Having a passion for all things BEA, I decided to convert a 1/72nd scale Airfix Sea King helicopter kit into a Sikorsky S-61N, as used by BEA on its Penzance-Scilly Islands route during the 1960s. This required a new vacu-formed fuselage made by Aircraft in Miniature with new floats and other accessories. I fully detailed the model with interior passenger seats and passengers and also built the open stairway from scratch. Decals came from a BEA decal sheet of a 1/144th scale Vanguard.
Okay, that's fine in 1/72nd scale, but the real challenge was to make one in 1/400 scale to match my 1/400 airliner collection and model airport. I tried using some 1/350th scale Sea King kits made by Tamiya, but they were too difficult to work with. 1/350th is okay as the S-61N is longer than the Sea King, so it would look the part. Then I found a french manufacturer called L'Arsensal also make a pack of three resin 1/350th Sea Kings with etched brass rotors etc., which looked much better, so here is my 1/400th S-61N with my 1/72nd version and with a pair of the recently released Aeroclassics BEA Viscount 700s.
Okay, that's fine in 1/72nd scale, but the real challenge was to make one in 1/400 scale to match my 1/400 airliner collection and model airport. I tried using some 1/350th scale Sea King kits made by Tamiya, but they were too difficult to work with. 1/350th is okay as the S-61N is longer than the Sea King, so it would look the part. Then I found a french manufacturer called L'Arsensal also make a pack of three resin 1/350th Sea Kings with etched brass rotors etc., which looked much better, so here is my 1/400th S-61N with my 1/72nd version and with a pair of the recently released Aeroclassics BEA Viscount 700s.
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