Kaman UH-2A/B Seasprite
plus Three Aftermarket Detail Sets

Clear Prop, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by John Miller

Background:

The Kaman SH-2 Seasprite is a ship-based helicopter originally developed and produced by the Kaman Aircraft Corporation. It has been typically used as a compact and fast-moving rotorcraft for utility and anti-submarine warfare missions.
 
Development of the Seasprite had been initiated during the late 1950s in response to a request from the United States Navy, calling for a suitably fast and compact naval helicopter for utility missions. Kaman's submission, internally designated as the K-20, was favourably evaluated, leading to the issuing of a contract for the construction of four prototypes and an initial batch of 12 production helicopters, designated as the HU2K-1. Under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system, the HU2K was re-designated H-2, the HU2K-1 becoming the UH-2A. Beyond the U.S. Navy, the company had also made efforts to acquire other customers for export sales, in particular the Royal Canadian Navy; however, the initial interest of the Canadians was quelled as a result of Kaman's demand for price increases and the Seasprite performing below company projections during its sea trials. Due to its unsatisfactory performance, from 1968 onwards, the U.S. Navy's existing UH-2s were remanufactured from their originally-delivered single-engine arrangement to a more powerful twin-engine configuration.

Edited from Wikipedia

I’ve been very impressed with all of the recent Clear Prop kits but this Seasprite is a beautiful piece of work and a cut above most of their releases. Although this is a limited production kit, little extra effort will be required to deal with flash and parts clean up. Similarly, after testing fitting a few of the larger components, I suspect little trial and error when it comes to the overall fit of the model. The surface details are particularly crisp and scale appropriate.

This is a beautiful kit.

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Thumbnail panels:

Parts layout and engineering are conventional suggesting this will be a straightforward build. As usual, assembly begins with the cockpit, particularly the seats where PE harnesses and side panels augment the styrene components.

The main, overhead, and side panels are provided on the nicely printed decals. In addition to the nicely detailed cockpit and cabin is the beautifully inscribed cabin floor, which can be made visible through the posable side door. 

The completed cockpit/cabin is captured between fuselage halves thence the belly and dorsal sections are added.

The exhaust and upper engine section, composed of halves, are next in sequence. The surface detail on these parts is beautifully done and will look awesome under paint and wash. The completed engine section is then added to the fuselage followed by the small rear vertical, which is composed of halves. Like the engine section, the surface details on the aft portion of the fuselage are beautifully rendered.  

Next up is the surprisingly complicated main gear; each comprised of 7 parts. The fuselage is largely complete with the addition of the two-piece nose.

The windscreen and window/door parts are clear and nicely molded with scale-appropriate faming.

The main rotor head is amazingly detailed; the result of incorporating multiple PE parts. As an example, each blade utilizes 8 parts where it joins to the rotor head. This assembly will look stunning when complete. In contrast, the tail rotor is composed of just one nicely molded part and one piece of PE.

Markings

The decals, by Decograph, are well printed with good registration and color density.

Airframe stencil data and markings for four airframes are provided as follows:

• UH-2A (Bu.No. 149744), USS Oriskany, 1968.

• UH-2A (Bu.No. 149764), NAS Atsugi, 1967.

• UH-2B (Bu.No. 150146), USS Catskill, 1968.

• UH-2B (Bu.No. 150154), NAS Atsugi, 1965.

The following detail sets for this kit are also available from Clear Prop:

72015 Die-Cut Masks

72021 Resin Exhaust

72016 Resin Wheels

This is a beautiful kit without the aftermarket detail sets. The plastic parts feature beautifully recessed details with little-to-no flash, the windscreen/window parts are clear and nicely molded, and the level of detail provided in the cockpit/cabin is amazing. Ditto that for the detail on the main rotor head assembly. The Seasprite may not be as well known as the Sea King but this kit certainly does the type justice. I see no issues lying in wait other than a beautifully detailed model of a lesser-known but historically significant aircraft. Well done, Clear Prop; Keep ‘em coming. 

Highly Recommended!

For more on this review visit Modelpaintsolutions.com.

Review kit provided by my retirement fund; yes, again.

Text and Images Copyright © 2021 by John Miller
Page Created 13 May, 2021
Last updated 14 May, 2021

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