Merlin Magic

[Martin H]

For those who have been following Thorvic's blog, you will know he has been working on the Westland/Augusta EH101 Heliliner.
He finished it a while ago but has been holding off showing the end result, as I have been working along side Geoff on my own Merlin builds....Yes in pural!

Im posting up first and Geoff will add his Heliliner as well to this thread.  So enjoy the following 


First is a what should have been realy.
The Merlin HAR-5. In full RAF SAR Yellow. This is the Italeri Cormarant kit built OOB with decals robbed from various Seaking sheets. You cant realy see it in the photos but the serial is pinched from a real HC-3.



Next is my own Heliliner. In this case a Bond Helicopters machine operating on the now defunct BP "Jigsaw" oil field SAR contract out of Aberdeen.



This is a hybrid build using in the main part an Italeri VH-71 "Marine one" kit, replacing the tail section for one from an original Italeri HM-1 (ASW) Merlin kit. Unlike Geoffs build, mine does not have airliner seating as she is operating as a SAR bird. She has the same seating lay out as the RCAF Cormarants, just no tail ramp. In reality G-REDO is a Super puma operated by Bond. The decals came from a Print scale Super puna/Cougar sheet.
I will be doing a second Heliliner in due course, a sister ship to G-REDO but is standard Bond Helicopters red and grey, with airliner seating.

Heres a pic of the two SAR birds togeather.


And lastly, what to do with an Italeri Merlin HM-1 kit with no tail section?



Another Hybrid. Using the parts left from the Heliliner build. In this case im calling it a Merlin HM(U)-1. Helicopter-Maritime (Utility). A jack of all trades rather than a specialsed "Pinger" (ASW).
Its basicly a standard HM-1 build but with a ramp. allowing it to function in a transport/utility role as and when needed. Intended for ships that havent got room for more than one of these monsters. Yes the Merlin is a big bugger! Paint job and decals are OOB for the Italeri HM-1 kit. I may arm it later on to add to the confusion............

<edit>images resized......................

[PR19_Kit]

Actually the pics are tiny little squares with crosses in them on this thread, but you're right about them on the 'A little work in progress' thread, they're HUGE! 

Love the idea, and the Merlin HAR-5 looks magnificent in all-over yellow. 

[kitnut617]

I can see the pics in your other thread (although they're so huge the pics are all blurry and are taking forever to open up) but in this thread they're all white squares with black 'no entry' symbols in it/

[Thorvic]

My bit on the Merlin theme is the EH-101 Heliliner intended for passenger services for the North Sea Oil Rig market. Its a cross kit of the US101 kit with the HMA1 tail and sponsons with the interior fitted as per the Prototype with airliner style seating and overhead bins. Completed in Bristows markings in a similar style to the Sikorsky S-92 that's actually used

[Thorvic]

Standard RN ASW Merlin HMA1 - Revell Kit done OOB as a base model against the Projects and Whif's - gotta to do real FAA as well after all don't i 

[Nils]

Wonderfull merlins 

i should really go out and get some of those myself 

[Martin H]

I've resized my pics to make em easier to view.

[Scotaidh]

That no-tail Merlin  has many possibilities, as I'm sure you know.  A NOTAR (NO TAil Rotor) conversion; a pusher-prop conversion, like that one the US Army decided not to use - the Cheyenne, I think it was.  Or just add a conventional tail but upside down; a ducted fan sort of rotor, similar to that of the Gazelle.  You could, if you wanted the work, add a second main rotor above the existing one - call it a collaborative effort with Kamov.   

One crazy thought I just had - a ducted fan on a swivel so it can rotate around the long axis of the tail boom.  Then it could blow to either side, or up or down, or even on a slant ... think of the manouverabilty! 

[Hobbes]

looks like we'll be elbow-deep in helicopters at next year's SMW 

[chrisonord]

Liking these 

[McColm]

Are they all in 1/72 scale?
I had problems fitting the ramp on one of the 1/72 Merlin's. I had an idea to kitbash a Merlin with a Rotodyne, but nothing came of it.
Great work

[NARSES2]

I'm not normally a helicopter fan but it does have some flowing lines. Nice ones lads 

[kitnut617]

 

[Mossie]

I do like those. A lot of legs in the Heliliner, looking forward to seeing more.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

They look really good!