RAF Puma HAR.2

[Mossie]

Here's my first project for the SMW RAF 100 theme, a RAF Cougar.  My backstory is that after the 1991 Gulf War, the RAF saw an urgent need to uprgade it's Puma workhorse.  After talks with Aerospatiale/Eurocopter, Westland was selected as the prime contractor to upgrade the existing Puma fleet to Cougar standard.  These aircraft would replace the Sea King & Puma in RAF service & would be known as Puma HAR.2 & Puma HC.3 respectively.  My feeling is that the poor old knackered Puma (some airframes are nearly forty years old) really deserves a major upgrade in it's life time!  At least in whiff world, we can do what should really have happened.

The kit I'm using is the Italeri 1/72 AS-532 Cougar/Super Puma.  The focus of my build is the Puma HAR.2, slated to replace the RAF's SAR Sea Kings.  I've worked a SAR Puma into my back story purely so I can put it in a RAF scheme that has never been see on the Puma before.  To represent a SAR helicopter, I've added some details to the interior & I may add a couple of extenal details too to reflect a Westland built version of the Puma.

[Captain Canada]

Mmmm....sounds tasty ! Give us some pics already, eh ? That's one kit I've never seen, and would like to have a look at.

[Mossie]

Right away Cap'n!!!  Interior shots:


Cockpit & forward cabin.  I tried to represent the green glow seen on most Cougar instument panels by drybrushing a green over the dials.  Didn't really work, I'd have been better off doing the reverse & brushing black over green, I'm not too worried as I've now realised it won't show too well through the glazing anyway.  The two jump seats are from an Airfix Gazelle (I've modified one into the stowed position), the other items in this shot are all troop equipment from the Tamyia 1/48 Panzergrenadier set!  The two slings are modified from the same parts that supplied the kitbag in the middle.  The sack on the right is one of the helmets supplied in the kit!


Cockpit from the front.  Seatbelts are made from masking tape & the fire extinguisher is a tip from a shell from the Hasegawa 1/72 88mm gun kit, with a piece of shaped sprue for the trigger.


Left side of the cabin interior.  Again, all the equipment parts are from the Panzergrenadier set.  The floor is painted blue to represent a nice wipe-clean vinyl flooring, apparently good for getting rid of blood & such!    Unfortunately, despite three coats of Klear, I still managed to fog the clear parts.


Right side of the cabin interior, showing the engine gubbins as well.  Equipment I haven't already mentioned is a the stashed cradle made from a bomb rack from the Hasegawa 1/48 Luftwaffe weapons set, bench seats from the Airfix 1/72 Navy Lynx.  The 'big yellow tube thingmy' near is made from Milliput, it's present on most SAR helicopters civil or military & I believe it's an inflatable life raft, although I'm not sure!

[Captain Canada]

Now I feel better....thank you ! It looka alot like a 101 from the top view. Love all the little bits you're adding....very cool !

[Mossie]

Thanks Todd!  This kit is a good 'un & is pretty much in line with most of Italeri's helicopter kits in recent years.  It's good overall, with a few minor points that aren't quite right, but you can live with.  The main thing I think I'm going to have to do something about is the appetures for the exhaust in the fuselage, they're huge.  You can see right in there, which you can't on a real Cougar & it's driving me a bit nuts!  There's another thing which is a problem on my own particular kit & shouldn't be a problem on any others as it seems like a moulding defect, but it  there is a small chunk out of the clear cockpit part, I'll have to rectify that somehow.

The Italeri version is OOP at the mo, but you can still find it pretty easily.  The re-boxed Revell version should be more easilly picked up right now.  The CAF doesn't operate the Cougar, does it? 

[LemonJello]

Very cool, great details, too!

[Jschmus]

That reminds me.  Now that I've got the work space, there's no reason I shouldn't finish my USMC Cougar, from last year's Secret Santa.  Maybe after I finish this year's currently on the bench.

[Spey_Phantom]

what an intereisting idea, and very plausible. im llooking forward to see it finished 

[Weaver]

Mossie - do you want the winch off my AB-204? Not sure if either the type or the quality is what you want, but I have no use for it (my SAR Flying Saucer has an internal winch, and I doubt I'll get time to model the interior).

[John Howling Mouse]

Wow, great detail work!  I've got this ugly little helo I could send your way for cabin refurbishment...   

[Brian da Basher]

That's some totally ace detail work there Mossie! I'm always impressed with folks who have the talent and patience for it! Excellent!

Brian da Basher

[Mossie]

Thank you guys!  It's pure fantasy on my part, but plausible enough that I'm sure someone somewhere must have proposed a Puma upgrade at sometime.

Weaver, thanks for the offer, but I've got a few kits with winches in that should do, including that AB-204!  Cheers!

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Now that is looking good, Simon. Is there a roof section for the cab ??

Ian

[Mossie]

Thanks Ian!  There's no detail for the cab roof, I might add a panel if I can find something in the spares box, but I'm not too worried as you'd have to turn the model over to see it.  Eduard don't even include an instrument panel in their etched set, I'm prusuming because it won't be very visible.

[Captain Canada]

The CAF doesn't operate the Cougar, does it? 

Not yet....but I think they will once I enact my plan to bring the airlines etc. under CAF control during emegencies !