The Bell 47 helicopter entered service with the United States Army in 1948, it was designated the H-13 and later named "Sioux".

The Sioux is most commonly associated with the M*A*S*H television series - and rightly so as it performed tens of thousands of MedEvac missions during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and saved countless lives.

Not only did variations of the Bell 47 serve with all branches of the United States military, but the Sioux also served with more than 50 foreign operators and remained in production until the late 1970's.

One of the most intimidating features of the Sioux from a modeling standpoint is the tail boom. It turned out to be less difficult than I expected although it did require careful test fitting and trimming especially towards the tail.

The Sioux utilizes the two-blade main rotor and stabilizer bar configuration that would become a Bell signature on the legendary Huey and Cobra helicopters.

The powerplant is not bad for a kit this small. Italeri made a good effort to represent the key details. My engine is right out of the box and I'm pleased with how it looks.

Super detailers might want to add a few details here and there but this one looks really nice right out box.

Foot petals, cyclics and collectives are all provided, thank you Italeri for not being lazy. The instrument panel isn't all that bad either.

There are no seat harnesses provided in the kit, but this works out nicely for me since I like to use thin strips of masking tape for better realism.

The kit includes three optional weapon loads. One option is the the XM1 gun system which consisted of two M37C .30-06 machine guns with 500 rounds each fed from a box mounted underneath. Another option included is the M2 gun system using two M60C guns. I chose the most uncommon option which was a quad mounting of the XM1 which is likely an experimental field modification since the weight and recoil from the four guns would all but ruin the handling of the H-13.

This is a very small kit with a lot of nice details included. Italeri did a very nice job and I really enjoyed the build.

Kit: Italeri  #085

Scale: 1/72

Review: 2 sprue trees contain 77 parts molded in gray, 1 tree with 3 transparent parts molded crystal clear and reasonably thin. All parts are free of flash and well formed. Assembly starts with the engine which is represented well by 13 parts. Next is the cockpit represented well with included rotor pedals and cyclics. The tail boom required careful test fitting and sanding but it went together well in the end. Although the frame is molded heavy for the scale, it beats the alternative of using 2-dimensional photo etched brass parts in my opinion. Options are provided for 2 styles of fuel tanks. Three weapon system options are provided - the XM1 consisting of two M37C .30-06 machine guns, or the M2 consisting of two 7.62x51mm M60C machine guns, and a third option with four M37C machine guns.

Decals: Markings are included for 1st. Cav. Vietnam 1956, Troop B, 1st. Sqn. Vietnam 1965, and 1st. Cav. Vietnam 1966. My decals were printed in tight register with accurate coloring but I found that the Stars and Bars insignias were too large so I used replacements from my spares stash.

Paint: Testors Model Master Enamel "Faded Olive Drab" was used overall.

After Market Parts: None.

Customizing: I created seat harnesses using of masking tape, everything else is right out of the box.

Cost: Purchased from Hobbytown USA for $9.00(US) and excellent value.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this kit for any helicopter enthusiast.