Robinson R.44 Raven - Stransky 1/72nd scale + Arctic Decals

 

Wild beasts surrounded the chopper during my friend David excruciating experience on the African savanna.

 He has an easily-upset stomach, so there were consequences:

The wildlife accompanying the chopper in some photos is providing proper context for David’s African adventures. The animals eventually run away from David, as he was suffering from digestive issues (both ends) during the flights…As for his depiction… the story needed to be told.

Stransky’s 1/72^nd scale Robinson R-44 is a very nice little kit (also released by KP) that builds relatively easily and has very good detail for the scale. The fit was excellent, a surprise for this size of kit. I wish Stransky would produce more civil kits of this quality… (golden age? wink-wink, nudge-nudge?)

The step-by-step building article can be seen here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2026/08/robinson-r44-raven-stransky-also-kp.html 

I adapted mine to represent a machine that flew a friend of mine and wife over the African savanna. The pilot had a hard time cleaning the mess my friend produced after they landed. Yet another company that won’t fly him.

Although not strictly necessary, I replaced the following elements:
- the kit’s tail rotor guard with metal tube

- kit’s antennas for home-made ones

- kit’s molded beacon for a clear part

- kit’s molded-in engine vents (represented solid in the kit) for styrene slats, following photos

- kit’s vinyl masks for paper ones, which behave much better, as the former tend to lift and are difficult to see when you are applying them (translucent)

- also added two landing lights (home-made lenses) at the front, following photos

- added two small metal fittings on the back of the skids

The beautiful custom decal sheet was commissioned from Arctic Decals in Finland.