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| The Eurocopter BK117 is one of the most versatile and functional medium twin-engine helicopters in the world. |
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| It can seat up to seven passengers and one pilot, or even ten passengers in the high density seating configuration, while still offering a sizable cargo area. |
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| The Bk 117 is powered by two Lycoming turbine engines delivering 550SHP (410kw) each. |
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| The first BK117 flew in 1977, and over 357 aircraft have been produced today in various models. |
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| World-famous designer Luigi Colani designed the unique "Spaceship" markings of this particular aircraft. |
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| This Revell Germany kit is an easy build and is a nice colorful addition to any collection. |
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Construction Photos
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| Here's my 117 before painting. The seams have been filled with Squadron putty, and the windows masked off with adhesive foil. |
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| The interior of the kit is decent, but it looks even better after adding home-made seatbelts and curtains from masking tape. |
Kit: Revell Germany #04408 |
Scale: 1/72 |
| Decals: Stock. The decals are very thin and must be handled with extreme care to avoid tearing. The decal placement is tricky and calls for careful studying and planning. All decals are completely opaque and cover the dark blue and black without any bleedthrough at all. |
| After Market Parts: none |
| Cost / Value: I paid $8.50 at Village Hobbies in Austin. Not a bad deal at all. |
Comments: The kit went together really well with no surprises, even the landing skids were easy to attach and align.
Fit was good overall, with minimal filler needed on the seams of the fuselage halves and at the fuselage-to-tailboom joint. The "glass" parts are overly thick and a little rough so I applied a coat of Future floorwax to clean them up. This helped but they're still a long ways from perfect.
The decals were the most difficult part of the kit. Placement of the random stars is tricky due to the vague instructions. I suggest to dry fit each piece first to avoid problems, and to start with the rainbow stripes.
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