Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon

[kitnut617]

My copy of PAK-20 doesn't list a Heller Super Frelon in 1/72 Chris, a Super Puma maybe --- the only 1/72 Super Frelon made by a manufacturer is the Mach II one.  What's interesting is I couldn't find it listed under Aerospatiale, it's listed under the SUD-Aviation instead.

Heller releases though are in 1/35, 1/50, 1/128 and 1/152 scale

[chrisonord]

My copy of PAK-20 doesn't list a Heller Super Frelon in 1/72 Chris, a Super Puma maybe --- the only 1/72 Super Frelon made by a manufacturer is the Mach II one.  What's interesting is I couldn't find it listed under Aerospatiale, it's listed under the SUD-Aviation instead.

Heller releases though are in 1/35, 1/50, 1/128 and 1/152 scale

Hmm?
I am sure I have seen them, in the past. Never mind, one things for sure I won't be touching the Mach 2 kit of it RUN AWAY!!!!!!
Cheers,
Chris.

[GTX]

How about one given the Hind-D treatment...i.e. with tandem front seat arrangement and cabin in back?

Regards,

Greg

[MAD]

The Frelon was considered for the RAF at one point, according to John Dowling's official history of the first 20 years of RAF RW ops. It was rejected in favour of the first, abortive, attempt by the RAF to obtain Chinooks.

I never knew this!
Thanks for the heads up
That's what I love about this forum - although a 'what if' site - you learn so many real-world facts!!

So you could do an RAF support helicopter (would probably need land legs). That could, for instance, be done in the desert 'pink' from Op Granby/Desert Storm, or a wraparound camo, or perhaps even in the sand and stone camo the RAF transport fleet wore, if doing a Middle East Air Force version.

Or, it could be a 'Jungly' commando support helicopter (debatable whether the undercarriage would've been altered for the land version or not), perhaps a Falklands campaign veteran. Or, given the Exocet capability, the RN might have kept a few for itself for operation off HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible...

I like it!!!!!
Fingers crossed that the 'What If' fairy delivers!!!!!

[MAD]

The Super Frelon would make a good basis for an "Aérospatiale Skycrane", although I don't imagine that anyone's in a hurry to throw away most of a nice model.....

Sound good and would dare say would look great!
I have often wondered about the CH-47 Chinook having the same done for the U.S Army!

M.A.D

[Weaver]

There's one on ebay right now if anyone's smitten:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170446281703&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

(note that I've got nothing to do with the seller: just saw it and thought of this thread)

[TsrJoe]

the Mach 2 kit is one of their better offerings, i agree with Jeff tho the 1/35 Heller kit is a well moulded and impressive beastie 

[TsrJoe]

French Navy ...

[Pablo1965]

The heller kit is old, but is in a super detailed scale, you can change and substitutes all the part you don´t like, with a good level of finished.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

The Frelon was considered for the RAF at one point, according to John Dowling's official history of the first 20 years of RAF RW ops. It was rejected in favour of the first, abortive, attempt by the RAF to obtain Chinooks.

If the RAF had gone for them, then the chances of an RN purchase would've increased, and it's not impossible to imagine the Frelon as being another part of the agreement that led to the Puma, Lynx and Gazelle being operated by France and the UK.

So you could do an RAF support helicopter (would probably need land legs). That could, for instance, be done in the desert 'pink' from Op Granby/Desert Storm, or a wraparound camo, or perhaps even in the sand and stone camo the RAF transport fleet wore, if doing a Middle East Air Force version.

Or, you could do an RAF SAR machine. Not quite sure how it'd look in the yellow scheme, but it'd retain the undercarriage from the kit, and the nose radar would be handy.

Or, it could be a 'Jungly' commando support helicopter (debatable whether the undercarriage would've been altered for the land version or not), perhaps a Falklands campaign veteran. Or, given the Exocet capability, the RN might have kept a few for itself for operation off HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible...

Interesting bit of history on the Super Frelon and the potential service with the RAF.  Wonder if the RN would have bought into that as well?  It would have been ideal or VERTREP at sea and hauling troops for air assaults.  Wish I had some decent GPMGs and door mounts for a UK aircraft. 

I think a combat search and rescue version would be good, like another version of the HH-60 Pavehawk. door mounted miniguns or Gecals, a pir of stub wings with a mixture of rocket pods, anti armour missiles and mistral air defence missiles. Perhaps some GIAT cannons facing forward to keep the enemies heads down prior to arrival. Plenty of IR pods and Flare pods on it and a FLIR pod on the front.
This is my kind of special ops helicopter, and I have done three HH/MH-60's like this in 1/72nd scale and I have 2 HH-60's awaiting the build.

CSAR is an excellent suggestion.  The fact that I happen to have an Academy HH-60 Pave Hawk in the stash certainly helps with sourcing the rescue hoist and the all important weapons such at the .50" Brownings and 7.62NATO miniguns for the thing.  That kit also includes a large auxilliary fuel tank for the troop compartment and a FLIR turret plus a smaller radome.  That could well solve the problem of what to do with the extra HH-60 kit and let me dispose of a plain vanilla Blackhawk kit. 

Paint it up as Marine One. 
That should cause apoplexy in some circles.

Jon

In 1/35th scale you would definitely have the advantage of showing a number of small details for that version of Marine One.  Maybe some in scale escargot along with some wine to go with all of that cheese.