RAY's Presidential CH-53E Sea Stallion

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

I'll be jumping in with an Italeri CH-53E.

 

It will be in the  markings of a HMX-1 aircraft from the Presidential Support Squadron as per this Fujimi kit

 

The reason I am not using the Fujimi kit is that the plastic in the box is for a CH-53D, the decals are for an E,  Fujimi don't have moulds for the CH-53E! I believe HMX-1 did operate CH-53Ds at one time, will have to do some research.

 

The CH-53E kit was picked up at a club sale from a deceased estate sale about 5 years ago, it had 1 1/2 kits in it with some sprues from the CH-53D kit in it

 

I also have the Hawkeye Models Australia decal sheet for a the HMX-1 CH-53E so I may use parts from both decal sheets to finish it off.

 

So what to do with the Fujimi kit? Well I found some Navy decals for a RH-53D for it, so If I get my finger out and finish this first build in time I might build the Fujimi kit as well.

[JOCKNEY]

Great choice Ray, 

Looks like quite a big aircraft when its finished, so it will look great in your collection.

Good luck with the build

cheers Pat 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Cheers Pat,

 

I have built one of these about 20 years ago in Marines colours, it is still in the cabinet. Might be time to retire that one when this one is finished

[trickyrich]

i say it will!

 

I've been chasing the Academy 1/48th version, though unfortunately I haven't yet found on for less than $250 USD!!  I really would like to add one to the stash.

 

Theres a nice little bit about these and the new VH-92A chopper here.

 

New Marine One VH-92A

[Whirly]

Hello RAY,

great choice! It's a subject I'd like to do but never could get my hands on the Fujimi kit, if only for the decals. 

I didn't know about the alternative offered by Hawkeye Models: are they regular decals or ALPS printed?

Thank you

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Hey Whirly, Hawkeye Decals are a combination of Laser printed with screen printed backing whites.

 

Hawkeye also offer VH-3D, VH-60 and CH-46 HMX-1 decals. At one time they offered a VH-60 conversion as well which I have somewhere.

[stevej60]

Now this I'm really looking forward to Ray,I love these VIP configured helicopter's whatever the make.

[andyf117]

17 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

The reason I am not using the Fujimi kit is that the plastic in the box is for a CH-53D, the decals are for an E,  Fujimi don't have moulds for the CH-53E! I believe HMX-1 did operate CH-53Ds at one time, will have to do some research.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Thanks Andy,

 

Looks like the decals supplied in the Fujimi kit are correct for a D model, why did Fujimi box it with an E as the picture?

 

So I now have a dilema, build the Fujimi D kit OOB (later) or build it in the scheme of a Gulf War RH-53D? (which I have the decals for)

[andyf117]

Don't know what BuNo Fujimi give you, but I've identified four VH-53Ds: 157166, 157755, 157756 and 157930...

....the BuNo should be presented in similar style to the Marine Corps titles - something Hawkeye got wrong on their VH-3 sheet - Microscale have it right on 72-445 (the rip-off version on PrintScale 72-135 is a disaster!)...

[Whirly]

16 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

Hey Whirly, Hawkeye Decals are a combination of Laser printed with screen printed backing whites.

Thanks  Ray, I wonder how they can handle the white USMC script with this combination.

[Hewy]

Nice choice ray, i believe italeri are  re releasing the super stallion kit sometime this year,  i look forward to this

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Here are my previously built H-53s.

 

A USMC CH-53E from 2002, I got the greys wrong, it is supposed to be 2 shades, they are there but too close to discern.

 

And a RAAF (What-If) MH-53E built in 2008

 

So it is high time I built another.

[Col.]

Certainly looks as if you know what you're doing with this kit Ray  

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Yep Col, should be a walk in the park

 

Well the previous owner started parts of the kit so I decided to get some paint of those parts and get this build going.

 

It will make painting the consoles and collectives a tab difficult but it should not be too much of an issue.

 

[Hockeyboy76]

Looks like your in for a fun build. Good luck Ray

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Some minor assembly done, seam puttying mostly and installation of the rotor mast

 

[Col.]

Everything looks to be going together well for you Ray  

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Thanks Col, this build may be multiplying soon.

 

I found a great picture of CH-53D with a slightly different PRES scheme and am tempted to start it as well.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Right, time to drag this thread up from page 4.

 

With other distractions out of the way, I am resuming with this distraction.

 

I have now assembled the fuselage. It is in 3 parts, the lower fuselage and floor went on first and then I add the the other side piece and began to persuade it to stay in place with various fixing methods

 

The engine mounts were next, those eagle eyed out there will notice the different colour engine filtered intakes, they are from what I believe is a Fujimi kit

 

As I may have mentioned previously, this was a deceased estate sale pick up some years ago with 1 1/2 kits included, plus some extra stuff like troop seats. Even with all the extra parts I have found I am missing a piece which can be made up from the extras on a spare sprue.

 

The underside, as you can see another Fujimi part, the upper rear door. I found the correct part after this was all together.

 

The Fujimi door part is slightly longer than the Italeri part so there will be some adjusting of the blanking plate that goes in behind it when the time comes. I also applied some filler to obvious spots that needed it, more to be applied to the upper seam next.

 

Inspection of the next steps also showed the original MLG parts are missing but Fujimi parts present, but the method to attach them is different, the Italeri legs fit into holes in the wheel well ceiling while the Fujimi parts are sandwiched between the sponson halves. It should be an easy fix.

 

[bianfuxia]

Such a mad chopper. I love the RAAF scheme you built - every helicopter immediately looks 100 times cooler in that Aussie colour scheme. Same with F-111s, the old cammo scheme was insane. 

 

Living in DC I see a lot of helicopters at very low altitude, including the VIP Sea Kings and Sea Hawks but I haven't seen this one. I ride my bike at a place called Hains Point along the Potomac and there is often a Blackhawk (sometimes the VIP one) banging past super low (I guess because Reagan airport is across the river, it's pretty congested air space).

[Filler]

Great work bringing the two different kits together. I’m guessing the crew door will be posed open? 

[Planebuilder62]

Dear Ray

Does the exhaust for the central engine really stick out that far on the 1:1 helicopters?
 

regards Toby

[desert falcon]

Good progress so far!

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

23 hours ago, Filler said:

Great work bringing the two different kits together. I’m guessing the crew door will be posed open? 

Thanks,

 

I'm not sure yet but you have opened a small can of worms with regards to the config of the open door.

On the D models the window portion opens in and is hinged across the top of the frame, the lower portion opens down and out with stairs built in. But this does not hold up for all D models as I found a picture of an Israeli CH-53D with the  E model door set up (as below).

 

 

On most E models the upper part is like the D but the lower part is hinged to open in and a single rung ladder used (Sometimes)

 

 

 

There are not many HMX-1 CH-53E pictures around with the crew door open. I managed to find one, and guess what, it looks like it has the CH-53D door set up (my head is hurting now)

 

Here is the picture, you can just make out the lower portion of the door open hanging down below the fuselage line just in front of the sponson.

 

EDIT: Found a better picture which confirms the D model door configuration, it also shows a winch  and the refueling probe fitted

 

So I will see how I feel about opening it, but I do like the challenge of having it open!

 

22 hours ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Dear Ray

Does the exhaust for the central engine really stick out that far on the 1:1 helicopters?
 

regards Toby

Dear Toby,

 

You are correct it does not. The Italeri instructions are not clear and the pieces do not have definitive locating parts, I fitted it without looking at any reference pitures. So I will have to reshape it a tad to give it a shape closer to the actual thing. This is what it is supposed to look like: