The Finished Chopper
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My interest in the Guardia Civil continues. Choosing a 1978 tooling as my first helicopter build certainly provided a challenge. I also hadn't anticipated just how small the helicopter would be in 1/72 (my preferred scale). It measures ~12cm/5" end to end. Lots of fiddly details to tackle, including my first scratch-built seatbelts and antenna.
Spray primed and brush painted with Revell and Humbrol acrylics. Ultimate Airbrush Thinner used with all paints (it is excellent).
The Series Españolas decals performed very well, with some slicing required for the tail fin flags to adhere properly (Revell's Lufthansa Yellow 36310 worked well for touch-ups). The model I chose (HU.15-92, 09-120) appears to still be in service with the Servicio Aéreo de la Guardia Civil and can be found on various planespotter sites (even on their Wikipedia page). I would firmly recommend Series Españolas decals to anyone with an interest in Spanish aviation.
As for the kit and build, with this being a vintage tooling (my parents hadn't even met when this was released), one should manage one's expectations. The fit was acceptable with a fair amount of filling and sanding required. Transparencies were thick and difficult to manage at times, I unfortunately managed to fog them slightly. Panel lines are uniformly raised, I applied a light wash and some dry-brushing which improved things but not a ton. The 'feet' don't sit properly, this could have been fixed with some application of heat but I was too worried about damaging the model. The cockpit had very little detail, I scratch-built some seatbelts and sliced a lattice into the back wall to simulate the fabric in real life.
All in all I'm satisfied that it's finished and have learned a lot from my mistakes along the way.
