Hasegawa 1/72 UH-60J(SP) Rescue Hawk "Chitose Special Marking"
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
In 1988, the JASDF decided on the UH-60L to replace its ageing fleet of KV-107 and S-62 helicopters. With the original provided by Sikorsky, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries took over license production, and shortly thereafter, the JMSDF chose the new UH-60J as its search and rescue helicopter. Differences between the JASDF and JMSDF versions are generally constrained to the engines, with the JMSDF UH-60Js featuring different T700 engines designed for marine use. The UH-60J entered service in 1992, and remains the primary rescue helicopter for Japan today.
The Kit
The Hasegawa H-60 kit has been around for quite some time, and I believe it was the first 1/72 kit of the Sikorsky helicopter. As such it is a bit long in tooth, but it is still a nice kit. It has a simple interior, recessed panel lines, and in this release, a fret of photoetch detail parts. The decal sheet in this Limited Edition release provides some very colorful anniversary markings for a Chitose-based UH-60J in 2009.
As this is an older kit, you would think that it would be a simple build, but Hasegawa has updated the kit to represent a modern JMSDF UH-60. This means that you have to open up some holes for new parts, and the instructions have three large drawings right off that show placement of those holes and parts. These include photoetch and plastic bits, and given the number of these parts, I would recommend looking at these drawings closely.
Once those new parts are in place, the rest of the construction is straightforward. The interior is made up from a bunch of separate seats, a separate instrument panel, separate rudder pedals, and separate control columns. The details come from decals, and with closed doors this should be fine. There are two pilot figures for those who like to have their models occupied.
With the interior done, the main fuselage can be assembled and the rest of the work comes to exterior detailing. The rotor is made up from separate blades, with a four-piece hub featuring separate actuator arms. The tail rotor is molded as one piece, but has good hub detail as well. The engines have two-part intakes and a separate top piece for the exhaust. This results in a rather large seam in the exhaust, which will be very difficult to fill. I would recommend using something like Mr Surfacer, and use a cotton swab and alcohol to smooth it out.
The clear parts are all separate, which will make for easy masking but also for some challenge in fitting them smoothly in place. Getting everything masked off is important, as the color scheme of this UH-60J is too neat to mess up with a bad masking job. The overall camouflage of the helicopter is simple, with the upper surfaces finished in navy blue and the lower surfaces in medium blue. The decals are where the fun is, and here you get some colorful fuselage markings in addition to the regular stuff. The decal sheet also includes plenty of stenciling, which will make for a nice finish to the model. The decals are nicely printed, with excellent registration.
Conclusion
This is a nice re-release of the classic Hasegawa UH-60 kit, and the colorful markings are a nice plus. If you're looking for a relaxing build, this might be just the ticket. My thanks to Hasegawa USA for the review sample.