Westland Sea King HC.4 - Airfix 1/72 - A04056

skill 3

Well-suited for amphibious warfare and the tactical insertion of ground troops, the ‘Commando’ was an important variant of the Sea King. It was initially proposed as a tactical transport for the Egyptian Air Force for which the amphibious capability of earlier Sea Kings was not required and so the side floats were deleted. With folding rotors and tail, the Commando entered service with the Royal Navy as the Sea King HC.4.

It would eventually be provided with radar-warning and infrared jamming devices, and could also deploy M130/M147 flares as countermeasures. Besides troops, it could also be fitted to carry underslung loads of up to 2.5 tonnes. Increased range and a 28-troop capacity made it ideal as an amphibious transport aircraft, and the HC.4 would see operational service in the Falklands, Balkans, Gulf, Lebanon and Afghanistan conflicts. It was often deployed in order to evacuate wounded personnel and refugees, as well as preparing for and supporting ground advances. It is due to be retired from UK forces service in March 2016.

The Tiger I was produced from late 1942 as an answer to the formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of Operation Barbarossa. The Tiger I design gave the Wehrmacht its first tank mounting the 88mm gun. During the course of the war, the Tiger I saw combat on all German battlefronts.

This is a scale model kit that requires both glue and paint to complete. Glue and paint are not included in the kit.

• Length: 307mm
• Width: 262mm
• Pieces: 140