New CH-53E build

Modeling Subjects Helicopters
21

O,

Great advice, and I will try it out. I have some thick card stock in 11x17 sheets, I am going to practice on that with my airbrush and just try and get the muscle memory back. I finally sprung for an iwata airbrush, time to put the Aztek/Model master out to pasture. I still have my tried and true pasche and it is good for large areas. So onto the garage for practice.

Bill, I agree, I will follow along with Gino here and weather the Stallion with the methods I am comfortable with now, as I want to box it up and get it to my Marine Buddy.

But, you have to admit a 1/35th scale CH-53K…would be kinda fun. But, I also have talked with a lot of the manufacturers when I would go to the shows in California. Namely TamiyaCon, IPMS Orange County, Bob Keller show, and folks would always flood them with quesitons on why they didn’t make X subject in X, Y, Z scale. Its dollars and cents period. We (Helicopter enthusiasts) are sort of at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to modeling subjects other than 1/72. With the new releases in 1/35th and keeping step with armor releases its fantastic the H-60’s, AH-6’s even a 1/35th CH-47, that have graced our local hobby shop shelves. Look at the models Gino has done, fantastic! Kittyhawk is for sure putting out product and their price point is not that bad for all that plastic, so consumers are getting the subjects they want to build.

I am hoping that the kit manufacturers will continue this line of thought and expand their lines out to other type/model/series helos. With the continous evolution of 3D modeling, to direct additive manufacturing ( i.e. 3D printing) making the molds and injection production has completely changed since the early days of Aurora and Monogram (to name only a few) would engineer the dye, then manufacture the dye then stamp out the product, and if the kit was a success, retool the dye and make another run. CNC maching with computers, laser cutters etc, make quick business of desiging dyes and tooling to run these plastic kits. But, as I once was told by a wise Marine general when I was in the pentagon, “It’s not all about the money, it’s ALL, about the money”.

So we helicopter lovers are slaves to the P-51’s and the F-35’s of the world. Because thats what folks like to build…and well, I am a plastiholic…so I do to!

Rant officially over…!

OBTW- - - I did just buy a Kittyhawk UH-1N in 1/35th scale for one of my HMLA-369 bubbas!! Never built 1/35th scale other than armor, I am super excited to get in on the bench!

Gy Dan

22

Oh imagine what we civil aircraft and ship modelers have to put up with. The old “if it doesn’t have guns, it doesn’t sell” routine.

Bill

23

Gunny, are you sure it isn’t 1/48? If it is Kitty Hawk, theirs is in 1/48. If it is 1/35, it is either by Dragon or Panda. They are the same kit, just reboxed by Dragon with different decals, weapons, and PE.

24

Crap Sir, you are right, it is Panda, my bust!!

Still a scale I have never tackled. And, I am excited to give her a whirl.

Gunny

25

The Panda kit isn’t horrible, just not up to today’s standards. It can be made into a very nice model with a bit of work. The biggest thing is the oversized rivets. Give it a light sanding overall to knock them down a bit.

You might find some pointers here: http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/16/t/164152.aspx?page=1

Results.

26

Gino,

Great build log. I surfed over there this morning. When the kit arrives I will certainly post my progress for help and advice.

My buddy wants the GAU-21 on the DAS mount, vice the GAU-16, and a GAU-17 on the other side vice the M240D/M60. So I will be on the look out for those. The mini gun is out there I have seen it on many a model, H-60, UH-1Y, but the GAU-21 may be a little harder to find.

r/Gy

27

PM sent on the above weapons.

28

PM sent.

r/Gy

29

[Y] I use 5 minute epoxy on glass.

30

good thought…I will look into that!!

r/Gy

31

Weekend update:

So I finished up the rotorhead this weekend. Overall I am happy with it. I received the ResKit MRH upgrade kit in the mail this weekend as well. Lot of parts. I really like it however as it has seperate MRH dampers, droop stops and Pitch Control Rods (PCRs) that are much more to scale then the MRC provided ones. I have another 53E on the bench and it is going to get this MGB, and MRH in the build.

Painted MRH, weathered with Tamiya weathering pallete

I have the MRB tip cap harness to install next on all (7) blades, paint the color code on the MRH S&S’s, then paint the IBIS indicators, and finish the weathering and dull coat.

32

received the ResKit TRH, and Blades as well. They are very thin, and appear to be better scale then the kit provided TRH, Blades.

Comparison of the kit unweathered TRH, and the ResKit:

I like the outcome of the resin upgrade. The TR blades are much more to scale, and the TRH itself is very detailed, the TR positioner crown, as well as the TR actuator for tail pylon fold is present and looks very nice. The milkstool and pitch change shaft and crown are also in the resin kit. The MRC kit gives you these, but they are molded a little out of scale.

Onto decaling…glosscoat…etc…

33

Looks great so far! The interior is awesome!

34

Thanks Fly-n-hi!! work in progress for sure!!

35

Update:

Worked on the XM-218’s for the windows of this build. I am using the kit provided machine guns and cross bars for this build. I did purchase some upgraded brass barrells and barrell jackets for the guns. This will be the part of the gun most seen as it sticks out of the crew door and gunners window. I do see there are some nice aftermarket .50 cals out there in resin in 1/48th scale. The ones I researched and eventually purchased are actually GAU-16’s molded in a soft cradle ( i.e. recoil attenuation) they are used by our UH-1N platforms and we do not have these in the CH-53D/E community. Our guns were at the time of this particular CH-53E depiction, rigid mounted, i.e. plain pintle and yoke assembly no recoil attenuation. Mounted on a crossbar pinned to the wall mounted gun mounts. Lots of vibrations and wear put into the airframe due to these .50’s being mounted in the way there were.

Today in the entire fleet of CH-53E, CH-53K, UH-1Y, MV-22B we utilize the new GAU-21 .50 cal produced by FN Herstal in Belgium. All of the installations utilize the FN cradle system which provides recoil/counter recoil attenuation. Extremely lower vibration loads transmitted into the airframe, much higher rate of fire, and 300/600 round ammo box options vice single 100 rnd cans.

I have yet to find these in 1/48th scale in an aftermarket resin, but I am keeping my eyes out.

Heavyarty, Gino pointed me in the right direction for some really great 1/35th scale GAU-21’s as well as other armament I need fo rthe UH-1N model thats on the bench now.

after removing the kit barrell, I used my pin vice with a .06 drill so I could fit the new parts.

some gun metal MM, and a light wash of titanium MM metalizer

The receivers are not the best looking, and there is a wolfpack upgrade set I am trying to source, that has some nice gun upgrades in it, so when I get that I will for sure include that build in my next 53E.

The glosscoat is dry and decaling shall commence…if I can find those damn reading glasses…

36

Coming along nicely. The AM barrels do add a lot to the guns.

37

Fuselage and decaling update:

I applied my glosscoat and allowed it to dry for two days prior to beginning the decal phase of the build. There are a ton of decals for this kit. More placards than I remember on the actual aircraft!! [:O]

This aircraft is an early LGG/DDG version with flat black modexing. This is what my marine buddy requested.

I had one VHF antenna give up on me, I will reattach with a wire base, it is on the tunnel cowlings back by the tail pylon, I knew it was weak when I put it on…I should’ve known better…

More pictures tonight of the final decaling as it has taken me two days just to do all of the decals I felt he wanted and could see in the gray/gray scheme.

Next weathering and the washes, to give it that fleet 53E look…!!

r/Gy

38

Weekend update:

Well things were interesting on the 53E this weekend. I noticed that not one, but all my decals bubbled up? I used a basecoat of future floor wax, and did not like the gloss / semi gloss it had. So after a three day dry on the future, I went over it with plain old testors glosscoat out of a can. Let that dry 24 hours, and I decaled the airframe. Decals were applied with water, and micro-sol were needed, and dried. Decals sat for 3 days, before I applied another glosscoat (testors spraycan again) to seal in my decals prior to weathering.

When I got the model back on the bench I noticed the black walkways the most, but almost every decal bubbled. I was able to use some microsol and get them to lay flat again. The walkways were the worst, I really think I am going to airbrush those next time anyways.

But I have never had a bubbling issue with using the testors system for decaling. Glosscoat, microset/microsol, glosscoat to seal, weather, pastels, oil wash, then a testors dullcoat for the final topcoat. In the pics below you can see some of the decals. Very dissapointed, but tried my best to save the build.

I have the final pics to post tonight as everything is dry and assy ready to be boxed up for my SgtMaj friend. Read over some of the “How to’s” on the forum for photography and I will shoot some pics utilizing those tips.

r/Gy Dan

39

oh…and I think I can practice a lot and get one of these builds to look good

by the time I am thru these, I should be able to nail one of em! [<:o)]

can you say plastiholic…

Gy

40

Most excellent. I’ve been wanting to do a Vietnam jolly green giant. I see you have 2 revell kits. Any interest in parting with one?