M&E Models/Matchbox 1/72 Bell TH-57A SeaRanger

[hsr]

This is a 1/72 Bell TH-57A SeaRanger US Navy basic/advanced helicopter trainer using the Matchbox OH-58 kit and the M&E Models conversion. The M&E conversion was injection molded plastic, not resin, and dated back to 1989. It is for the early TH-57A and was designed for the Matchbox kit. It consisted of 2 fuselage haves molded in very thick translucent plastic, a tail boom, white metal rotor parts, and decals. The interior, fins, skids, and tail rotor come from the Matchbox kit. 

 

The Matchbox interior only needed slight trimming of the bulkhead tops, and while the TH-57 instrument panel was just a centrally located pedestal the kit part was the full width of the from of the cockpit so needed more trimming. Missing were the collective stick and rudder pedals which I added, but given the translucency of windows are hard to see. The rear rudder fin needed to be shortened. The main rotor was left as an exercise for the builder and I made it out of 2 laminated .015 strips of styrene mated to the white metal rotor head. Here are some construction pictures: 

 

Note the white strip of styrene around the top of the "dog house" that forms a little lip that was missing from the fuselage halves.

 

This is what you get from M&E

 

Here it is assembled with the Matchbox parts in in green and brown. Note that the rear of the main skids needed to be shortened a little to give it the right TH-57 stance. Later to be added were 2 exhausts on the top of the dog house. I made them from brass tubing which I found hard to work with and cut and I am less then satisfied with the results.

 

While there seem to be many pictures of  the TH-57B & C, pictures of the A are harder to find, but I did find this one:

 

and used it as a model for painting and decaling. The M&E decals where for a US TH-57A (which deviated slightly from the above picture), and an Israeli and UK Bell 206. I did a test of one of the UK decals and it fell a part in the water. So once again MicroScale Decal Film came to the rescue and mostly solved that problem. 

 

So after all that, here it is:

 

 

 

As an aside in my research I cam across this web site: http://www.jetwashaviationphotos.com/us-navy-air-training-command-.html

Which has a lot of good information about US Navy pilot training including this chart:

 

 

 

which I found very useful. It is a little dated since the TC-12's have been retired and replaced by T-44C's and the TH-57 is in the process of being replaced by the Leonardo TH-73A Thrasher.

 

Next up in the Italeri F-100F Wild Weasel using the Blackbird wings

 

Enjoy.

 

[Booty003]

Great result, looks very smart indeed.

[Shorty84]

Very nice, didn't know the Navy uses them for training. It certainly stands out in any helicopter collection 👍

 

Cheers

Markus

[RMCS]

Lovley 

[Remus389]

It's very neat.

 

I also like the two-blade rotor, it doesn't take up that much space as helicopters usually do.

[bigbadbadge]

This looks great and will certainly stand out in your display, a cracking job .

Chris 

[hsr]

4 hours ago, Remus389 said:

I also like the two-blade rotor, it doesn't take up that much space as helicopters usually do.

Unless they have folding blades like the Dragon SH3D sea King 

 

Thanks

[NMLeonov]

What a great looking trainer you've made, using a somewhat unimpressive conversion kit and scratch-built parts. And to top it all off, it seems like a difficult paint scheme to replicate as well. Excellent display of craftsmanship!

[Bertie McBoatface]

It looked horrible until you got the paint on and transformed it into a lovely model. Well done.

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Super work- I have this in the stash along with a couple of the limited Italeri 206 releases which are now impossible to find ! Please will someone do the brown and beige factory schemes as decals I want to do an A team one! 
 

TT

[hsr]

55 minutes ago, TEXANTOMCAT said:

a couple of the limited Italeri 206 releases which are now impossible to find

I tried to track down an Italeri 206 from 2015, but it was easier to get the M&E conversion from 1989!

 

Thanks

[F-32]

That looks really cool, great effort

[Robertone139]

Good job on that pig's ear.

For the record, there were no external differences between the 57A, B or C, except some perhaps had range extenders fitted to the fuel caps.

The 57B largely replaced the 57A, I flew the last training sortie of a 57A in 1985. The one life saving difference was the presence of air conditioning in the 57B.

The 57Cs were a bit more underperforming as they were IFR rated and loaded with more avionics, they have all now been updated to the D standard with glass cockpits.