Wings of Intent: Sikorsky S-51 - LF short run 1/2nd kit

(The completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2024/01/lf-models-172nd-sikorsky-s-51-arctic.html

Hum. Where to begin…

I bought this kit because I was attracted by the possibility of representing a Los Angeles Airways machine that in golden days used to even fly to Dismayland. No such luck, as this build at some point went south and was deleted from the blog. Later on I decided to try rescuing it, and I will present here an abbreviated version in this re-posting.

The assembly was a bit complicated by the usual issues with short-run kits, poor fit, deficient engineering at times, and lack of locating devices, plus those awful vinyl masks (sold separately, darn, more money) that not only were off in size and shape, and tended not to follow the curvatures of the model, but ended up marring the paint finish on removal. This may have been due to remaining manufacturing residue on the surface of the kit, in spite of conscious washing and cleaning, and it wouldn’t be the first time that I have to deal with this issue, somewhat common with short run kits.

I removed the marred paint, primed the model again, and decided to go for a one color finish to save the build and simplify my life, as I had spent on this kit far more time and effort than I wanted to.

I ended up choosing -as a replacement for the kit options- a British machine, one of six sent to England by Sikorsky (Westland later fabricated the S.51 under license). This particular helicopter was acquired and used by a pest control firm. Fortunately Arctic Decals was able to provide the necessary marks, saving the build.

I had locked horns with LF kits in the past, but hey, at least LF provides one, and the interior, rotor and surface detail is convincing enough. Besides paying extra for the awful vinyl masks (plus S&H) sold by the same LF and not included in the kit, I had to also pay for the transparencies masks (these fortunately were “kabuki” paper masks, which is the way to go, mask manufacturers, when you have curved surfaces!).

Several civil subjects, kudos to LF for the good intentions:

Nice P.E. fret:

The transparencies are not foggy or bad, but are thick and their optical quality is of course not good. Once in place you will only see a blurred interior:

Fair detail overall, beware alternate parts for variants:

The instructions have some obscure points, something that unfortunately is almost endemic throughout the industry. The rotor assembly is indecipherable:

Door is carved out:

One more failing Flex-i-file due to poor grain adhesive. The plastic blade is actually sanding the sanding stick, all the way around!

The exhaust is drilled, but then later replaced as it wasn't the correct one:

Not the best fit:

The two sets of blades and a fuselage extension for other variants:

The second set of aftermarket masks by Peewit for the transparencies, good and in paper, instead of the crappy vinyl masks LF sells for the body paint:

Now giving securing points to the awful butt-joints of the kit:

New exhaust:

The engineering is not really good. Clear parts could have been presented as fuselage sections to be masked, not as individual windows, as in short-run kits fit issues almost invariably creep in:

Clear acrylic bath:

The LF mask set you have to buy apart:

I bought them deceived by the color of the ad, which suggested paper:

They are actually vinyl, that never works well on curved surfaces. Plus the masks have size problems compared to photos:

A clear door is made to be later masked and painted:

Those end bits that come as separate parts are poor fit:

The main rotor, a bit of a struggle:

Adding a piece to styrene to avoid looking into the void of the main rotor housing:

Coercing the unwilling fuselage halves to stay together:

Modifying the exhaust:

The transparencies as expected are not a great fit:

The worst being the front bubble, that is noticeably smaller than the fuselage section:

Working up the uneven seams:

Trying to fill the step between clear nose and fuselage body:

After disaster stroke, as explained in the beginning, the marred paint was fixed and the model repainted in other scheme:

The kit has no clever engineering to insert the rotor or allow it to rotate safely, so it'll be a drop in or glue in. Here the tail rotor, door, wheels, exhaust, steps and antenna are being added: