1:48 Westland Sea King HU.5 LooK

The Westland Sea King HU.5 LooK set in 1:48 scale

An accessory from the Czech maker Eduard in 1:48 scale. The LooK line is built around a ready resin instrument panel with a faithful rendering of the dial faces, which the modeler fits into the cockpit in place of the plastic part from the kit. It is not a kit of the helicopter and not a conversion set for the fuselage, but a targeted intervention in the pilot's compartment, which is visible on the model through the glazing.

The real subject

The Westland Sea King is the British license-built variant of the American Sikorsky S-61, reworked for the needs of the Royal Navy and fitted with Rolls-Royce Gnome turbines. The designation HU.5 was carried by machines adapted for general utility and rescue duties, that is for transport, support of landing parties and search for survivors, unlike the anti-submarine versions they grew out of. The Sea King stayed in British service exceptionally long and in the role of a rescue helicopter it became almost an icon.

Working with the set

• Wash the resin parts in lukewarm soapy water before painting, because any mold release residue stops the paint from sticking.
• Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a sharp blade and level the area with a file.
• When sanding resin, protect your airways and work with extraction or wet.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue and dry-fit the mating surface first.

Who the set is for

The set is intended for modelers who build helicopters in 1:48 scale and want a faithful instrument panel without the laborious painting of individual dial faces. It is a quick way to move the visible part of a model on, and it suits less demanding builds as well.