Sikorsky S-43, Nils Mathisrud, 1/72 Sword/Special Hobby Kit

The basic kit represents the military version of the S-43 that was used by the US Navy with the designation JRS-1. To correctly model Valkyrien, I made a few modifications. The most obvious modification relates to the passenger windows: One window on the right hand side forward of the wheel well was covered up, and one window either side of the fuselage was added. The outline of the sliding hatch either side of the rear fuselage were filled in. A recess on the nose as well as some raised ribs on the forward fuselage were removed, and conversely, some raised ribs to the hull were added from plastic strips. The interior is well furnished with good detail in the cockpit and seats for the main cabins. The exact configuration of the smoking lounge in Valkyrien is not clear, but Pan American Airways\' aircraft had benches along the fuselage sides. The area between the cockpit and cabin is void of details, thus I added some bulkheads for lavatory, radio operator position and luggage compartment to improve this area. Not much can be seen on the finished model, but it prevents a see-through effect where there should be none. Curtains for the cabin were added as they are clearly seen through the windows on the finished model. I made my own decals for the model. The artwork has since been used by Lima November Decals to produce decals for this kit.