AS 532 U2 Cougar
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Cougar model in 1/32 scale
Matchbox / Revell Puma Helicopter Conversion
The Cougar vertical tail is much larger than that of the Puma. The chord was extended aft (about 3 mm), bulged fairings were added made from card and Milliput. There is also a large ventral fin and this was made from card. (note: you should account for this when estimating the overall fuselage length)
The Cougar tail rotor has only four
blades. Using 4 out of the 5 Puma blades , it can be made with some reshaping.
As the tailrotor diameter is 15 cm larger than on a Puma (= 5 mm in 1/32
scale) , this was achieved through the rotorhub. Also, from an old tank
from the spares box, the conical fairing was made.
Also, the horizontal stabilizer of the Cougar got an "reversed slat". Made from card and strip, this was added to the kit's stabilizer.
The lower side of the tailboom of
the Dutch Cougar has various antennas and smaller fairings. These were
made from card and some putty.
Fairings & floating gear
The Dutch Cougars have inter-changeable main gear side sponsons. A smaller variant can often be seen but also the larger type, called the "maritime sponsons" as they heave flotation gear. This larger maritime type was made from plastic card. It has quite a complex shape. As can be seen here, also a metal rod was put through the fuselage that enables some extra strengthening of the main undercarriage legs (to be made later on).
Bending, glueing, sanding and shaping was needed. The side sponsons should off course be symmetrical.
Checking was done on the final result
with a light grey base coat.
The sponson has a floating gear. This was made as a separate part with
several layers of card and putty, sanded to shape.
A float gear pack is also present at the lower fuselage nose. This was
again made from card and putty. It's shape requires quite some work here.
First check
The Cougar is progressing. The engine compartment can be put on later. So the overall fuselage is seen here and got an overall coat of light grey primer (Humbrol 64). All flaws were corrected with putty and sanding... sanding... sanding.
Engine Compartment
It was decided to also show one engine compartment and the gearbox area. This will add interest to the model.
Two models of rear gearbox fairings
were made: a normal one, and one with special JDD fairings attached (more
on that later....).
Hatches and sliding fairing can be
opened. The basic Puma kit has good parts to start with. A gearbox, engine
and various accessoires boxes are provided. Detailling was done with wires,
stretch sprue rod, etc. Good pictures are essential.
The various basic parts seen above.
The firewall/ bulkhead was detailled
and also note the added details on the slidingrail of the main cabin doors. 
The Turbomeca engine parts with the
aft APU were further detailled.
(note: the rotor gear box bridge for maintenance as made and shown here is not symmetrical... it will be replaced later on).
The engine door at the left side will
be kept detachable. It has a kink with a working platform for maintenance
crew. This was all made with sprue and card.
Next, lets look at the Cockpit fuselage area.
First was the addition of the cockpit roof. This required a longer roof that was made from card. Fortunately the Revell Puma kits were issued with the intake filters (called MPAI Multi purpose air intake) to be set in front of the actual engine intakes as seen on Dutch Cougars.
The intake filter have inner nose cone. These were made from the tip of
spare 'bombs'. These cones can move and close or open the intake.
The positions vary depending on the pilot controls. The intakes may
be seen with different left and right openings.
The roof was faired in with some putty. It was assured that later on the clear cockpit windows and doors can be added later on. (note: Cockpit detailling will be considered later on)
There are also air intake compressors
near the sides of the engine intakes. These were made from some card.
The fans were made from very thin card with cuts made for each blade.
The engine section got a coat of
silver and the aft and inner areas a buff color.
(The ladder bridge was removed and
a replacement fitted later on)
The aft part is the APU with its
exhaust, this will hardly be seen with the aft fairing slided aft.
Back to 1/32 models....
(c) Copyright "designer"/ All rights reserved/ Amsterdam The Netherlands.