1:32 Pilot seats for Sikorsky UH-60, SH-60, MH-60 late

The front seats of a helicopter of the Black Hawk family

The cabin of the Sikorsky UH-60, SH-60 and MH-60 machines has a separate armored seat for each of the two pilots, guided on vertical rails. They are not mere shells with padding. The design is laid out so that in a hard landing it slides down in a controlled way and absorbs part of the energy by deforming. It is exactly this feature that is among the reasons the type earned its reputation as a machine that brings its crew home even after being hit by fire.

Three letters, three different services

The abbreviation UH marks the army multipurpose version, SH the naval anti-submarine machine handled from the decks of frigates, and MH the versions adapted for special operations and rescue service. The differences between the versions lie rather in the electronics and the armament than in the layout of the front compartment, so one set covers a wide range of kits. The item is listed as the late variant, that is the form of the younger production batches.

What the casting is good for

At this scale the cockpit of a helicopter is clearly visible through the glazing and the open doors, and the seats are the most conspicuous element of the interior. The resin parts carry the texture of the upholstery, the frame and the attachment of the straps in a sharpness that molded plastic cannot reach. Once the casting gates are cut off, it is enough to level the surface with a file; a small bubble in the surface is filled by a drop of cyanoacrylate glue with filler. They are fitted onto the floor before the fuselage is closed up, so check beforehand that a gap is left between the headrest and the ceiling of the cabin.