Corgi 1/72 Royal Navy Westland Sea King HC.4 ZA290, 846 Naval Air Squadron Falklands War 1982 (AA33421)

The Royal Navy’s Sea King HC.4 “Junglies” were specialist troop carriers and were synonymous with the Commandos of the Royal Marines and saw their combat introduction during the Falklands Conflict of 1982. Amongst the many roles performed by these aircraft included numerous rescue and replenishment flights and acting as decoys against the feared Argentine Exocet missile attacks. The threat posed by these weapons resulted in a highly secret and extremely dangerous SAS plan to attack the Argentine airbase at Rio Grande and destroy the remaining Exocet missiles before they could be used. In advance of this attack, a small force of SAS troops were carried on board Sea King HC.4 ZA290, to be dropped off as near to the airbase as possible, so they could set up an observation post and provide intelligence. At the very extreme of the helicopters range, the crew of the Sea King knew this was a one way mission and after delivering their covert cargo, they were instructed to make their way to neutral Chile and destroy their aircraft. Always an extremely risky plan, with the potential to go disastrously wrong, the SAS team discovered that the airbase was well defended and the inability to secure vital intelligence information resulted in the raid being cancelled. Sea King ZA290, which was the first HC.4 to be delivered to the navy, made a heavy landing on a Chilean beach and was destroyed by its crew, who were later turned over to British officials.

This model aeroplane is made from die-cast metal and plastic and include extensive detailing. It is similar in quality to Century Wings, Calibre Wings, Oxford, Hobbymaster and Forces of Valor.