INCOMING - HELICOPTER PARTWORK FEATURES 1:72 SCALE SIKORSKY UH-60L BLACK HAWK

SMN REPORT

“Build up your Chopper Squad” is the rallying call on the sales video for this latest UK partwork release, Part 1 available now. And it looks an interesting buy for helo fans, as there’s a 1:72 scale model included with every issue.

First issue

As usual with partwork publications, the first issue is a heavily subsidised whammo release, in this case a 16-page full-colour magazine, strapped on to a blockbuster backing board, which also acts as the base for a bubble-pack containing the meat of the business, a metal-and-plastic 1:72 scale helicopter.

Army attacker

In this first issue, the helo of note is a Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk, finished in US Army colours, as flown in the 1991 Operation ‘Desert Storm.’

Assembly in minutes

What’s the model like? Well, it’s an easy build all right, containing the finished fuselage and six extra components in a plastic bag... it feels rather like shades of early Airfix, in fact. Those extras consist of a push-together stand base and arm, plus four rotor blades, with correctly swept tips. These are also push-fit parts, and it’s a pleasure to report that not only did they push with ease, but that the fit was firm and tight when complete. With an eye on non-specialist collectors, the rotors are designed as a one-way fit, for correct rotor assembly. 

Should you buy it?

The result is a fair representation of the real thing, and for a UK price of just £2.99 GBP ($4.80 USD)  HELICOPTER is a must-have, the model looking extremely fine on display. A close look reveals chunky windows, oversized rivets, and fairly crude gun and landing gear assemblies. But no matter - for the price, it’s pretty good, and some subtle airbrush work to add detail and weathering would make all the difference, bringing this UH-60L much more into the realm of ‘scale model’ rather than uber-toy item. 

Benefits of a strongly-built model

Actually, that chunky construction is no bad thing, because it does mean that the 220 mm (8.7 in) diameter rotors are likely to be undamaged in the event of collision with an unwary visitor. I speak with experience here, having had several delicate models wrecked by an attractive but clumsy (where scale miniatures are concerned) girlfriend!

Brains behind the product

We don’t know too much about the publisher, Amermedia, but HELICOPTER is similar to other  'magamodel' products in the line-up, featuring items such as fire engines, classic cars, bombers and fighters, rail locos, construction machinery, even a range of world taxis. Great stuff! We’d hazard a guess that model production comes from China, but the magazine - it comes complete with metal loops for binder fitting - is sourced via Key Publishing, a well known UK aerospace outfit with many magazines and books in its portfolio. 

Illustrations

The gorgeous side-views in HELICOPTER magazine's centre-spread are presumably reprints from other Key publications, but that’s fine - they look good and are well printed. A shame though, that none of the side-views match the colours of the supplied model.

SMN Scoresheet (out of 10)

We’ll give this a 10 for value, 9 for the 16 pages of magazine content, while the model scrapes a 7.5 - but with some work, you could turn it into a decent item. A pity though, that the side doors don’t slide open.

More issues in the pipeline

Accepting that the price will rise, as will availability - these products  last only a few weeks in retail outlets, thereafter being subscription-only items - we’re looking forward to seeing more of the ‘Chopper Squad’ flying in. In the first wave will be Sea King, Chinook and Apache, with items further down the line including Hind, Havoc, Merlin, Iroquois and S-58. A mouthwatering prospect for any helo lover.

HELICOPTER is available through retail outlets or online direct.

If you fancy a bigger UH-60L model kit altogether, then the Academy UH-60L to 1:35 scale could be your thing, and a very fine production it is.

Here's a foreign-language Amermedia site that gives you a good look at other ranges.

2012 INCOMING - MORE FROM ITALERI

SMN report:

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the Eurozone’s finances, the fact is that outfits like Italeri are still producing good stuff, and it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a very interesting year for modelmakers. Here’s the latest batch of goodies from that sun-kissed land of pizza, pasta, luscious ladies, and (oh yes) model kits.

Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter (main pic and above) was a major British success story in the early years of jet age combat. The shapely jet had a similar size and performance envelope as the US F-86 Sabre and Soviet MiG-15, was flown by the air arms of 19 countries, and nearly 2000 were produced. This Italeri release - marketed under licence from Academy - is to a much-needed 1:48 scale, a size that shows off the sleek lines of the original well, and scales out to a fuselage length of some 293 mm (11.5 in).

What singles the kit out are the excellent markings supplied. The kit comes as a ‘Super Decals Sheet’ edition, with accurately-printed markings for no less than six different aircraft, in two Hawker Hunter versions, the F Mk6 or F Mk9.  

MH-53J Stallion

In real life, the Sikorsky MH-53J Stallion is a BIG helicopter. Even to this Italeri kit’s 1:72 scale, the model still scales out to some 284 mm (11.2 in) long. The original was designed as a US Special Forces machine, typically used to take commando units to and from targets deep in enemy-held territory, or for extracting downed aircrews in similar kill-zones.

If you like helicopters, then you’ll love this kit of a supremely useful combat veteran. As for markings, you can go with the ones supplied, or there are many options available. Reference pix are easy to find too - this one shows an MH-53J on a combat exercise, and shows its burly lines off well. 

M109A6 Paladin

The M109 self-propelled artillery gun is one of the most widely used howitzers in the world, and the A6 Paladin (named after the mediaeval knights) is the latest type in service. The six crew handle up to 39 shells for the 155 mm (6 in) calibre gun, which is well reproduced in this kit - though it might be nice for a future edition to have a Dragon-style turned metal barrel - as are the various hatches, accessories, and running gear. Decals for two machines are included, and when assembled, the 1:35 scale Italeri M109A6 is 201 mm (7.91 in) long.

Combat accessories

Useful for anyone into AFVs and military modelmaking, this 1:35 scale set contains more than 90 separate items of equipment, ranging from a single mortar to a dozen individual hand grenades. A boxful of useful stuff indeed - simple in concept and nicely moulded.

Rail station

This is a 1:72 scale building, particularly suitable for aircraft modellers, though it wouldn’t look too wrong in an HO (1:87 scale) layout. It’s conceived as a bomb-damaged diorama piece, hence the hole in the roof, though you could treat that as simple delapidation if a civilian role is more to your taste. When assembled, the station should make a fair rendering of a typical piece of European period architecture. Note that the base shown in the top picture is not included.  

Leonard da Vinci

Lastly, there’s yet another in the seemingly endless line of Leonardo da Vinci designs in kit form. This one is the ‘Spingarda a Mantello’, a mobile cannon with protective cover to you and me. This was a wheeled field cannon to which Leonardo incorporated a built-in shield as useful combat protection for the gunnery crew. 

The Spingarda could fire anything from stones, buckshot and cannonballs, to the armour-piercing arrows or flechettes supplied with the kit. When assembled, the Spingarda measures 280 mm (11 in), which makes the scale around the 1:12 mark.

Pictures courtesy Italeri.

All sorts of Italeri stuff available here.

Lastly, we couldn't resist this night-vision shot of a pair of heavy-metal MH-53J lifting off - IWOOT!