Italeri
1/72 scale model of the Wessex
Another Wessex model was made of the Uruguay "Aviacion Naval".
Several ex-US SH-34 helicopters were flown in the seventies in Uruguay. Later came Wessex helicopters mk.60 and HC2 that flew in different schemes. Of a colourful red-white Wessex mk.60 beautiful photos and a good drawing were found on the internet. It has a big nose with intake grills.
The best 1/72 model to start with is the Italeri HU-5 kit #082 but I couldn't find it anywhere.....
So a Revell Wessex HAS3 kit #04439 was used and converted. It is based on the Italeri moulds. I had to look closely at photos because there are special details.
It has plastic in blue.
Decals in this Revell kit are for Royal Navy Wessex, but note that the "roundel blue" is too dark.
The decals were not used for the URUGUAY Wessex that needed thus a conversion of the Revell kit.
OK, let's go....
First, an extra cabin window was opened up in the left fuselage side and the sliding door was fitted with two windows.
The big nose had to changed in shape with bits from the spares box and putty. I used a razior saw and added some details inside.
The nose was set on the rear fuselage and all was puttied and sanded.
The radar fairing was made from an old bomb. The forward section is still to be made more curved.
The four exhausts had to be replaced by two large ones so the gaps were filled. New ones were made from bits.
The right side sliding door was adapted to get 2 windows.
A couple of light grey base coats of Revell Aqua #75 steingrau were applied with the airbrush to check for any flaws that needed rework. Here at the nose....
The Uruguay colours for the Wessex are red and white. A base white colour was now airbrushed.
I airbrushed the red with Gunze Sangyo Mr.Hobby acrylic H23 after masking with fine tape. Also airbrush a spare blank decal paper for any repairs when needed.
Next, the black areas were airbrushed as well.
The cockpit tub and interior were painted medium grey. On the kit seats extra harnasses were added made from painted tape. The frames were painted black. The windows were fixed from the outside with Micro Kristal Klear.
Metal mesh was set on the large engine intake that I had found in the spares box. Blend in with white glue and paint when dried.
There is an LF decalset for the Aviacion Naval but I preferred to design the special Wessex mk.60 markings and have these custom laser printed by a third party with code 065.
A coat was airbrushed on the model of glossy varnish with Johnson Future/Pledge varnish for better decal adherence.
The decals were set.
The lower fuselage details with various pipes and vents were unknown, so some interpretation was needed here. The gear was made and the red painted emergency float wheel covers are in the kit and a lifting hoist added. A fuel tank on a pylon on the left side was set. This was found in the spares box. Some hand grips and antennas were set made from stretched sprue as were wind screen wipers.
The main rotor was kept detachable. The large blades appear to be black at the lower surfaces and light grey with black edges at the top surfaces, which also required masking. It got yellow tips.
The rotor head got some extra "hydraulic lines" and was painted aluminium. The tail rotor was also masked and got red-white-red tip stripes.
A final varnish Future coat was airbrushed and that completed this special Wessex.
[ 176,215 sq.km | 3,5 million inhabitants | capital: Montevideo | GDP US$ 17,800 per capita nominal ]
For naval tasks, the Uruguay "Aviacion Naval" was set up which flew in the thirties with the Italian CANT 18 and 21. Then in 1942 came a Grumman Widgeon, Fairchild PT-23, Kingfishers and from 1950 a good number of Grumman Avengers. A little later they flew 3 Martin Mariners and Grumman S-2 Trackers. For training, Texans, T-28s and later T-34s were operated. From 1999 a dozen second-hand Wessex helicopters and 2 Handley Page Jetstreams were used. Nowadays 6 Bo-105 helicopters are flown. The Aviacion Naval flies from Laguna del Sauce.
For more information look at the Uruguay Air Force A-37 page here...
Wessex mk.60, c/n WA.503 of the ARMADA
at Laguna del Sauce base
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Created this page June 22, 2022