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This kit fits the term "cottage industry" aptly but it's what's available and is basically sound. The parts are
molded in a soft, easily carved gray plastic with vacuum-formed clear parts and a superb sheet of photo-etched components.
The instruction sheets are quite clear, although the placing of the two part pieces #10 are not mentioned (I later decided
that they must be the mounting brackets for the nose skid/bumpers present on some early examples and depicted on the box art).
The plastic parts are quite thick with a good deal of flash. Those parts which represent tubular construction, such
as landing gear struts and the fuselage spars, need considerable thinning with the ol' #11 X-Acto and, if doing the model
again, I would replace many of them with rod or sprue. Detail molding is good and the rotor head assembly is well thought
out. A simple jig to hold the parts in position as they dry will help to simplify the job considerably. I chose to cut out
the air cooling openings prior to installing the beautiful photo-etched mesh and added a seven-cylinder radial engine from
the spare parts box to take advantage of this feature. The cockpit interior is well represented with plastic and photo-etched
details and photo-negative instrument dials. Unfortunately, the clear parts were poorly formed with cloudy and flawed surfaces.
I partially overcame this problem by opening one door and depicting the window as being lowered on the other. Later, when
the Sikorsky was finished, I coated the clear parts with Future floor was, further improving the clarity.
The schemes
depicted are for a US Coast guard example and a USAAF machine based at Tinian. I chose the latter, using Tamiya and Model
Master acrylic paints. The decals were neatly printed and promptly exploded upon contact with water. I replaced them from
my spares collection.
This kit makes a handsome little gem when completed carefully, well worth the extra effort
required.
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| Doug's R-4 completed in USAAF markings. |
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