Tank

Swabbies paint up a nice tail. 👍

While disappointed I understand. Nobody currently has any CMV decals out. https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Navy/Bell-Boeing-CMV-22B-Osprey/6937373 There is always more aircraft not covered especially in 1/72. https://in.pinterest.com/pin/pinterest--291959988353038314/ https://theaviationist.com/2018/11/02/check-out-this-awesome-sinister-looking-mv-22-osprey-in-special-color-scheme-at-mcas-miramar-on-halloween/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/805581452068178131/ https://www.navy.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId

While not a fan of the divots, that fight appears lost as manufacturers prefer it. What makes the bottom gross to me is the over scaled raised panels. Looks worse the F-35 tape issue. Given the appearance of fit issues, divots might work in our favor. Feels like the air intakes should be visible open and not just raised plastic. I will probably pass on the kit, mainly for the scale issue as 1/32-35 doesn’t fit my helo needs but the results so far don’t make me want to change for this kit.

Must of missed it when I checked the site before. 😎 Any plans for a decal sheet for the Osprey? So far your sheets have been only 1/48, any thoughts about going smaller to 1/72, if planning on doing a sheet? Hasegawa has made a few releases in 1/72.

Now that Nats has passed, any updates?

That’s fair, they are sometimes called Copy Boss for a reason. Many of the 1/72 helos are copies of other kits with a few parts pre assembled.

Not saying it’s not possible but it looks more inspired by not copied, imho. Besides the number and background. The camo scheme color and design, no main rotor shadow, looks like the Trumpeter kit is slightly more banked.

@fillupthetank lovely work. 👍👍 @doupnik any pics to share? That might a great marketing idea once sorted out. Even if just a pattern to add styrene on top. 🧐 Right now ICM seems the best hope for a 53 in any scale.

So the Navy doesn’t want to be navy. You can speak navy but you cannot read navy. Why does that make so much sense to me. 🤣

Based on the fuel tank, I am curious to see what your avionics rack and weapons stations look like. I want to start building my fuel tank soon based your information, so thank you for that again.

That could be and Gunny can set us straight. Given the 53 is basically a Navy/Marine aircraft I would have an expectation that port/starboard would have been used to say left/right. We are (sea) creatures of habitat and a little militant about it. 😄 Going back to looking at the illustration, they used right side for the Forward TACAN so it seems that theory is out port/starboard, at least on the illustration. Swinging with the wing has its perks. 😎

On Gunny’s last graphic on the page 4 it shows two Omega antennas. One on top of the tail listed Omega RH and shown occasionally in the photos that I was hyper focused on. The other was shown on the bottom just forward of the AFT Tacan. Based on the labeling I think that might be for the CH models? Seems strange to have a mix but unless looking up the individual buno maintenance records (not sure even that would help if it still existed) to see what was done to each aircraft.

Please post your work. Based on your internal fuel tank efforts, it would very helpful to modelers.

Seems not all birds had it but the closest bird appears to have the omega antenna. This maybe the same bird at 1:31 mark. Here is another with the antenna installed and appears to not be the same bird but w/o seeing the modex it’s hard to know. So just like the other features like installed and painted rear windows, nose gear door, etc. Which bird you want to build matters or like so many other subjects, pick a photo and model to that.

Larger size. https://www.themodellingnews.com/2024/07/preview-22-135th-apaches-on-werners.html?m=1