What’s the word? Anybody built this thing? How far off the real deal is it? I’m looking at turning one into an HH-47G for the CSAR-X Group Build.
I recently bought Italeri’s SOAR-Hook and seem to recall that those two kits (Revell and Italeri) are one the re-box of the other.
I can take some shots of the sprues so that you can see how the parts look like.
Sal
I’ve got the Italeri kit too and from what Alby’s told me, it and the RoG kit are the same. The big difference is the decal sheet. He said the RoG sheet puts the Italeri one to shame, that it contains a lot more stencils.
As for accuracy, Alby has a write up on the kit here on ARC and I’ve got some pix from a guy in Australia I sent some SOAR decals to of his completed MH-47E that I’ll send ya so you can see a completed kit for yourself.
Hi Sal,
I took the liberty of combining the picture of Albert’s Italeri MH-47E from my website, and the MH-47G that was at Redstone Arsenal a couple weeks ago. As you can see, there are a few minor structural displacements from the manufacturer that should be an easy fix.
Hope this helps a little for a comparison.
Take care,[:)]
Frank
You guys are the Heat!!! Thanks for the info. I’m gonna go ahead and pull the trigger (sorry Grant) on one.
Hmmmm…just thinking of the HH-47G…Looks like were talking about at least 3 and maybe four gunner positions. I suspect a front left and right gun position, with the right gun being able to swivel out of the way for hoist ops, a right rear gun position, and I would think we’d put a .50 on the ramp for rear aspect threats. Our current gunners are gonna love to hear that!! But I will say (as a guy riding the hoist) that the current hoist position and steps worry me a little. That thing is a ways out there and as we learned in the Pavehawk by losing a PJ in Korea, ya need to keep that cable away from any squared/sharp edged metal like that step/hatch. That’s why we put that round bar you see on the right underside of the Pavehawk.
Sal, I saw a Boeing illustration of the proposed HH-47G showing a downed pilot being hoisted up and thought about just that when I saw the open steps. Do you think that lower door would be removed and some sort of netting would be set in place in the doorway?
Yeah…saw the same illustration. In fact it (along with another graphic [;)]) have been posted on half the desks around the squadron. Also saw the walkaround…good stuff. Here’s what’s been thrown around at the squadron:
Basically everything were seeing right now are initial proposals and actual 160th MH-47G Mods/configurations. While the HH-47G will no doubt have many if not all of these systems, some things will be added or changed. One is going to have to be the lower starboard front door hatch/steps. At the very least a sort of round tube bumper assemble to prevent the hoist cable from contacting the steps. We’re thinking that there will be 5 actual gun positions. Mission will dictate which 5 are actually manned, and it will give us a mix of GAU-2B (M-134 for you Army types) and 50 Cals. Two forward (left and right), two rearward (left and right) and a ramp position. The starboard forward gun will swivel out of the way just like the current MH-47G (and like the HH-3’s used to do) for hoist Ops. The port rear position will probably end up being enlarged just like the current starboard rear gun position/window. If for no other reason than to increase scanner visibility. The ramp position might depend on whether or not fast rope Ops/SPIE or ladder Ops are going to be conducted, although we’ve done them before off the ramp of Pave Lows with the ramp gun installed. That’s a big wide bird and the ass-end is a vulnerable place. The chaff/flare buckets will probably be upgraded to the current ones we use on the Pavehawks (better buckets) and there’ll probably be DIRCM. We’re also supposed to get some sort of environmentally controlled internal medical work station/cabin which will have all the necessary powers supplies for certain medical equipment. The hoist position/mount itself may even be modified somewhat.
Anyway, it’ll be real interesting to see what she ends up looking like…that is of course if the fighter mafia caves in and gives us our Pavehawk replacement.
Hell, rumor has it the Pave Lows might even be sticking around longer than what we thought. Nobody wants to put all there eggs into one V-22 basket…even the Marines (CH-53K?)
Great pics!
Thanks for sharing.
Awesome photos!!! Thanks Trigger!
Avus, would you be so kind to post couple of pics of your Italeri MH-47E? How is their minigun BTW?
Andy
I’ll try to get some shots tonight.
The miniguns don’t look bad considering the scale (1/72), but there is room for improvements. [:D]
The times I saw someone being hoisted by this set up, they would only open the CE door after the personnel had been winched all the way up and they were ready to pull him inside.
Take care, [:)]
Frank
Frank,
WOW!!! Never seen anything like that before. Actually, our SOP has the FE manning the hoist and maintaining visual contact with the PJ (or whomever) on the hoist at all times. In fact he’s continually talking to the A/C letting him know the survivor/PJ position, hoist position, potential obsticals and such. He’ll even direct the A/C to “Come right 5ft”, “Come Left 10 ft”, “Hold your Hover”, “Come up 10ft”. Especially during water hoists in realtively high seastates. You don’t want to shock load the hoist cable with anybody on the other end or you could loose everything. If you’re doing a hoist from a vessel, the FE is also looking to keep the cable and any occupants out of the rigging. It’s a constant chatter. The co-pilot, gunner(s) and any PJ’s left onboard are all also scanning for threats or obstacles. I couldn’t imagine not having any eyes on the cable, survivor or PJ during a hoist.
Avus,
Pics would be cool brutha!
Let me post this (potentially very stupid) question:
Could the CE door be redesigned to open by sliding forward along the side of the fuselage, similar to how the door on the HH-3 and main H-60 doors open and forgo the steps in favor of some sort of foot holds?
Is that a possibility or just another one of my bat-s#!t crazy ideas?
Avus,
I didn’t say, nor did I mean to imply, there were “no eyes” on the cable, PJ, or survivor.
I said, “…they would only open the CE door after the personnel had been winched all the way up and they were ready to pull him inside.” I guess I should have specified the bottom half (steps) of the CE door. During the simulated crew recovery I witnessed, the top of the CE door was retracted and the bottom closed, with the FE leaning out/looking down at the hoisting operation. When the survivor was dangling just under the hoist, the steps were lowered, the survivor retrieved, then the door was pulled back closed.
Take care,
Frank
Sorry 'bout that Frank. Got the wrong mental picture there. Thanks for the explanation and yeah…that makes a heck of a lot more sense.
Grant,
Actually, they’re already planning on widening the door, but we haven’t heard anything about the bumper bar, support or lower door configuration. If not programed into the intial birds, I’m pretty dang sure that it would be a 422 TES (presumably) add on prior to IOC. I got something in mind for my Pave Hook for the Group Build…let that imagination run wild brutha for yours as well.[:D]
Managed to get the pics online.
Follow the following link: [:D]
http://album.foto.alice.it/klaus_models/957614
Never said anithing like that! [:D]
Guess something went wrong with “copy-paste”.
Encouraging my imagination huh? Be careful what you wish for [}:)] - that reminds me - Cliff Clavin delivered the basis for my RESCORT concept yesterday. Heh heh heh…
Back to the Italeri/RoG kit for a moment - Looking at the composit pic Frank posted here and is it just me, of does it look like the front doghouse needs the forward part of that “canal” filled in?
Sorry Klaus… I meant “Sal”… 
Grant: Yes, on the Italeri kits and all those who use it’s mold, the groove on the top/front of the Doghouse does need filling to appear accurate. Examples of the minor fixes pictured below:
Take care, and sorry for the mis-quote. [:)]
Frank
Avus,
Thanks a lot for the sprue pics!
I think I have to buy one for myself too)))))
BTW I asked about miniguns cuz I knew you wanna use one of them for your Helix project.
Andy