1:72 Westland Wessex HC.2 - Debrish Mesh (for Airfix Kits)

Quickboost Westland Wessex HC.2 – engine intake debris mesh (1:72, for Airfix kits)

This item is a detail accessory (an aftermarket set) from Quickboost, the accessory range of the Czech company Aires. It contains the debris mesh in front of the engine intakes for the kit of the Westland Wessex HC.2 helicopter in 1:72 scale from the manufacturer Airfix. It is neither a helicopter model nor a kit – the kit has to be bought separately and is not included in the package.

What the mesh is for on the real machine

The Wessex was a license-built development of an American design, though the British versions had turboshaft engines. Turbine engines are extremely sensitive to ingesting foreign objects: sand, dust, small stones, leaves, snow or carelessly placed material can damage a compressor in an instant. That is why a debris mesh was fitted in front of the intake openings to catch coarse dirt before it reaches the engine. On machines in service – especially when working from unpaved surfaces and in the field – it is a conspicuous and easily recognized feature. This detail cannot be reproduced faithfully in injection-molded plastic in a small scale, which is why this set offers it as a fine separate part.

Use and handling

• Separate the parts carefully from the casting blocks with a fine saw or a cutting disc.
• Sand the remains wet and with respiratory protection – resin dust must not be inhaled.
• Before gluing, wash them in lukewarm soapy water to remove the mold release agent residue.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue), ideally the gel type for the time it gives you to position the part.
• Dry-fit first, then a primer and painting – spray the fine mesh from a shorter distance and in thin coats, so that it does not clog.

Who the set is for

For modelers who build the Wessex HC.2 in 1:72 scale and want the intake area to look as it does on the real machine rather than like a solid surface. The work is fine and calls for patience, but the result is visible at once.

This is a detail accessory, not a model. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.