Special Hobby CH-37

[Aaronw]

So I just got the Special Hobby CH-37 kit from Sprue Bros, I don't plan to get started on it anytime soon, but as its a limited release I thought I'd better get one while I could.

I've found a few online reviews so it doesn't look like I'll have any nasty surprises but I do want to start collecting info for when I do build it.

The kit only offers 3 markings, all Army. I thought the USMC was the primary operator of the CH-37, although I know it was used by the USN and Army.

Is there a "typical" CH-37 or are the kit markings pretty much a good place to start. I rather like the eye balls on the engine pods, but the rest of the markings are a bit dull in that particular set of decals.

If anyone has some advice, recommendations, tips etc related to this kit I'm happy to hear them. I'm also curious about any decals or other aftermarket stuff that might be worth looking into. Feel free to just BS about the CH-37, it is an odd looking aircraft so I'm sure it has an interesting history, it also might supply me with some inspiration.

Thanks

Edited July 12, 2008 by Aaronw

[rotorwash]

Aaron,

I'll make a deal with you. I'll post some really cool CH-37 shots if you'll post pics of the kit. I have been wondering what it looked like and I haven't seen any pics floating around. Maybe they are out there, but I just missed em.

Thanks,

Ray

[RCoulter52]

Aaron,

I'll make a deal with you. I'll post some really cool CH-37 shots if you'll post pics of the kit. I have been wondering what it looked like and I haven't seen any pics floating around. Maybe they are out there, but I just missed em.

Thanks,

Ray

Good afternoon, Ray. I ain't Aaron but, will you still post the pics for him if I can get you a look at the sprues? :)

Just have a look here. :lol:

[Viasistina]

I've had the kit for several months and have "played" with it quite a bit. I am really trying to figure out how to deal with the wire mesh intakes on the outer halfs of the engine nacelles. They give you plastic parts there, but something tells me that wire mesh would look much. This of course means you have to add some engine detail. A real work of love from some enterprising resin company would be detailed engines and some replacement one for one wire mesh screen parts. Good luck!!

[steverog]

Hello,

Note the eyes should have a bloodshot effect and not the straight red lines included on the decal sheet. Otherwise its a typical Special Hobby build, needs a little effort but looks the part when finished.

Steve.

[rotorwash]

Good afternoon, Ray. I ain't Aaron but, will you still post the pics for him if I can get you a look at the sprues? :)

Just have a look here. :lol:

Thanks for the link. I woulda posted pics anyway eventually. here's a few to get you started. By no means all I have. What variant do you want to see?

Ray

Ch-37B with aux fuel tanks:

Ch-37A:

My personal favorite scheme. CH-37A in Ft Rucker training colors:

Edited July 12, 2008 by rotorwash

[Aaronw]

Thanks, that Ft Rucker one is nice.

I'm not looking for any particular version, the kit is a B model, but I don't know how much difference there is between the A, B and C. I'm just looking for ideas. I saw the one at the Pima air museum in '99, so when I heard there was a kit I knew I wanted one. I love the old funky helicopters of the 50s like the H-19, H-21 and H-34, you just don't get much stranger looking than the H-37.

Like Via said the kit is full of goodies and the PE screens just ask for engine details to go behind them. I am a little disappointed they didn't include even a crude engine to go in there, but I'm sure I can scrounge up a radial engine that will work. This is a kit I am going to want to spend some time with, so the more I have before I start the better I'll do on it.

Really I'm just trying to start some discussion on the helo and kit so I'll really get into the kit when I do get the time to sit down and play with it.

If you want any photos beyind what is in the posted review let me know, I'd be happy to swap some in box photos for more of your photos.

[hemspilot]

Here's a link for you, I hope you find it interesting.

Check out the '37 in arctic colors and the walk-arounds.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/mojave/ch37.htm

[rotorwash]

Here's a link for you, I hope you find it interesting.

Check out the '37 in arctic colors and the walk-arounds.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/mojave/ch37.htm

That is a great site. Here are some more color images. Lemme know if you want more.

I really like the look of a Ch-37 with the front cargo doors open. All that chromate green really is eye catching.

Ray

[Aaronw]

Any chance you have some pics of the arctic scheme from hemspilot's link in color? That looks promising, I like the Ft Rucker one too if you have any rom another angle.

Thanks

[rotorwash]

Any chance you have some pics of the arctic scheme from hemspilot's link in color? That looks promising, I like the Ft Rucker one too if you have any rom another angle.

Thanks

Aaron,

I should point out that all of the CH-37 images I have posted are from the Army Aviation Museum Archives. As such there is no copyrights and they may be used as you please. I would appreciate it if you acknowledged the museum if you repost them. The color images came from a slide set that I just finished digitizing today! So let's see what else there is there. Here's a couple more Rucker trainers:

Here's some more with the cargo door open:

I also have a bunch of b&w shots from the arhives. Alas, I do not have any of the arctic scheme. I hope these help and let me know if you need specific shots as there are probably hundreds of b&w ones.

Ray

[Loach Driver]

The June 2008 (Vol 30, No. 4) issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling has an out-of-the-box build of the Special Hobby CH-37. It requires a little modelling skill but the finished model really looks good. With careful painting, the engine grills can be made to look very convincing. It would be nice to open up the front doors and show of a detailed interior. Hopefully someone will make a detailing set for the Mojave.

There was another article published a few years ago in Fine Scale Modeller magazine. It was written by 1/72 expert Nicolas Poncini and I think it was based on an old 1/72 vacfrom kit (possibly Airmodel?). Does anyone know which issue this was and know a source for back issues of this magazine? If anyone has this issue and wants to sell it, please send me a PM.

LD.

[11bee]

What a great series of pictures. I have to admit, when that beast is in flight with the landing gear retracted, it actually has a bit a grace to it. It'd be nice if someone released a larger scale model of it.

[richuk]

Ray, you've come up with the goods again. Great pics. Just wondering, did these ever fly armed? Maybe a couple of M60's out of the windows?

Rich

[rotorwash]

Ray, you've come up with the goods again. Great pics. Just wondering, did these ever fly armed? Maybe a couple of M60's out of the windows?

Rich

Rich,

I haven't found any evidence that the CH-37 ever flew armed. Maybe somebody out there can prove me wrong. Never say never regarding Vietnam helos. I get the feeling that they were only used when an area was clear of enemy fire since the big beasts would be sitting ducks with those giant engines. I have to admit when I saw the axillary fuel tanks I thought a couple of 50 cal gun pods would look awesome mounted there instead! Not practical at all, of course, but for a "what if" build, an armed Mojave would definitely attract attention.

Ray

[Aaronw]

I really like the look of this one, I'm guessing the appropriate colors to use would be OD and International Orange? It also appears to have a star & bar on top of the tail boom, does that look to be the case or am I making the white lines there into something they are not?

Thanks, for all the pics, they are really helping me get excited about building this beast, now if they could also make some free time for me.

I ran across a mention that Westland had looked into creating a turbine power helicopter based on the CH-37, that would have been something to see.

[Flankerman]

I ran across a mention that Westland had looked into creating a turbine power helicopter based on the CH-37, that would have been something to see.

Westland made the turbine-powered Westminster - but it was based on the S-56 power train.........

Doh! - I just looked up 'S-56' - and it IS the CH-37 Mojave.......

Anyone got any pics of the CH-37 with the huge radar nose ?? - dunno its designation - but it had a HUGE duckbill radome....

Ken

[SuperCobra]

I don't know who to credit for these. Got them off the net somewhere:

[RCAFFAN]

Hey guys...Note that there are two types of tail shown, one with a single braced horizontal surface high up on the tail like a Seaking and one with the two surfaces out of each side of the tail boom. The kit only gives markings for and tells you to use the Seaking type tail (but the other tailplanes are included). I understand that they are releasing the kit again in Marine markings and I suspect it will use the two tail boom surfaces but as the present one's instructions are for just the one varient I don't know if there are other changes as I can't find a lot of info as to the differences. Note that the Rucker training scheme is the two surface model so I'm not sure if you can use the present kit. More info is needed..

Cheers

Bruce

P.S. I note that one of the radome ships posted above is a Seaking type tail but the others are the two surfaces from the boom so there are even differences in the "same type"!

Edited July 14, 2008 by RCAFFAN

[rotorwash]

Hey guys...Note that there are two types of tail shown, one with a single braced horizontal surface high up on the tail like a Seaking and one with the two surfaces out of each side of the tail boom. The kit only gives markings for and tells you to use the Seaking type tail (but the other tailplanes are included). I understand that they are releasing the kit again in Marine markings and I suspect it will use the two tail boom surfaces but as the present one's instructions are for just the one varient I don't know if there are other changes as I can't find a lot of info as to the differences. Note that the Rucker training scheme is the two surface model so I'm not sure if you can use the present kit. More info is needed..

Cheers

Bruce

P.S. I note that one of the radome ships posted above is a Seaking type tail but the others are the two surfaces from the boom so there are even differences in the "same type"!

Ah, the CH-37 with the big nose is Navy, all I have are Army pics. Anyway, while I am no CH-37 expert, i think I have deduced a couple of things. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The CH-37A and B seem to be the only variants flown by the Army. It looks like the CH-37C was a Navy/Marine version. Can anybody confirm that? The CH-37A has the large horizontal stabs on the tail and the CH-37B does not. There is a CH-37B on display at the Army Aviation Museum at Ft. Rucker. If I make it back down this summer, I'll try to shoot some interior and cockpit shots. So it sounds like you guys want more pics. Here is the link to my Photobucket folder of CH-37 pics:

CH-37 pics

There are over 200 pictures there. It took a while to find them in the 11,000 archive pics I had to sort through, but there you go. They are all Army Aviation Museum photos and public access. Just right click..save...repeat! I hope these help with ideas and construction. Here are a few of my favorites that weren't posted above:

Don't know if this is a case of "when slingloads go bad" or if this is what Mojave drivers thought of Hueys!

I found a few of the arctic scheme but not in color:

This one appears to be going out to trap a drone or something:

Yes, the national insignia was on the to of the tailboom:

Here's one with the eyes:

This is the actual one (40998) that the decals are for in the kit! At least in this iteration, there are NO red streaks straight or squiggly:

here's the name on the side (Wayne's Work Horse):

There may be others of 40998, but I didn't look at em all real close. I hope these help out with your build.

Ray

[RCAFFAN]

Okay Guys..Another difference. The present kit has you cut out the side door and put on a track system and a sliding door and this is the Seaking type tail. The kit was molded with a non sliding door and one assumes there was a reason for this and it looks like this is for the tail with the surfaces on both sides of the boom but I don't know if this is always the case. Anyone know for sure?

Cheers

Bruce

[Aaronw]

RCAF thanks for noticing the tail, I probably would have missed that until it was too late to change.

Flankerman, I had not seen a pic of the Westminster. I'm actually a little disappointed, it is not as funky as I expected it to be. The engines are on top of the fuselage making it much sleeker looking, almost like a cross between a Blackhawk and a Skycrane.

That ASW version is really odd, I like it.

Thanks for all the pics, it will take me awhile to dig through that link but that is not a bad thing.

[rotorwash]

RCAF thanks for noticing the tail, I probably would have missed that until it was too late to change.

Flankerman, I had not seen a pic of the Westminster. I'm actually a little disappointed, it is not as funky as I expected it to be. The engines are on top of the fuselage making it much sleeker looking, almost like a cross between a Blackhawk and a Skycrane.

That ASW version is really odd, I like it.

Thanks for all the pics, it will take me awhile to dig through that link but that is not a bad thing.

Aaron,

are you building the CH-37 with the eyes? I posted three pics of that airframe from different angles that should help get the details right. As I said there may be more in the group of pics I linked to, but I'm not sure.

Ray

[hemspilot]

Okay Guys..Another difference. The present kit has you cut out the side door and put on a track system and a sliding door and this is the Seaking type tail. The kit was molded with a non sliding door and one assumes there was a reason for this and it looks like this is for the tail with the surfaces on both sides of the boom but I don't know if this is always the case. Anyone know for sure?

Cheers

Bruce

The alternative tail and door are for the USMC variant to be released next.

I did write an extensive review of this kit some time in the past, I am just not sure whether it went in here or on the Helikitnews forum.

Watch out for those auxiliary tanks they are absolutely way out of proportion and too long.

The best replacement would be a set of tanks from a 1/72 F7F Tigercat, either the Octopus/Pavla or the Revell/Monogram, I checked and they are spot on.

The walkaround pictures for the USMC aircraft (and there you can see the different tail and cargo side door) in the John Eaton site are mine.

Hope this helps a bit.

Roberto

[Aaronw]

Aaron,

are you building the CH-37 with the eyes? I posted three pics of that airframe from different angles that should help get the details right. As I said there may be more in the group of pics I linked to, but I'm not sure.

Ray

I'm really leaning towards the orange and green Ft. Rucker one but it looks good in the arctic scheme too. The decals in the kit show the eyes with and without the red lines, the instructions show different dates, your pics must have come from the no red lines stage.

With all the pics you've provided I'll be nosing around for awhile before making a decision. I like the eyes but am not to interested in plain OD schemes, I like a little color on my helos. If I don't rip all my hair out building this one, I might even get another one since there are so many options available.