1/72 Westland Wessex HC.2 rescue winch

The Westland Wessex HC.2 was a British multi-role helicopter that served in the Royal Air Force from the early 1960s until the 1980s. It was built as a licensed version of the American Sikorsky S-58, redesigned by Westland Helicopters with a pair of de Havilland (Bristol Siddeley) Gnome H.1200 turboshaft engines instead of the original piston-powered engines. This change significantly improved performance, reliability and operational flexibility. The Wessex HC.2 was primarily designed for troop and material transport, ground support duties, casualty evacuation and Air Sea Rescue (ASR) type missions where it achieved its greatest notoriety. Its rugged chassis and ability to operate in challenging conditions made it the backbone of RAF transport and rescue units in Europe and overseas.

The rescue winch was a key piece of equipment on the Wessex HC.2 during rescue operations. It enabled people or equipment to be lowered and retrieved from difficult to reach places - sea, mountains, forests or combat zones - without the need to land. It was typically located in a side cabin opening and operated by a crew member. The winch had a lifting capacity of approximately 270-320 kg, which was enough for one person with equipment or a stretcher with an injured person. It was this capability that made the Wessex HC.2 indispensable in sea rescue (SAR) missions, evacuations in mountainous terrain and support of special forces.

In practice, the Wessex HC.2 has been deployed in a number of major operations. During the long-term Operation Banner mission in Northern Ireland (1969-2007), it provided paratroop transport, resupply to remote bases and evacuation of wounded under IRA fire. During the Falklands War in 1982, RAF machines were deployed from the deck ships HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid for Royal Marines landings, supplying forward units and evacuation flights. Wessex HC.2s also regularly served in rescue units in Britain and at bases in Germany, where they carried out training and live rescue missions. In total, over 140 of all Wessex variants were produced for the RAF and Royal Navy; most HC.2s were scrapped in the 1980s and replaced by the more modern Sea King HC.4 and Chinook types.

The 1:72 scale Aires resin add-on set is designed to detail the rescue winch on Wessex HC.2 plastic models, mainly from Airfix. The set contains precision-cast resin parts that replace or complement standard plastic components and allow for higher successlevel of detail to match the actual design - for example, finer casting of the winch mechanism, rope, controls and mounting points. Working with resin requires experience in cutting, sanding and bonding with special adhesives (e.g. instant or epoxy), so the set is suitable for advanced modellers. The resulting model with detailed winch allows you to faithfully capture the Wessex HC.2 rescue roll and create a scene of an evacuation, SAR mission or training flight. The package does not include paint or glue needed for assembly.