GeejeeZ

I also have a 1:48 Mi8 kit. I think it is different than the one mentioned before because it has the square airliner style passenger windows. Too bad I got rid of the box, because it's a very old kit from the pre-Gorbatsjov days (the instructions were still plastered with communist propaganda!).

The BK117 (Bölkow Kawasaki) was developed in the 1970's and was a coorporation between the Messerschmidt-) Bölkow- Blohm factories in Germany and Kawasaki in Japan. As we can all understand, from that moment on, each of these countries has claimed to have made the biggest contribution to the project. This is the reason the machine comes under different names: (Messerschmidt-) Bölkow- Blohm, Kawasaki and even Eurocopter (that has absorbed Messerschmidt- Bölkow-Blohm). The 1:32 Revell BK117 is nearly completely out of production: if you can get your hands on an original one, grab it! The on

Just read on HeliKitNews: the Italeri kit will be rereleased next year by Revell.

Well GiZ, that's the tragedy of it all: :P Apart from two (?) civil prototypes and one machine for the Tokyo Police, the EH101 still hasn't attracted any civil orders! Although the makers hoped that it would find its way to the offshore helicopter operators who need to replace their S61N's, no succes yet... It seems that offshore operators have a preference for the one class smaller machines: AS332 Super Puma, EC225 and the S92. Regards, Gertjan

Very nice work, Merlin! I like the interior! I myself have also built some civil 101's (not prototypes, but what-if-versions). The first one, I did just like you: cut out extra windows in the fuselage-side-parts. Later on I got lazy and decided to make one kit out of two: I needed the civil-tail from the one version and used the fuselage sides with more windows from the other! It's about time somebody started to sell these parts separately! Keep up the good work! Gertjan

Hi Bill, Just like Mungo1974, I think the old 1:48 Esci-kit is good. The 1:48 Italeri-kit is not an Esci-rebox, but has in fact brand new moulds! IMHO this kit is just as good as and in some aspects better than the Esci-one. The engine housing is better 'pronounced' and the doors seem to have a better shape than those on the Esci. If my memory serves me well, Italeri released a version of the kit with the crossed sabres decals, but I might get corrected on this. Anyway: good luck! Gertjan

Hello Liam, Just in case you hadn't noticed already: Whirlybird has some different sets of decals for G-HEMS. And maybe nice to get an idea: Whirlybits has a, 1:72 though- paramedic interior conversion set for G-HEMS. Good Luck! Please share pictures when you're done. Gertjan

Hi John, I built my Italeri AS332 just a while ago and it didn't need a nose weight. Good luck, Gertjan

You're right Stephen, although I'm not sure if the drinking birds are in it <_< The 412 is available in 1:72 (Italeri) and if you can still find it: Revell use to have one (the same moulds), with RAF-decals if my memory serves me well... In 1:48 you'd have to get the Heller/ Italeri UH1N (/Bell 212) and use the Belcher Bits conversion to modify it to a 412. Good Luck, Gertjan

That's right: the CMK-figures are in resin, and resin of a strange quality: CA or regular hobby glue cannot be used on it. I had to use a two component glue to get the parts bond. Besides that: although the CMK figures have a lot of detail, they're actually significantly smaller than the Dragon/ MRC -figures. Good Luck! Gertjan

I second that Tgoetz! Ofcourse: helicopters in general don't get the attention they deserve in the modelling world, but it's even worse when you like civil helicopters . The only chance us civil helo-lovers get, is to "civilize" military models. That is why I was very disappointed when the US selected the US101 as the new presidential transport over the S92; if the Sikorsky had been selected, there might have been a chance that a kit release could have been interesting for a model manufacturer. That way we would have got ourself another civil helo. Glad that Revell still brings out the occ

For an In the box-look at RoG's Ch53 (with newer type rotor blades): http://www.helikitnews.com/issues/hkn151.htm HTH, Regards, Gertjan

<_< Darn those polls!..... But everytime I jump in just in case this time some major model manufacturer reads along, thinking: "My my, this GeejeeZ...That IS a nice list..." :lol: 1:35: OH6/ MD500 (Dragon rerelease) 1: 48: S76 B206L B407 B214ST B412 AB139 EC155 1:72: S92 S61N EC225

Hi Jackman, Serelle is right: the Italeri 212 is a nice model. I also built the Fujimi 212, which has less detail; especially the rotor head is chunkier than Italeri's. If I remember correctly, Fujimi's 212 has the engine sides moulded in one piece with the fuselage and roof sides, where Italeri has seperate engine, fuselage and roof- parts I must say that overall fit was better on the Fujimi: I have had trouble with the Italeri's fit of the roof to the sides of the fuselage. The 212 IS the civil designation of the UH1N. In my Fujimi kit (a VIP-version for the USAF), the small doors in fron

It is a AS355 Twinstar: the twin engined variant of the AS350 Squirrel (or Astar). I don't know of any conversion kit to turn Heller's 1:50 Squirrel into a Twin Star. I would be very interested myself...

The Heller 1:48 Alouette III indeed was closer to 1:40; way too big. I had the Fujimi Danish Navy Alouette. The kit was very basic, but the major shortfall was the cockpit glazing: it is completely flat on top, while the real thing has a more curved upper cabin. Still: I would still love to get my hands on one of those kits! Regards, Gertjan

Sorry for the late reply! About the Ecureuil/ Squirrel: Heller has a nice 1:50 version in Securité Civile livery, as a water bomber. Miku has in 1:72 both the single engined (AS350) and the twin (AS355). Tmho both these kits look like s#@* and it's about time Revell came up with one... Others on my wish list: BV234LR (Civil Chinook) in 1:48 or 1:72 S58T S61N S92 AB139 EC155 Bell214ST (nice one, Alberto!) Bell 430 I'll back Efrain's injection moulded S76 as well! (Legato has a resin '76 planned for this year) Regards, Gertjan

That's right Trevor! Just dug up the kit and checked: it's Hobbycraft and does still have the Airwolf rocket launchers in it.

To add to the former reply: the 222- kit was also seperately released as a civil/ corporate bird. It had red and blue pinstripes. This livery was also included in the Airwolf kit. Regards, Gertjan