So it's a good basis for some serious modeling?

That's good to know Marc. When I discovered the age of the kit I almost did not bother posting the news of its release

I really liked the skin. Many model kit manufacturers like smooth skin and deep panel lines. Most aircraft actually have neither. They're riveted. Helicopters aren't even flush riveted. (Why bother?) Only very modern aircraft, made of composites, have really smooth skin. It seems very accurate. It has the straight tail boom but that covers most military versions (and if I'm right, all US military versions). The cockpit is okay but the cockpit floor is not. That is to say, there is one. The real S-55 doesn't actually have much of a cockpit floor. From the cabin you can see the undersides of the pilots' seats. There is a short thread on ARC Forums by a guy who started doing what I want to do - cut out most of the cockpit floor, give the cabin an interior, and open the sliding door. These things are not that hard to do. Unfortunately the thread stops just as it was getting interesting - fitting his sliding door. LINK I would replace the cockpit "rear windows" and use the kit's side windows - which are a bit small - as masters for simple vacform replacements - they should come out the right size. (And if they don't come out perfect, just put them in the open, slid-back position - hey, who's to know they are a bit off?) There is almost nothing on the market as far as accessories and details is concerned, but frankly, do you really need them? There were lots of decal sheets, but not so much now. What there is though is fascinating. There are, happily, heaps of detail photo's (interior too) on the internet. It's a great kit if you are starting on doing your own detailing. A simple vacform, and a bit of a chop on that cockpit floor. Detailing the cabin is easy because it's almost a simple box. Making a new side door is a matter of cutting a square of transparent plastic and sanding corners a bit round. There's no major surgery involved, the base kit is dirt cheap, and best of all, your mistakes won't be very obvious! Grtz, Marc

Thanks for the link Marc, it looks a very interesting build despite the age of the kit. Just hope it continues

First Helicopter I made back when it was new (both the model and the aircraft). they flew over my house about twice a day. I lived five miles south of the Factory.

The S-55 was a very important helicopter, technologically. It had powered controls. In his book Chickenhawk, Robert Mason describes how they all had to transition from initial training on the OH-23 Raven (the infamous Hiller Killer) via the old Sikorsky H-19 (for its' powered controls and its' weight) to the Bell Huey. I always wanted to make a Sikorsky S-62. The US Coast Guard used them. Think of an S-55 and an S-61 having a love child - the hull was shaped like Papa S-61, only smaller, and with just one turbine engine. The "dynamic parts" (the rotors) were from Mama S-55. What you get is a cute, small Sea King. There's never been an injection molded kit of one (that I know of). There have been a couple of resin kits but they were really crude. Grtz, Marc

i'm glad it comes with an option for wheels. most h19s seem to have had wheels.

wolfhound, Ideal or ITC made the S-62 in the sixties. I had forgotten the 62 had the S-55 rotor/trans system.

I have bought the model, from my memory It is just like the one my father built me close to sixty five years ago. I still have an abdominally dented figure from the kit in my stash.