind the air intake. Ive purchased some microfine metal gauze / mesh for the front but Ive yet to work out a way to make the box and the ducting, and make it look convincing.


This might be harder than I thought

 

[Wurger]

 

[Donivanp]

sounds like a job. looking forward to it.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Michael.
I wouild guess that the moulds have suffered a bit over the past 50+ years, so some fit problems are to be expected.
I agree that the review is a little too critical, allowing for the age of this kit. It's a long time ago since i built this kit, probably around 1965, but I still remember the fit being good, and the detail, for that era, being one of the best I had seen up to that point, this being one of the 'new generation' of Airfix kits, with more overall finesse than their original 1950s kits.
Of course, by today's standards, it's probably a bit basic and somewhat crude in some detail areas, but a good basic kit just the same.

 

[parsifal]

Its certainly an old kit, verging on the antique, but is not going to go together easily. I have to try and do something about the lack of detail, and in some instances the straight up errors. The plastic used in the kit is somewhat brittle, making handling of the kit delicate

I wanted to build this aircraft because it was part of the RAN FAA. Ive only ever seen it flying once but some of the older guys I knew did talk about the aircraft sometimes. To me its one of the unsung heroes. it played a useful role in the Falklands, and it was used fairly effectively by the RNZN aboard their type 12s.

 

[mikewint]

Neat little helo...in 1/72!!! You must have a set of micro-Waldoes and the eyes of a eagle

 

[parsifal]

Referring to photo 10 with that enormous "air filter" thingy hanging off the one ex-RAN example still in existence, I am now at a loss as to how the FAA museum came to the conclusion that S/N 101 flew operationally with that contraption.

Ive fashioned two boxes that don't look too bad, and assumed that the the FAA image is accurate as a period reference for the early 1970's which is approximately the time frame of the configuration for this aircraft that I want to depict. But as the following period shot shows (taken I believe circa 1971), there is no evidence that the aircraft carried that air filter thingy at all at that time. Ive sourced other photos of this aircraft, from circa 1968 through to 1988 and none of them show this filter fitted.

I'm unsure now whether to include the assembly or not, but am inclined to not include it now.

 

[fubar57]

Sounds good

 

[Crimea_River]

 

[Donivanp]

I know little to nothing on the subject, but might the "air filter" be an Australian adaptation for desert area? I've been to Darwin but never to Alice Springs area. Just a thought that it might be only used in certain areas.

 

[parsifal]

ive sent an email message to the RANs fleet air Arm museum, asking them to clarify the issue. See what arises from that request.....