Kitty Hawk Models 1/48 SA.365F/AS.565SA Dauphin II Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

The Aerospatiale SA.365 Dauphin II is the twin-engined update to the single-engined SA.360 Dauphin. This twin-engined workhorse has become a major success in the helicopter community with examples serving with law enforcement, air ambulances, corporate transport, search and rescue, and airborne news platforms around the world. A special version of this aircraft was adopted for French Navy service as the SA.365F which led to a full-military platform designated as the AS-565 Panther series.

Kitty Hawk Models produced the first new-tool kit of this Dauphin II variant and from what I see in the box, there are more variants coming in our future (see the two different tails to the right?). This kit is molded in light gray styrene and presented on seven parts trees plus one tree of clear parts. Among the features and options in this kit:

• Detailed flight deck
• Positionable flight deck access doors
• Detailed main cabin
• Positionable main cabin doors
• Optional rescue winch
• Detailed transmission
• Detailed rotor head
• Detailed engine compartments with both engines provided
• Positional engine bay doors
• Optional torpedoes with fuselage mounts

Assembly of the kit is quite interesting as you build up the interior structure - flight deck, main cabin, rear compartment, engine bays, doghouse structure, all before building the fuselage up around it. Given the modularity of the kit, it will be easy for Kitty Hawk to swap out parts to render other variants of the aircraft including the short-nosed Dolphin flown by the US Coast Guard.

Markings are provided for three different French Navy color schemes.

This is a nice looking kit and it will be interesting to see if it builds as nice as it looks!

For a look at this kit built-up, look at our quick-build review here.

My sincere thanks to Kitty Hawk Models for this review sample!