1/48 Belcher Bits Westland Lynx

by Colin Whitehouse

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I always liked the Lynx and thought it a good looking helicopter and very modern compared to the Wasp it replaced. I remember the Lynx and Scout flying together at Middle Wallop air show many years ago when it was new and had an affinity for it since. I came across Belcher Bits and decided to give one of his kits a go since it looks like the Lynx won't make it into the mainstream any time soon. Time and technology have eliminated most of the Lynx's of the good looks however and the latest models look quite ugly, so despite the options offered I decided to build an early one. 

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Once I opened the box I knew this kit would be a bit of a challenge (see pic) but once the main parts were together it was easier than it looked. First the bewildering array of parts mostly concerns the late models and weapons, second the quality and fit of the resin molding is superb. The basic fuselage went together in 1 night and was completed after interior painting. I drilled out the engine exhausts but didn't go all the way in as ½" hollowed and painted black was enough. I added a cargo hook and the harpoon underneath. The kit provides 2 superb instrument panels but the part you really see is the back not the face, so I detailed the back with wire scraps and this looks a lot better. (see construction photo)

The resin undercarriage looked doomed from the start so I drilled out the location pegs and axles (a bit fiddly) then threaded brass wire into them. (see photo). These were then tidied up with Milliput for looks and more strength as the final model is quite heavy. The net result is quite a lot stronger and allowed those odd extensions above the sponsons to be easily done. The rotors also looked too brittle in resin so I decided to fold them rather than make new ones from plastic card. The support poles are brass wire and blade supports are Tamiya tape wrapped around the blade and glued. The wires from the roll cage to the rotor head were made from Phosphor Bronze to be thin and strong. Other additions include door handles, steps, aerials etc.

The really hard part was fitting the canopy since its big, very thin, clear and you only get one! I couldn't get a good finish on it with future so had to make all assembly with white glue which slowed me down a fair bit.

I painted the tinted glare panel on the top of the cockpit with Clear blue (50) from the inside after the rest of the model had been completed. I used a small dropper to place 2-3 drops in one side of the canopy while holding the model inverted. I then swished this around for 5 mins till it had dried then repeated for the other side.

The main use for the Lynx during the Falklands seems to have been as a Sea Skua platform so I decided these were appropriate. The problem now is it's almost impossible to pick the model up as every solid bit is covered by easily knocked off bits and the easy to get at nose is itself fragile.

The Lynx looked better in blue than grey so I chose Lynx XZ247 which was on HMS Birmingham and HMS Glasgow in 1982. This Lynx seems to have been very active in the Falklands.  Colour scheme is as per modified on the operation Corporate early phases where the roundel white was painted over with black.  The model was painted in Mr Surfacer a few times and then sprayed with Xtracolour Oxford Blue and finished with Future.  Decals were from the kit.

If the instructions were as comprehensive as the parts then this would have been a lot easier.  There were many parts in the written instructions that were unidentifiable and time was wasted trying to sort bits out and then parts went unused as I had no idea what I was looking for.  I still never managed to decide which was part number 65 despite the detailed description of which colour wires needed to come from it.  I found something looking about right and painted it up only to find it was too big so it must be something else.  Thanks  anyway to Mr Belcher for providing us with an excellent model of this  lovely little helicopter.

Colin

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Photos and text © by Colin Whitehouse