Italeri's 1/72 scale
Wessex HAS.3

by Anthony Papadis
 

  

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This is the 1/72 Italeri Wessex HAS.3 kit, built to depict 'Humphrey', a Wessex helicopter that served with distinction aboard HMS Antrim during the Falkland Islands war.

I have made many corrections to the kit, the main one involved changing the direction of tail rotor rotation. Italeri basically got the direction wrong.

The tail rotor blades were separated from the hub, pinned and re-attached facing in the opposite direction.

• I also made new weapons pylons and scratchbuilt the Mk.3 Mod 1 depth charges.

• The main gear struts were replaced with metal tubing. The hydraulic lines were added using fine brass wire.

• An Aeroclub white metal 7.62mm GPMG was added to the starboard cabin window, but not before a new barrel, grips,shell bag, ammo tin and pintle were scratch built

• The hovering inflight refuelling panel and its fairing was added using plastic sheet

• The Ron's Resins belly detail set was added

• Various cabling was added to the port fuselage above the cabin windows

• Three gravity re-fueling ports were filled in as these don't belong on the HAS.3

• The engine transmission drain guides were added using plastic sheet

• The rigging was added using Ezy-Line

• The kit antennas were replaced with thinner items using plastic card

• The mouled 'mesh' areas atop the tail were replaced with fine brass mesh

• The rotor head was detailed with fine brass wire

The base was made using a single sheet of .015" plastics sheet that had the deck markings painted masked and sprayed.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Anthony Papadis
Page Created 17 December, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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