I live in the states. Pre-ordered 2 of them. Will be building the 1988 version and 1995 SAR version. Im really excited for this kit.

Great vlog and thanks for the insight, looks a great kit and the detailing is very accurate. In the nineties I spent 12 years as an engineer on the RAF Search And Rescue HAR Mk 3/3A so looking forward to Airfix releasing that version. The reason there are 10 Main Rotor Blades in the kit is the early versions had metal blades and later variants had composite blades which had different shape/profile. Same for the Tail Rotor, early versions had a 5 blade hub and later variants a six blade hub which is reflected in the kit.

I'm not much of a helicopter guy, but this one looks like a really fun build, of an interesting subject too in regards to helicopters.  I totally agree on the recessed rivets.  You have to consider the scale of the model and not just the accuracy to its full sized counterpart.  As seasoned modelers know, often times creating the illusion of something to the human eye, works much better than replicating it in full 3-dimensional scale accuracy.  Looking forward to adding this one to the project list.  Airfix has come a long way!  Loving it!

Only built one helicopter so far but this is definitely the second.

Apologies for being late to the party on this one, nice review. With respect to the comments you made regarding the windscreens, and there not being a whole lot of material at the edges to allow for any mistakes, I stopped using traditional polystyrene cement a while back due to constantly messing this up. I started using UV cure jewelry resin, which is totally transparent, and can be wicked into the edges with a toothpick, cleaned up if it goes into somewhere wrong, and then when in the correct location is cured using a cheap UV LED torch in seconds. Since using it I have not messed up installing transparencies other than cracking them due to ham fisted handling

Never been an airfix fan I always associated them with toys but this kit looks really good. They have been releasing some good kits latley it seems. I believe airfix is the oldest company right now I could be wrong.

as a huge Sea King fan, i think Airfix really did a splendid job on this one. even thought 1/48 is not my scale, im concidering getting one of these, as it has all the parts for the Belgian version. one downside to me, is the ammount of parts, even though it makes for excelent detail, it could for some modelers be a bit much. but this can be seen on a lot of newer airfix kits from the past decade, that the newer moulds, tend to be a bit over-engineered. im not saying its a bad thing, im just saying it could scare off novice modelers due to its complexity.

I have the Hasagowa RN Sea King and have displayed it two years on the Trott at the DH Museum Model show and two years on the Trott a man was taking photos of it, when he appeared again last year and took a few more pictures of it so I said to him what's the reason for taking pictures of it (as he also asked for my name) and he said he works for Airfix and said he was going to put it in the Airfix Magazine. I wonder if my model was the start for Airfix to make a Sea King in 1/48??

I wonder how raised rivits will need to be replaced when you fill the sink marks in because let's be honest nearly every Airfix kit as sinkmarks

Could someone point me to a good starter airbrush at all ? I've been out of the hobby for a few years. but had to pre order Damian. So many memories. This looks stunning :-)

Was this not one of the aircraft that was sent to Ukraine?

This is overdetailed and it doesn't scale well. There wasn't much wrong with the Hasegawa one tbh. If I was going to build this, I'd use all the Airfx parts on the Hasegawa fuselage.

Sea King in Hasegawa goodbye

Let the "purists" fill each & every recessed rivet with a tiny lead bead, if they are so pedantic.