Airfix 1/72 Westland (Aerospatiale) Gazelle HT.2

AIRFIX 1:72 WESTLAND GAZELLE HT.2

Lodela boxing supplied by Martin Lastra but is identical to kit reviewed

Reviewer: Simon Skinner (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 16 June 2002

Aircraft:
Combat proven in the Falklands the Gazelle, instantly recognised by its inset fan replacing the tail rotor (Fenestron tail), has been a widely used chopper in a variety of theaters and air force inventories. Under an 1967 agreement with the French company, the Gazelle was licensed built by Westland and the British Army Air Corps became a large-scale operator of the Gazelles assembled by this company.

One of the more highly visibly marked Gazelle types was the HT.2 version used for helicopter pilot and instructor training where most are/were based at RAF Shawbury. Of interest also is that the pilots training for Harrier jump jets do a short stint on the Gazelle to familiarise themselves with VTOL and hovering properties. This version also equips No.705 SQN for basic helicopter training which is also the home of the "Sharks" display team.

The Kit:
Kit Number 1059: released/reissued as a series 1 kit (quite) a few years ago I have had this sitting in my collection for some time. It's an old Airfix kit that first saw the light of model shelves in the 60's and not surprisingly shows its age. However, it is a relatively simple kit to put together providing you can overcome some of the problematic glazing fit. The kit is supposed to cover the HT.2 version - a training aircraft emblazoned in red and white colours. However, the kit includes a HOT missile site molded into one of the roof transparencies - but no weapons pylons or stores! The surface detail is pretty basic but there is a fair amount of rivet detail, most of which should be removed by the discerning modeller.

The Gazelle kit has also been released in Brazil (thanks to to Marcelo Rabello for the info) together with Kiko as shown in the boxart above.

Construction:
The cockpit is made up with seats, instrument panel, centre console, a central cyclic lever and a collective pitch for the left pilot only. I'm not aware of any aftermarket sets to spruce up the cockpit, but do spend a bit of time, if only because of the glazing around the cockpit which will allow observers to see straight into the office. At this point it is also worth noting that you need some weight under the cockpit floor - if you can fit any in - some flat or tiny fishing weights might do the trick. I didn't and my little chopper is a tailsitter! However, I got around this by placing tiny bits of Blu-Tak under the front of the skids so it sticks to the display cabinet (and Blu-Tak is not permanent so makes for easy removal if I want to move the Gazelle somewhere else in the display cabinet).

Once the fuselage halves are placed together it's best to get the glazing on and out the way. Some of the glazing, like those on the doors is best fitted before the fuselage halves are placed together. The instructions are pretty good in telling you which to place in what order. The glazing is a bit fiddly - as is any clear part on an aircraft model, but you have to be careful you don't spoil the transparency with "glue fingers" lest you ruin the ability to look straight into the cockpit area. The glazing itself is a bit on the thick and slightly distorted side but it is okay. The most annoying part is the roof transparency that contains the sight fitted to HOT-armed Gazelles. Of all the HT.2 pictures in my collection I have yet to find one with one of these sights - and if there was one, surely there would be the accompanying weapons? Anyway, I suggest raiding the spares and cutting, trimming or sanding a suitable transparency to size to fit. Once the glazing is out of the way, the major headache part of the kit has been conquered!

The Fenestron tail makes the rear section of the Gazelle a much more pleasant experience than the usual fiddly tail rotor assembly and the main rotor assembly is basic but okay for this kit scale and type. The small rear tailplanes have angular end-plates and it is easy enough to inadvertently affix these the wrong way or at the wrong angle. Some external antennae is included and for the most part reasonably accurate, but if you have a few Gazelle HT.2 photos beside you when modelling you should be right in placing these in the right places.

Versions & Decals:
The kit really only covers the HT.2 version of No. 2 FTS decked out in a relatively easy to paint overall red chopper with white engine, skids, undersides, tailplane end-plages and tail section areas. The painting instructions in the kit are straight forward. The main set of decals is for a HT.2 and these go easily onto the model. The decals are thin and do have a bit of white edging to the roundels - although this does not really matter on the fin flashes, since it is affixed to a white tail.

Overall:
A pretty simple kit overall, especially for those already initiated in helicopter construction or who have tackled a few elder statesman Series 1 Airfix kits. A basic kit overall which suffers in accuracy in a few areas already touched on above, particularly the roof site. Acceptable for most modellers I would think. It is as you would expect a quick build and a small little chopper that will fit into any collection unobtrusively (except for the paint scheme!).

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