World On Fire: The S-64E Skycrane Firefighter

[Stokey Pete]

I’m loving this build, it’s a wonderful kit. It’s the one kit I really wanted to build before I stopped, but it wasn’t available at the time. So now I live my modelling build wish list, vicariously through you guys here. 

[Uncarina]

1 hour ago, Stokey Pete said:

I’m loving this build, it’s a wonderful kit. It’s the one kit I really wanted to build before I stopped, but it wasn’t available at the time. So now I live my modelling build wish list, vicariously through you guys here. 

Great to have you on board! I’ve certainly received inspiration from so many here, hope I can pay it forward.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Uncarina]

For the next update I've added most of the cockpit details and have attached the outer pieces. The fit has been flawless except for the rear section where I'll need a little filler.

 

 

In the photo above you can see the inner door frame next to the crew seat. This is from Reskit and has a perfect fit. You can also see the repainted seat cushions.

 

 

In this photo you can see the Reskit bulkhead added to the rear cockpit along with Kelik details.

 

 

 

With most of the cockpit assembled I'll be moving on the rest of the airframe and things get pretty big pretty fast!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Hubert Boillot]

20 hours ago, Kagemusha said:

 

I think they're quite far apart, no doubt been taken from the shore with a long telephoto lens, apparently a S-64 crashed in Utah yesterday while fighting fires with the loss of both crew members, and there was a collision between two Bell helicopters in Greece last week, the crew of one survived, the other didn't. RIP.

I did a bit of fact checking. Turkey currently rents two S-64, not three, and to Helicopter Express, which has a red and white livery. Until last year, they rented one S-64 from Erickson, in the livery shown on the picture … 

Unfortunately, AI is creeping everywhere, and creating more and more an alternative world. In this case, someone probably thought that showing four fire-fighting helicopters, 3 of them S-64s, would make for a more spectacular picture. I hope it’s just internal work from the newspaper, and that they did not gullibly buy a picture from someone that pretended to have the luck of being just there for a once-in-a-lifetime frame … Whatever, this is tabloid-level of journalism, even if, again, the picture is spectacular …

 

Hubert

[Uncarina]

I mentioned that I had finished most of the cockpit and moved on to the rest of the airframe. I was about to then realized that I still had an important component to add, the cockpit ceiling. The ICM has this as a featureless flat piece as compared to the Reskit counterpart:

 

 

 

How could I turn this down? Note the cutout with exposed girders and wiring, along with the 3d switch panels that come with the set. It may be difficult to impossible to see once the build is completed, but we know it's there!

 

 

 

Since I took these photos I have indeed moved on to the airframe and will post another update soon.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[geedubelyer]

 

No way you painted those switch panels Tom? 

 

Outstanding 

[Uncarina]

7 minutes ago, geedubelyer said:

 

No way you painted those switch panels Tom? 

 

Outstanding 

Thanks! Wish I could take credit for it, but all credit goes to Reskit/Kelik for the 3D decals and molding. Note that Reskit sells these sets in two versions: a basic version with flat surfaces that you apply the decals to (provided by Reskit, and I suspect made by Kelik), and the advanced version with all the switches, knobs, and gauges molded in.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[geedubelyer]

It looks amazing 

[Uncarina]

4 minutes ago, geedubelyer said:

It looks amazing 

I agree--the Reskit sets have amazing fit, detail, and engineering, even if they are intimidating at first with all of the delicate cutting out of the 3D printed parts. I have just about every Reskit set for the S-64E with most of them quite visible. I have a lot ofwork to do!

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Mals Way]

Yaih.....This is King Kong in detailed cockpit.

 

Love it 

[Uncarina]

6 minutes ago, Mals Way said:

Yaih.....This is King Kong in detailed cockpit.

 

Love it 

Thanks Mal! It sure has been fun so far.

 

Cheers, Tom

[IainM]

Just catching up on this build! Bloomin' marvelous!!!!

[Uncarina]

4 minutes ago, IainM said:

Just catching up on this build! Bloomin' marvelous!!!!

Thanks Iain! I appreciate it.

 

Cheers,  Tom

[Confusionreigns178]

On 8/6/2026 at 10:23 PM, Kagemusha said:

I came across this stunning photo in an article on the fires in Turkey.

I have a suspicion that the first image has been heavily-Photoshopped (or AI'd - much more likely these days). Those Skycranes are way too close to each other for safety. 

 

It's still a cool photo, though.

 

Chris.

 

PS: Whoops! I posted this comment before having read the whole of the thread. Apologies. 

Edited August 14 by Confusionreigns178
Adding some info.

[Kagemusha]

39 minutes ago, Confusionreigns178 said:

I have a suspicion that the first image has been heavily-Photoshopped (or AI'd - much more likely these days). Those Skycranes are way too close to each other for safety. 

 

It's still a cool photo, though.

 

Chris.

 

PS: Whoops! I posted this comment before having read the whole of the thread. Apologies. 

 

I was intending to reply to Hubert's post, but life...

 

I looked up the photo, which I'd stored on my phone, and the article is three years old, not that it isn't AI, but perhaps less likely, and you would like to think it genuine.

 

Anyway, Tom is doing sterling work on the kit, thoroughly enjoyed the journey.