Westland Gazelle +

[Scotaidh]

I've always thought the Gazelle & Dauphin are almost the perfect helicopters - great shapes, fenestrons (seriously, why haven't all helicopters gone to that, if only for safety?)

Then this morning I had the thought of replacing the Gazelle's power pack with that of the AW 159 Wildcat.  The thought of a Gazelle turnin' & burnin' ala Lynx Mk 8 (the latest version I've seen flying) makes me a bit weak at the knees.

I'd basically cut off a Lynx engine suite off the top of the craft and put it on the top of a Gazelle cabin, keeping the empennage & fenestron.  I've no idea if it'd be a good fit or if fettling would be required - I suspect the latter, if only because Murphy has a keen interest in modelers' efforts - well, mine, anyway. 

I'm not really a helicopter modeler - the blades always come to grief with me.  Has anyone already tried this?

[PR19_Kit]

My son-in-law, who's an ATC at RAF Cosford, told me about how they hooked up external loads under a Gazelle. The ground crew would hand signal the pilot into the approximate place, and then grab hold of the skids and HEAVE the Gazelle into the correct position! 

It was so light that two guys could do it easily. 

[zenrat]

I used a Mangusta engine.

Aerospatiale Oryx - 8 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

I have another Airfix Gazelle in the stash which is earmarked to become Blue Thunder.

[Weaver]

Should probably have replaced the fenestron with small turbofan while you were at it....

[zenrat]

Should have done a lot different. I wasn't happy with that one.

[ChernayaAkula]

<...> I had the thought of replacing the Gazelle's power pack with that of the AW 159 Wildcat.  <...>
I'd basically cut off a Lynx engine suite off the top of the craft and put it on the top of a Gazelle cabin, keeping the empennage & fenestron. <...>

Great idea!  Have thought about something similar, but with a light reconnaissance/attack helicopter in mind, basically swapping the Lynx' side-by-side cockpit and cabin for a slim fuselage with tandem seats. Kinda what the Chinese did: take a Dauphin and bolt on a tandem cockpit.