Augusta AB-412
Dutch SAR Helicopter
designer  

AB-412 in 1/72 scale : kit review and modelling report Italeri kit [Revell]
 
 
Two Agusta Bell 412SP helicopters are operated by the Royal Netherlands AF (KLu) in the search and rescue (SAR) role from Leeuwarden AB. 


The kit from 1997 is from Italeri in 1/72 scale, kit no. 084, Bell 412 / CH-146 Griffon.
p1
p2
p3
The kit is quite good a a lot of parts needed for the Dutch version are there including the decals with 3 schemes:
- CH-146 Griffon, CA Military Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Air Force 1968-2011);
- AB-412, Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force 1921-now), coded R-02, Leeuwarden AFB | 1996;
- AB-412, Aviazione Leggera dell Esercito (Italian Army Aviation 1951-2000), 30° Gruppo E.I. 459.

  decals ch-146 italeri

For the Dutch SAR scheme, you will need to add two missing small KLu roundels on the upper and lower fuselage, these are not in the kit. 

NOTE: the kit was also issued in 2000 by Revell #04461: 

Improvement suggestions:

1- the cabin windows framing in parts 27/28C should be a bit finer. The cabin window 85C should in fact be a blown shape. I simple added some thin transparent plastic onto the kit part. 

2- cut out the winch hole in the lower fuselage straight below the rotor mast, which is present in every Huey.

3- Parts 81/822b, 89B, 41a are not needed. 

4- You can add a search light yourself.

5- note that Dutch AB-412 had some other skids that were used on the first months of operation. I added the special skids with the flotation gear. These were made out of ordinary sprue! (note: it appears that later on in their KLu career the skids have been replaced).
 

The interior has a light grey finish. 

Upper colour is yellow RAL 1023, for which I used Revell 12 enamel. Lower colour is orange RAL 3020. The blue bands are RAL 5017. They are difficult to get onto the model, the scheme is quite complex for such a small model. Note also that one blade has a red colour. 


The lower fuselage has some "chevron type" high visibility striping! This were made with masking and airbrushing.

The upper windows were given a transparant green Tamiya clear paint. Outside the cabin door windows a red-white line is around each window.

Add walk ways on the roof and the tail rotor striping is white-black (not red).

The result is seen here.....

ab412
 

upper details ab-412

ab-412 KLU 1/72 model

up

ab-412 1/72 revell

klu ab-412 tweety

side


 
 
 
 
 
References:

IPMS Nederland real AB-412 info pages..

IPMS Nederland AB-412 Walkaround
 

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Created this page July 26, 2001