Sikorsky S-58 and Westland Wessex

[ysi_maniac]

[PR19_Kit]

Now that's different.................... 

[Weaver]

Okay well now that Airfix's new-tool Wessex HC.2 is out, what do we actually do with them?

I've got a pair of RN-style weapons plates (never used by the RAF as far as I know) on the way from Air Vector Graphics with the intention of putting them on an RAF machine in Oman in the early 1970s. There really was a Wessex detachement there, but they only did transport, FAC and somewhat mad "drawing fire" missions*  .

The pylons have AS.11 and 68mm rocket pods underneath and, IIRC, a .30 cal Browning on top, although the picture on the AVG webpage isn't clear enough to see if that's included. Perfect for taking out rebel DShK positions on mountain tops...

*This involved flying down a valley full of known hostiles, at night, with all the lights on, in order to draw fire. Strikemasters, orbiting above and unseen in the darkness, could then spot the muzzle flashes, dive down and rocket them into the next world...

[Mossie]

I wasn't aware of that, thanks. 

Found some pics of several tooled up Wessex variants.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/british-armed-helicopters.8808/

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[Mossie]

And another interesting one from the same thread of a Wessex armed with a WE.177 nuclear depth charge.

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[Mossie]

One thing I've always found interesting is that while the Wessex was turbine powered, the H-34 was piston powered. An S-58T in US service would be a good whiff.

Air-craft models do an S-58T conversion:
https://www.air-craftmodels.com/product-page/aca72118-sikorsky-s-58et-klm-helikopters-resin-conversion-set-1-72nd

[Weaver]

Thanks for the pics: they're much clearer than the Air Vectors one.

The rockets on the Navy Wessexes are probably 2" (51mm) Microcell ones, as used in the three-ring MATRA-ish pods that the FAA used on fast jets. Since mine'll be RAF, I'll probably swap them for actual MATRA 68mm SNEB pods. 18-round type 155 pods (the normal RAF fast jet type) might be a bit much given the hot'n'high conditions in Oman, but I've got some of the little 6-round F2 pods that CMK make. They were definitely in British service because some AAC Gazelles used them in the Falklands.

I'll keep the 2" pods from the Air Vectors set for when I can get a Wasp...

The other Air Vectors set has the same weapon "planks" (can't call them "wings": they're just flat plates), but with two AS-11 and two of the bigger AS-12 missiles. An RN Wessex used AS-12s to try to take out the Argentine leadership on the islands at the end of the Falklands War, but Sod's Law, they were late for their regular meeting that day, so the missiles just took the roof off an empty building.

[Thorvic]

You could probably use the door gun from the Seaking HC4 Commando in the door of the wessex, as you cant take out the window frame on the HC2 as the Junglies could with their larger windows.

The Air Graphics set is a resin version of the ones that used to be on Shapeways, which in turn was based on the Airwaves set, so should be OK and will look the part on an Omani based unit, coud do with a pink panther to go with it 

[Weaver]

One thing I've always found interesting is that while the Wessex was turbine powered, the H-34 was piston powered. An S-58T in US service would be a good whiff.

Air-craft models do an S-58T conversion:
https://www.air-craftmodels.com/product-page/aca72118-sikorsky-s-58et-klm-helikopters-resin-conversion-set-1-72nd

Because the movie Full Metal Jacket was filmed in the UK, the piston-engined USMC "UH-34D Choctaws" were actually played by rented Wessex 60s, which were the civilian equivalent of the HC.2. That means you could paint a Wessex model up in USMC colours and it wouldn't even be a whiff, just a movie prop. However that opens the door to other what-if movie schemes where a Wessex stands in for an H-34. For instance, you could do one in VH-34D Marine colours as the president's helicopter, or paint one in French colours for a movie set during the Algerian War.

That's an awfully interesting site by the way - I can see myself spending some money there...

[jcf]

T58 engined S-58/HSS-1, first flight 30 January 1957. 
Gazelle engined Wessex, first flight 17 May 1957.
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[jcf]

One thing I've always found interesting is that while the Wessex was turbine powered, the H-34 was piston powered. An S-58T in US service would be a good whiff.

Air-craft models do an S-58T conversion:
https://www.air-craftmodels.com/product-page/aca72118-sikorsky-s-58et-klm-helikopters-resin-conversion-set-1-72nd

Because the movie Full Metal Jacket was filmed in the UK, the piston-engined USMC "UH-34D Choctaws" were actually played by rented Wessex 60s, which were the civilian equivalent of the HC.2. That means you could paint a Wessex model up in USMC colours and it wouldn't even be a whiff, just a movie prop. However that opens the door to other what-if movie schemes where a Wessex stands in for an H-34. For instance, you could do one in VH-34D Marine colours as the president's helicopter, or paint one in French colours for a movie set during the Algerian War.

That's an awfully interesting site by the way - I can see myself spending some money there...

Really mess with people and paint up an S-58/H-34 as a Wessex.


But however one builds an S-58/Wessex it's important to get the colours exact as
the services were sticklers about paint matching.
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[Weaver]

One thing I've always found interesting is that while the Wessex was turbine powered, the H-34 was piston powered. An S-58T in US service would be a good whiff.

Air-craft models do an S-58T conversion:
https://www.air-craftmodels.com/product-page/aca72118-sikorsky-s-58et-klm-helikopters-resin-conversion-set-1-72nd

Because the movie Full Metal Jacket was filmed in the UK, the piston-engined USMC "UH-34D Choctaws" were actually played by rented Wessex 60s, which were the civilian equivalent of the HC.2. That means you could paint a Wessex model up in USMC colours and it wouldn't even be a whiff, just a movie prop. However that opens the door to other what-if movie schemes where a Wessex stands in for an H-34. For instance, you could do one in VH-34D Marine colours as the president's helicopter, or paint one in French colours for a movie set during the Algerian War.

That's an awfully interesting site by the way - I can see myself spending some money there...

Really mess with people and paint up an S-58/H-34 as a Wessex.


But however one builds an S-58/Wessex it's important to get the colours exact as
the services were sticklers about paint matching.

Yes I always find it amusing to watch the Colour Police start twitching when you show them pics of how rough some D-Day invasion stripes actually were, or C.J.Heatley's pic of a deck full of A-7s, every single one of which has a different combination of warning markings, radome paint and anti-glare panel design...

That's a good idea about painting an H-34 to play a Wessex. You could have an S-58T playing a Wessex in a US-made movie about the Falklands War, for example. Just nick the markings from the donor Italeri FAA boxing, and make a tail-boom "radome" that's very obviously a cut-down plastic waste bin...

[NARSES2]

An RN Wessex used AS-12s to try to take out the Argentine leadership on the islands at the end of the Falklands War, but Sod's Law, they were late for their regular meeting that day, so the missiles just took the roof off an empty building.

Put the wind up them though. Probably helped with the decision to surrender

[Weaver]

You could probably use the door gun from the Seaking HC4 Commando in the door of the wessex, as you cant take out the window frame on the HC2 as the Junglies could with their larger windows.

The Air Graphics set is a resin version of the ones that used to be on Shapeways, which in turn was based on the Airwaves set, so should be OK and will look the part on an Omani based unit, coud do with a pink panther to go with it 

S&S Models do a Pink Panther in resin and white metal, with three crew figures, for £15. That used to look expensive but compared to new kit prices these days...

Link: https://sandsmodels.com/product/109in-sas-pink-panther/

[PR19_Kit]

S&S Models do a Pink Panther in resin and white metal, with three crew figures, for £15. That used to look expensive but compared to new kit prices these days...

They're almost giving it away!