1/72 AZ Model HC-102 Heli Baby

Gallery Article by Zdeněk Eliáš on Oct 28 2009

Czech National Day 2009

 

History

 

HC-102 was two-seat light general-purpose helicopter. It was manufactured in Moravan Otrokovice n.p. and in fact it was earlier HC-2 fitted with more powerful 105hp M-110H four-cylinder horizontally-opposed engine. HC-2 (and its modernization HC-102) was the first and only Czechoslovak serial produced helicopter. HC-2 first flew on 3rd March 1954 and HC-102 first flew in February 1961. HC-2 served in ČSLA (Czechoslovak people’s army) as VR-2 from 1960 in 50.spojlp (50. liaison aerial regiment). Moravan Otrokovice n.p. produced 21 units HC-102 and 15 units HC-2 were rebuild into HC-102 standard. Due to introducing of soviet Mi-1 and Mi-4 helicopters to ČSLA and due to some problems were all HC-102 given to Svazarm (Union for cooperation with the Army) aero clubs, which used these helicopters in the years 1963-1978.

 

HC-102 is exhibited in these museums in the Czech Republic : Air park Zruč u Plzně, Air museum Praha-Kbely, Military technical museum Lešany, Technical museum Brno and in Air museum Košice, Slovak Republic .  

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

For my kit I choose HC-102 “white 0801” OK-RVE which is rebuild HC-2 and it’s exhibited in Military technical museum in Lešany (near Prague), Czech Republic.

 

Kit includes limited run parts, resin parts, PE parts, and 2 vac-form canopies so I build this kit almost out of the box with good level of details.

Modifications: Decals from the kit were modified and the remainder decals were designed in Corel Draw and printed on decal paper for inkjet printers.

PE dual overhead cyclic control stick and antennae were replaced with copper wire because it looks better. Only two plastic parts were adjusted to fit correctly and only small amount of putty was necessary.

 

Upper surfaces are painted with Agama C27 P grayish green, lower surfaces with Agama R31 P light blue. Interior is painted with aluminum. For weathering I used temperas specifically black, brown and white. I prepared mixture of this paints with detergent and used it like wash. When it was dry I corrected it with wetted cotton bud.

 

In my opinion this is great little kit of interesting subject which is important for post-war Czechoslovak aviation.

References:

 

Zdeněk Eliáš

Photos and text © by Zdeněk Eliáš