Revell's 1/144 scale
Westland Puma HC.Mk.1

by Andrew Riddle

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The Westland SA330 Puma is used by the Royal Air Force as a battlefield support aircraft. This model is the  (SA-330E) variant as used in the 1991 Gulf War.

This is the first 1/144th scale aircraft I have built after a long line of 1/72nd scale models.

Revell has produced a nice kit here, with a fair amount of detail for a kit of its size.

The most obvious omission is the lack of exhaust pipes which are very prominent. Revell merely provides a hole in the fuselage on each side of the rotor mast. I inserted a piece of aluminium tube, cut at an oblique angle, with a piece of plastic sheet glued on the inside end. When painted dark grey it looks suitably dark down there in the bowels of the turboshaft engine!

Other improvement include:

• Refining the rotor mast with fine steel wire.

• Cargo load inside (an old calculator key and two tiny electronic capacitors!) with tie down wires.

• Rudder pedals and the curved tubes that can be seen below the pilot's feet.

• New Oil Cooler exhaust behind the rotor mast.

• Replaced the cargo door steps with a soldered copper wire assembly.

• All antenna replaced with copper wire and plastic pieces. The boom antenna wires are very fine hair from my friend Sarah's locks, painted with thin black paint. This was the finest filament I could find and is surprisingly stretchy and easy to tension. Thanks Sarah!

The model was hand painted with enamel Humbrol 250 (Matt Desert Sand).

A couple of coats of Future followed, then the model was decaled per instructions.

Next, a mixture of 1 part Tamiya Flat Base (the white stuff) to 7 parts Future was brushed on the produce the required satin sheen (it dries clear).

Weathering consisted of Tamiya smoke and some Humbrol dark grey drybrushed on to represent the engine exhaust staining which was very evident on Gulf War Pumas. On various photos the starboard side has a great deal of staining, whereas the port side is very minimal. I guess that's the uneven effect of the rotor wash pushing the air over the fuselage in different directions.

All in all a great little model. It took me about a year, on and off, to build (that's about my current build rate).

Recommended for something a little different.

Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2005 by Andrew Riddle
Page Created 24 January, 2005
Last Updated 24 January, 2005

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