YF65_CH53E

Dutch, You are correct and I stand corrected. I gave bad gouge. The MCH-101 is now the AMCM replacement for the MH-53E Sea Dragon for the JMSDF. When I was in the program office the plan was for both JMSDF and JGSDF to deploy one Type/Model/Series and at that time is was the CV/MV-22B variant. The JGSDF has a procurement goal today of (17) aircraft. They are hybrid CV/MV/MCV-22B's. They carry the avionics array of USAF CV's and USN MCV's, but they do not have the extended range tanks of the USN MCV-22B, they have the standard tanks of the USMC MV-22B. Other ACM po

Concur 100% with that!! Gunz

As one of the posters already said the Academy MH-53E was re-released during COVID, but only made it to a few eBay sites and not the US market at all. So they both CH-53E/MH-53E continue to demand a high price when you can find them. Academy had said at the 2020 IPMS show they would release it again, but that could've been "show bar talk" for all I know from the vendors. The JMSDF MH-53E's are retired now, so only thing out there is the 1/72nd scale models by Italeri, and the 1/48th scale offerings by Wolfpack JMSDF MH-53E, the Academy MH-53E and the MonoChrome JMSDF MH-53E. (Whi

Well, A year ago I would've said you were right Tank, but seeing a 1/35th scale release of a CH-47, sort of blew me away. It makes the 1/48th scale Academy CH-53E look small, and we all know the real thing ain't small!! So a 1/48th scale or even a 1/35th scale CH-53K is not out of the question at all. One can hope and pray, but we will will see, as it will be a mountain of plastic in that box. a 1/72 CH-53K may serve as a market test to see if a larger scale would do well, I think it would, but I am way biased!! Certainly, you CAN NOT re-release a 1/72 sc

Andy, Your MH and HH builds are fantastic and to think they are in 1/72 scale just blows my mind. I know my friend Mason Doupnik is doing a MH-53J right now in 1/48th, and he has put a ton of time in on the interior of the old Revell/1:48 scale kit. He is adding ResKit details, as well as a ton of scratch built PAVELOW interior items. The 1:48 scale kit just screams to have scratch built interior items added to it. I am sure if you did Resin casts of your MH in 1/72 scale or god please in 1/48th they would be a hit!! r/Dan

Mike, Great photos of that IHAS project, I had seen the external pics, but NEVER saw the cockpit layout, lots of things in there that are NOT conventional, very cool. Great references for sure!!!

HOLY MOLY...................love it, if you ever replicate it in resin...and in 1/48th.....I'm in for the non-reoccuring engineering costs!!!

😮😮

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, thanks for sharing Andy!! 1/72 scale as well.....my old tired eyes couldn't even imagine. Gunny

Paul, Love that paint scheme as well, of note as well is the "Bat" in the insignia yellow on the rocket pod, appears to be the only jet with it. The Giant "C" on the tail is interesting as well. Denoting the Commanders aircraft? Interesting markings for sure. Someone detailed this airplane out for some reason. The flag, the tail "C", the insignia yellow with black stars, the Bat...its a pretty nifty fifty Scorpion! Always reminds me of "Jet Pilot" with John Wayne.....the "Mig" was a black painted F-89. Cool movie.

Dutch, I have that photo, but with no explanation. Interesting that SAC put on the picture "VH-53D". From the tree line, I am "guessing" this is MCAF Quantico. I have a couple of pics of MX-23, and I believe the designation on the fuselage is: "CH-53D" "157390" I will dig in the archive and make double sure. I am sure SAC painted the aircraft, into HMX-1 "Whiteside" livery, and they may have done some other mods USMC/USN Airframe Changes etc as this airframe started life as a HH-53 with mother Air Force.....but I know they never installed a presidential li

Mike, As Dutch said the CH-53D's assigned to HMX-1 were not designated "VH's". The only time that designation was used was the color art literature that Sikorsky put out to possibly win a contract for a "VH-53D" set of aircraft. Concept art, and that's all the farther it went. You are correct NAVAIRSYSCOM let a contract for more VH-3D aircraft with the white side presidential required interior installed in them. I think some of us call the White Top 53D's VH's as they are easily identifiable by their color scheme, and they did do some early testing on the lawn, but as we all know that

Well there you have it photographic proof. Nicely done Andy!! Now to find out the BuNo of the mystery ship. Also of note is all three appear to have early drop tanks with a canted down angle, representative of the HH-53 model where we know HMX-1 got their first H-53's from. The plot thickens..................... Gunz

TIA, The Revell kit re-tooled their offering and included the CH-53E style blades and upgraded bat wings and 650 gallon tanks to model the CH-53G/GS. The Reskit 650 gallon tanks are indeed picture #4. The kit supplied tanks in the new CH-53G/GS are correct tanks for both a USMC, USN, and USAF late H-53's. In picture #3, you can use the original batwings and tanks from the Revell kit early release and your batwings will be correct. Remember if you choose to do the picture #4 USAF version, you will need to modify the CH-53G/GS batwings by cutting out some of the fairin

We had physical stops in the gun mount so you could not shoot the tank. Elevation and traversing stops were built into each weapons mount. A. To ensure largest field of fire available B. Not to shoot the tanks C. Not to shoot the rotor arc Yes, in high angle of bank is the CH-53A with early M-60 machine guns installed you may hit the rotor tips while firing. In 2003, on the CH-53E, when we put the new GAU-21 .50 cal's in the aircraft we had to verify 1960's fields of fire that were in the NATOPS, Operating Handbook. Anyways we found the NATOPS to be incorrect an

462....but who's counting!! It is definitely a fun configuration management nightmare!! Gy

The support pylons or "bat wings" are indeed different in these pics. But the tanks themselves are the same 650 gallon tank made by a company in Irvine CA, today, and they support the Israeli Yassur H-53 as well as the German G/GS 53's. The pic Kursad just posted of the "early" tanks on that HH-53 are very much to be "rumored" F-105 tanks, modified to fit on the early bat wings. Trying to get a solid refence from the PAVE CAVE guys to cement this statement. Gunny

Stephen, Yes those are the current CH-53E tanks, as well as the last tanks flown on the MH-53J/M PAVELOW III. Those tanks would also be correct for a USMC CH-53D. The early HH-53B, HH-53C, RH-53D tanks in 1/48th scale are still elusive, and not done by anyone I know of either 3D printed or in Resin. There are some 1/72 scale tanks out there for the early USAF drop tanks with the correct fins, but the overall size of the tank is not exactly correct but close. Over on the CH-53 reference page there is a discussion on tanks and photos of the various tanks.

in jest? you say? oh my, I spent some time on google on that one......my fault, hook, line and sinker....I will go back to my purple crayons.... r/Gunny

Kursad, Not sure who mentioned the "scratch building" comments, but according to Domestic/International trade laws I have looked into, I have not found a reference at all pertaining to the inclusion of multiple versions of Type/Model/Series subjects in one particular boxing of a scale model product. As others have stated many, if not all the kit manufacturers out there provide the instructions/markings/painting guidelines as "recommendations" to build the model to match the box art. "Scratch Building" parts to get the exact BuNo/Ser # you want is a normal practice. So the indus

FANTASTIC!!! Gy

Love that T-bird, nice to see that kit built up. And, it turned out to be a stunner. r/Gunny

Ron, As far as I know the Reskit 1/48th CH-53D or as they call it "6-blade" version can be built spread or folded. The picture shows the Sleeve & Spindles in their folded "open" positions. I believe in the instructions it shows you how to glue them in the spread or folded positions. I will open up my Reskit MRH's and check for you to be sure. If it is sold molded in only the folded position, it would be very easy to carefully cut at the fold hinge and glue the S&S in their spread positions. Again I will double check my stash of Reskit stuff and verify.

Kursad, One would hope with the popularity of the Hobby Boss 1/48th scale release, Hobby Boss would do the enlarged sponsons and the upgraded avionics antennas. The HF antenna, the added SATCOMM etc could be included in a future release. Especially if Japan and Taiwan may buy thru FMS the MCV-22B variant over the straight USMC MV-22B. It would be nice to see a resin conversion set as well. ResKit, Eduard, etc could do it and it would sell pretty good. Hasegawa's USAF CV-22B in 1/72 scale is a excellent kit to turn into a representation of the MCV-22B, as well as the

Caracal, Here is a new topic, or maybe an old topic, but how about a 1/48th USN MCV-22B? Very colorful VRM-50 aircraft. See below: