The Seahawk evolved from the Sikorsky-built UH-60A Black Hawk which is operated by the Army. The SH-60B has dramatically improved maintainability and reliability characteristics with advanced crashworthiness and survivability over any helicopter in the Navy's inventory. Its avionics/electronics package, of course, sets the Seahawk apart from all other ASW helicopters.
 

The SH-60B Seahawk, better known as the LAMPS (Light Airborne Multipurpose System) Mk III helicopter. It deploys on Ticonderoga-class cruisers, Burke-, Spruance-, and Kidd-class destroyers, and Perry-class frigates, and provides all-weather capability for detection, classification, localization, and interdiction of ships and submarines. Its secondary missions included search and rescue, medical evacuation, vertical replenishment, fleet support, and communications relay. Since the first Seahawk squadron was formed in 1984, it has enjoyed remarkable success.

The Navy has also acquired a modified version of the Seahawk as its CV ASW helicopter to replace the SH-3H Sea King. The SH-60F operates from carriers to protect the inner zone of a carrier battle group from submarine attack. The first production model was delivered in late 1986. A third Seahawk variant, the HH-60H, also deploys on carriers and provides combat search and rescue as well as Special Warfare support.

 

THE KIT

Despite a 1/72 version of this aircraft being available by the mid 1980s, it took until 2003, nearly 20 years after it reached squadron service, for a mass marketed 1/48 version to become available. The kit has engraved and raised detailing (the rivets are all raised) and it is very well done. It is also flash free and relatively free from ejector pin marks. There are some sink areas where the plastic is thick so one will have to pull out the filler to fix these as several are quite prominent.

Fortunately for us all, the cabin and cockpit are both well detailed. The cockpit has separate rudder pedals, cyclic and collective as well as well done seats. In the back are operators positions along with their radar consoles and sonobouy racks. Unfortunately the effect is somewhat spoiled by having decals for instruments. I would have liked to have seen some raised detail on these areas as well as decals are just not acceptable to many in 1/48 kits.

The rotor assemblies are properly complicated looking to a non-helo expert such as myself and one gets all the radomes that festoon the LAMPS variant. There is also a winch and the usual torpedo and towed sonar array that are part and parcel of the B variant. The cabin door can be posed open or closed as one would wish. Another nice option is the ability to fold the main rotor blades. This is much appreciated as helo models can take up quite a bit of shelf space.

Instructions are excellent and provide well detailed construction steps. All color information is provided and the color chart gives generic, FS 595 and Testors Model Master references. Markings are for two aircraft. One is the box art plane from HSL-47 in FS 36440 over 36375 with the very top in FS 36320. The other is a Japanese version in White over FS 16440. Decals are well printed and in register. There is little in the way of aftermarket decals for this version so one pretty well has to do with the kit markings.           

CONCLUSIONS