Description

The Sikorsky H-34 (company designation S-58) is a piston-engined military helicopter that was originally designed by American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky for the United States Navy for service in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role. It has seen extended use when adapted to turbine power by the British licensee as the Westland Wessex and Sikorsky as the later S-58T. 

Various H-34s served, mostly as medium transports, on every continent with the armed forces of twenty-five countries—from combat in Algeria, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and throughout Southeast Asia, in roles such as saving flood victims, recovering astronauts, fighting fires, and carrying presidents.

As one of the last piston-powered helicopter designs before its replacement by turbine-powered types such as the UH-1 Huey and CH-46 Sea Knight, it saw a remarkably long run of 2,108 H-34s produced between 1953 and 1970.

The kit features 12 grey styrene sprues, clear sprues and two Photo Etch parts trees. There are decals suitable for the Presidential Limousine or simply decorate as a US Coast Guard helicopter.

When completed the model measures 404mm, with rotor diameter of 333mm. There are over 330 parts included.

Kit Highlights:

• Detailed flight deck
• Pilot seats have photo-etched restraints
• Positionable flight deck windows
• Choice of web seats or canvas seats in main cabin
• Seats in main cabin have photo-etched seat belts
• Nose cowling doors are positionable to reveal engine bay
• Positionable main cabin door
• Detailed R1820 with cooling shrouds
• Choice of exhaust manifolds with corresponding nose cowling door
• Photo-etched grilles around engine compartment
• Detailed main cabin with cabin sidewalls molded separately from outer fuselage halves
• Rear of main cabin opens into detailed rear fuselage
• Rescue winch over starboard main cabin door
• Vented rear of doghouse is well molded with see-through venting
• Tail can be posed folded or flight-ready
• Main rotors molded with gravity sag
• Choice of bent-legged or later landing gear

Glue and paint are required but are not included.