Ratch Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 History: The Bristol Belvedere was a significant development for the British aviation industry, being a versatile, tandem rotor, heavy lift helicopter. It could undertake a variety of transport roles including troop transport, supply dropping and casualty evacuation. It could safely operate on one engine if required. Only 26 of these aircraft were produced, though it served the RAF from 1961 until 1969. In-box Review: This is a re-issue of the 1959 1/72 scale kit. Dimensions are 385 X 207mm. Parts count is 50 pieces. Skill Level is 2 and 1 Flying Hour is printed on the box. This is a reproduction of the original artwork is thought to be by Charles Oates. The type 6 artwork was by Ken McDonough. The grey moulding runner is split into four and there is a clear moulded runner. Detail quality is as one might expect from a 1950s kit. Panel lines are raised, and internal detail is limited to the cockpit floor and bulkhead, and this detail is scant. Crew figures are supplied but no stand. The canopy frames are not moulded on the clear parts. So a basic kit. I suspect that with the parts count this may qualify as a Beginner Kit. The country of manufacture is India. Instructions are printed on a 3-fold sheet with 8 assembly steps. As usual, Airfix provides reference images for paint colours and decal placements. Decals are by Cartograf, ensuring perfect registration, sharpness, density of colour, and unobtrusive carrier film. The marking options are: Development Trials, Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, Royal Air Force Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, England, late 1959. (A) Belvedere Trials Unit, Royal Air Force Odiham, Hampshire, England, October 1960. (B) Paints advised: 11 Metallic Silver 24 Matt Trainer Yellow 27 Matt Sea Grey 33 Matt Black 53 Metallic Gunmetal 61 Matt Flesh 64 Matt Light Grey 96 Matt RAF Blue 130 Satin White These are not included in the kit. RRP £15.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirportsEd Posted July 29 Share Posted July 29 Have just bought one; another Vintage Classic buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hughes 962 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 It's a pity that the Airfix design team didn't get to the RAF Museum at Hendon, where they have an in-service example of the Belvedere! This 1959 kit is a vague resemblance of the real thing, tooled to the limitations of that time. I remember watching, enthralled, as a Belvedere came flying over Llandudno in the early 1960s! It made a change from the daily dose of Gnats fdrom RAF Valley - not that I ever tired of seeing them.🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) So what was the Belvedere used for? Was it the fore runner to the Chinook? Ian Edit: Just seen what it was used for from your description Ratch, but still interested if it was the Chinooks predecessor Edited August 2 by Valhalla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hughes 962 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 8 minutes ago, Valhalla said: So what was the Belvedere used for? Was it the fore runner to the Chinook? Ian Edit: Just seen what it was used for from your description Ratch, but still interested if it was the Chinooks predecessor It was a troop and cargo carrier, and could carry underslung loads. There was a winch for operating over jungles in the Far East. I suppose you could call it a predecessor to the Chinook. but without the attributes of a rear ramp, or the ability to land in/on water!🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted August 2 Author Share Posted August 2 2 hours ago, Chris Hughes 962 said: It's a pity that the Airfix design team didn't get to the RAF Museum at Hendon, where they have an in-service example of the Belvedere! This 1959 kit is a vague resemblance of the real thing, tooled to the limitations of that time. I remember watching, enthralled, as a Belvedere came flying over Llandudno in the early 1960s! It made a change from the daily dose of Gnats fdrom RAF Valley - not that I ever tired of seeing them.🙂 I doubt that Hendon had one in 1959 when this kit was issued. In fact I don't think many folk had even seen one. Airfix issued kits ahead of the real thing in those days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Muth Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 A finished model from a former issue: Matthias aka modelldoc 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john redman Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 That's a nice sharp build. Is it a bit of a lemon accuracy-wise? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Mediocre Modeller Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 12 hours ago, john redman said: That's a nice sharp build. Is it a bit of a lemon accuracy-wise? I think that Airfix modelled their Belvedere on the prototype/pre-production aircraft, which had several differences to the production model. However, I don't think anyone else will produce one, so if you want an in service Belvedere some research and modification is in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john redman Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 (edited) Interesting, so the kit may be accurate, it just doesn't reflect production examples. The wiki article mentions that "The front undercarriage was unusually tall, originally designed to give adequate clearance for loading torpedoes underneath the fuselage in the anti-submarine warfare role" - could be an interesting conversion to do. Edited August 6 by john redman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Hughes 962 Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 On 05/08/2024 at 11:26, Pretty Mediocre Modeller said: I think that Airfix modelled their Belvedere on the prototype/pre-production aircraft, which had several differences to the production model. However, I don't think anyone else will produce one, so if you want an in service Belvedere some research and modification is in order. Maybe one of the after-market manufacturers will take it on? I vaguely remember something being issued back in the 1990s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted September 12 Author Share Posted September 12 Not my usual style of build review with a step by step build. I put this together quickly, over a week (including non-modelling days). I did a little research on this helicopter before washing the parts in soapy water. They were set aside to air dry while I examined the instructions. I brush painted the internal components with Humbrol Enamel 64 Matt Light Grey. The seat cushions were painted Slate Grey. I used two pilots from spares to occupy the cockpit and then then constructed the main part. There was quite a step on the upper seam which needed sanding back and repainting. The undercarriage is not an easy fit being quite flimsy. Getting all points touching and in the correct orientation, and with all wheels touching the ground is tricky. I lost count of the times I had to re-fix the front legs. I used G-S Hypo Cement to attach the canopy, which also is not a good fit. I touched up the upper surfaces with a brush then painted the canopy and disruptive scheme by hand. I masked the straight line between upper and lower surfaces and then painted under surface colour by brush. I was not happy with the first colour chosen and went over this with a lighter shade. I realised that the upper surfaces of the undercarriage should be in the upper surface grey, and that the tail should have a disruptive pattern, so made these corrections. The tyres and exhausts were brushed with Revell Anthracite. I then brushed Klear before applying the decals. I used the Cartograf decals supplied with the kit, plus white serials by Carpena applied with Microset and Microsol. The rotor tips were painted with Humbrol Acrylic 24 Matt Trainer Yellow and then Humbrol Acrylic 33 Matt Black on the lower blade surfaces, and Humbrol Enamel 64 Matt Light Grey on the upper surfaces. I cut a length of plastic rod for the nose aerial/probe. This is my interpretation of XG454 as she was on 15 June 1968. I make no claims of accuracy, as I model in the impressionist style. In summary, this is a kit showing its age, rightly boxed as a Vintage Classic. Certainly not to current standards, but were else can you get a Belvedere kit? I'm sure that others will build much better examples than mine. The build experience took me back to my childhood, so nostalgic, bringing back memories of Saturday tea time modelling, making a kit as quickly as possible to play with. Unconcerned with accuracy (what's that?), inspired by iconic Roy Cross artwork. The RRP of £15.99 seems a bit steep, and if accuracy is your thing, expect to do a lot of work. If you build for nostalgia or just for fun, then you can satisfy those feelings with this kit. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted September 12 Author Share Posted September 12 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valhalla Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Looks great Ratch. I didn't realise how thin the fuselage was. I can see how the undercarriage would have been a bit of a trial Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A J Rimmer Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Great stuff Richard, a nice bit of work that (and I like the backgrounds) - by 'eck though that's a strange looking beast! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeling maniac Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Wow the green/grey came really suits it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumps123 Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 It looks great and as you said, where else can you get a Belvedere from? Love the photos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthias Muth Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 Nice and in an unusual camouflage. Matthias aka modelldoc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeling maniac Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Do they use the teeter-totter rotor system? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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