13 December 2023
|
Aviation 72 Westland Gazelle
The latest fleet of Aviation 72 Westland Gazelle's have landed at retailers near you...
SCALE: 1/72
PRICE: £49.99 each
REF: AV7224013, AV7224014, AV7224015, AV72224016, AV72224017
Hot on the tail fins of two versions reviewed in the November 2023 issue (you can buy a back issue here: https://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Store/Back-Issues/diecast-collector), a further five new releases of Aviation 72’s excellent Gazelle tooling have literally just landed on the helipad. This brings the number of releases, by Aviation 72 of this very attractive helicopter, to 17.
The Gazelle is a French five-seat helicopter, commonly used for light transport, scouting and light attack duties. Powered by a single Turbomeca Astazou turbine engine, it was the first helicopter to feature a Fenestron tail (a shrouded, multi-blade anti-torque device housed in the vertical surface of the tail) instead of a conventional tail rotor.
Designed by Sud Aviation, later Aérospatiale, and manufactured in France and the United Kingdom through a joint production and development agreement with Westland Aircraft, further manufacturing under license was undertaken by SOKO in Yugoslavia and the Arab British Helicopter Company (ABHCO) in Egypt. Introduced to service in 1973, the Gazelle has been operated by a number of export customers and has featured in numerous conflicts around the world.
Featuring excellent attention to detail and a superb paint finish every time, Aviation 72’s Gazelle looks great in any livery – and there are plenty to choose from here! The cockpit is easily visible through the ample glazed area and the respective markings are crisp and accurate. Each model comes with its own display stand.
The five new liveries modelled for these latest releases are:
- Westland Gazelle British Army Training Unit Suffield ZA736 (AV7224013)
- Westland Gazelle XX450 Royal Marines (AV7224014)
- Westland Gazelle XW849 Royal Marines "Gladys" (AV7224015)
- Westland Gazelle Armée de Terre camouflaged version (AV72224016)
- Westland Gazelle HT.3 XZ936 Empire Test Pilots School (AV72224017).
All five are limited releases of just 240 pieces (AV7224013, AV72224016 and AV72224017) or 196 (AV7224014 and AV7224015).
Get yours at www.aviation72.co.uk