Eurocopter (EC145) Marmot HT.Mk.1, RAF Shawbury, December 1996

[Knightflyer]

Okay,

So model number three get's underway. Recently I've ended up with several Revell BK-117 models (self inflicted I do realise!) due to 'getting into' the yellow ADAC helicopters I saw whilst I was in Germany recently.

A couple of the models are surplus to requirements regarding being bright yellow and German, so I've decided to do one for this GB

My first thought was to do it as RAF training helicopter, with the BK-117 having gotten to role rather than the AS350 Squirrel, but seeing as the present EC145/H145 Jupiter HT.1 helicopter is a direct descendant of the BK-117 with the obvious difference of a fenestron tail rotor, my whiff would be a relatively subtle one, plus there are a fair few police helicopters in a similar colour scheme



My next thought was maybe to do it in the 'retro' old red and white scheme, as worn by the Gazelles, that one still holds potential.



Any offers gents on potential RAF schemes suitable to pin on the BK-117?

Kit box and contents as follows

[PR19_Kit]

I reckon you hit it with the red/white scheme. Those Gazelles always looked very smart in that one.

[scooter]

Desert pink as a Lakota?

[Knightflyer]

So early work done on this - priming, internal surfaces colour and then cockpit detail. I may get around to closing the fuselage up today depending on how the Royal 747 goes

[Knightflyer]

Well more has happened (and pictures will follow), but just wanted to get this quick and basic concept colour scheme up



If any of you profilers out there want to do this properly - feel free! - I'd love to see a decent version of the above 

One thing I've noticed - the BK-117 doesn't have the nice sinuous/continuous lines of the Gazelle - it's definitely a pod 'and' boom' - so I don't think (for me at least) the will be the continuous white and grey from nose to tail

[Knightflyer]

State of play on Wednesday evening

[Knightflyer]

State of play Thursday evening - it's starting to look like I'm hoping it should

[PR19_Kit]

Getting there for sure. 

[Knightflyer]

Progressing nicely - the bulk of the painting is done and the glazing is all in place.

Both main and tail rotors are painted, ready to drop into place

[Dizzyfugu]

That's looking good, curious how the markings change the look?

[Knightflyer]

That's looking good, curious how the markings change the look?

I suppose the white/red/grey scheme is quite 'retro' now with the black and yellow combinations currently dominating?

[NARSES2]

That's looking good, curious how the markings change the look?

Indeed

[Knightflyer]

EUROCOPTER (EC145) MARMOT HT.Mk.1, RAF SHAWBURY, DECEMBER 1996

Prior to the establishment of the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) in 1997, each of the UK's air-arms provided their own helicopter crew training.

In July 1994 a Defence Costs Study, published by the Ministry of Defence , recommended that UK military helicopter training be amalgamated into a new tri-service Defence Helicopter Flying School, to be based either at RAF Shawbury or Middle Wallop. The study also recommended an increase in the use of civilian instructors. This was followed in October 1996, by a private finance initiative contract being placed with FBS, a consortium of Flight Refuelling Aviation (FRA), Bristows Helicopters Ltd and Serco, each holding a 33.3% share of the company. The 15-year contract ran from 23 November 1996 to 31 March 2012

The contract included the provision of thirty-four Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopters and eleven Eurocopter EC145 (originally developed as the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117) as well as helicopter engineering and support which were already being provided by FRA Serco under an existing contract. The helicopters were civilian owned but military registered and 40% of instructors were to be civilians. Compared to the existing training arrangements, the government expected the DHFS to provide £80m of savings over the 15-year contract period.

The initial item of note is the naming of the EC145 helicopter. The smaller AS350 helicopters were easily dealt with, being directly translated from the French 'Écureuil' to become known as the Squirrel HT1/2 in military service. The EC145 took a little more thought, as it didn't appear to have previously carried any name in service.

So, to continue the small mammal/rodent theme on from the Squirrel, and seeking a more specifically European species, plus also giving the relative closeness of Eurocopter's Donauwörth factory to the Alps, the name Marmot was chosen, which some felt also reflected the helicopter's 'chunkier' appearance.

Also, Marmot ZJ234/23 was in its own right something of a one-off helicopter. Firstly, so that senior instructors could familiarise themselves with the helicopter, it and ZJ235/35 were delivered to the RAF prior to the DHFS scheme officially beginning; and were also delivered in the RAF's white/red/grey training scheme rather than the yellow/black scheme that would become familiar.

Secondly, more uniquely, and as aircraft spotters were quick to point out, a mistake had been made in the paint-shop, with ZJ234 emerging with the FIRST two numbers of its serial (two-three, never said as twenty-three) as it's individual coding, rather than the LAST two, as the correctly numbered ZJ235 (three-five) and all the subsequent helicopters were. This anomaly lasted until 2-3 and 3-5 returned to the paint-shop to be repainted in the black/yellow scheme when two-three re-emerged as the now correctly numbered three-four.

The Marmot and Squirrel training helicopters both remained in service until their replacement in 2018, following the arrival of the first Juno and Jupiter helicopters at Shawbury on 3 April 2017. Deliveries continue throughout 2017 and early 2018, with the final Juno arriving on 24 May 2018. With the new aircraft achieving full training capability, Squirrel and Marmot operations ceased on 1 April 2018.









and finally, the tummy-tickling shot...who's a good helicopter then! 

[AS.12]

That's brill!  Looks Just Right in that livery, and a much more sensible name than the daft J / J of the Real World.

[NARSES2]

That's come out really well