Belcher Bits Sea King Sponsons BB1

Description

Background: The Hasegawa kits released to date represent SH-3H Sea Kings with the larger sponsons housing MAD gear and sonobuoys. Early SH-3s (and Canadian CH-124s as well as nearly all Westland Sea Kings) used a shorter sponson.
In 1975, Canadian Sea Kings were upgraded to CH-124A. This modification included the installation of a search radar housed in a dorsal radome; a similar radome is installed on Westland HAS Mk 1 and Mk 41 Sea Kings .

Sponson Installation Instructions: Substitute resin sponsons for kit parts. Stub wing mounts in sponson recess as in kit part (This is a very snug fit even on the kit parts). Landing gear is installed per kit instructions. For very early Sea Kings w/o flotation bags, simply file off moulded bag and sand smooth.

Construction Note: Whether you use these resin parts or the kit sponsons, the stub wing mounting pins are very weak and too long. There should only be about 1/32″ gap between wing and fuselage.If you adjust this, the sponson support arm will be too long. Use a bit of trial and error fitting here, making sure that (i) the stub wing is horizontal and (ii) the landing gear legs are vertical.

Radome Installation Instructions: The radome fits over the tail rotor drive housing. See sketch for location. Becareful! It is possible to install this part backwards! Note that the scribed line around the base of the radome should be parallel to the ground. Usually, the radome base is airframe colour and the upper portion is semi-gloss black.

Other Construction Notes:
1. The SH-3H uses a longer horizontal stabilizer than other machines. To represent any other type, it must be shortened by 0.65″ (Yes, that seems like a lot) and the supporting strut removed and holes filled.
2. Watch the windows! The CH-124 had no window above the sponson on the port side; the CH-124A dispenses with the starboard side window as well.
3. CH-124s only have two fuel filler locations; the middle one should be filled in.
4. Only early Westland Sea Kings (RN HAS Mk 1, West German, Indian or Pakistani Mk 41) used a five bladed tail rotor as per the kit. Later Westland marks use a six bladed rotor, so additional work will be required to model any of those variants.

References:
1. IPMS Canada RT Vol 15 No.3: Details and schemes of CH-124s
2. Famous Aircraft of the World No.15: Sikorsky Sea King, Burindo Co.

Contents subject to change.