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CD48206 - 1/48 USAF HH-53/MH-53


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I had ordered the old 1/48 Cobra Company Pave Low conversion set before they went out of business and Lone Star Models bought up all their molds.   He is a one man operation and I have ordered a bunch of stuff from him but it appears that his old web site is no longer working.   He does have a Facebook page.   

Cutting Edge also did up a cockpit set for the Pave Low with seats and a door minigun set before they went out of business.

Here's a short FSM article that talks Pave Low III.   1/48 MH53 Pave Low III - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

Edited by Drifterdon
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3 hours ago, KursadA said:

 This sheet has been selling very well since I enabled preorders yesterday - thanks for your interest. In the era of $200 high-resolution resin SLA 3D printers and free 3D modeling software, it is only a matter of time before somebody comes up with the struts : and if not, I will definitely sponsor its development. In the meantime, the sheet has 11 other options (5 other MH-53) that do not require backdating; and a whole set of digits to allow you to build almost any airframe.

 

 You will need later USAF drop tanks (these look suspiciously similar to F-105 tanks) for many of the USAF options but the early tanks in the kit will work for some of them.  ResKit has been releasing many CH-53 parts lately and I will contact them about the USAF tanks/pylons and the struts.

 

Are these the later tanks?

 

https://reskit-models.com/scale-plastic-model-kits?product_id=2785 

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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.

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2 hours ago, andyf117 said:

As mentioned, Kursad, it's not just the bracing struts - the upper sponsons require modifying, to replace the 'bat-wings' here:

640px-Sikorsky_MH-53M_Pave_Low_IV_(S-65A

With a fuselage-to-tank mount 'fairing' as seen here:

004300CD-2132-4541-BD2B-1B43C4F5E2EE.jpeg.6b18c64d46ecccca2c4519fb2c4e4940.jpeg.5617d12d00f6c6954777fc6c0807bfd1.jpeg

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

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8 minutes ago, YF65_CH53E said:

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.

 

8 minutes ago, KursadA said:

 

I think these are great for the MH-53 options on the sheet. The "later" tank (probably should have called it "intermediate") I was referring to was this style:

34281011161_bb6d0a0586_c.jpg

 

"Tanks" for that. (I can hear the groans all the way across the Atlantic)

 

 

 

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The most recent re-incarnation of the Revell 1/48 kit comes with two styles of tanks, as seen in the sprue photos here:

https://www.super-hobby.co.uk/products/CH-53-GS-G.html

 

In 1/72, Airfix supplied the 'early' 450-gal F-105-style tanks in both their H-53 boxings; Italeri did 'intermediate' 650-gal ones in their HH-53C, and - along with Revell - the 'later' 650-gal ones in their MH-53J and CH-53E...

Edited by andyf117
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On 6/13/2022 at 2:44 PM, andyf117 said:

As Kursad's just posted as I was typing, the sand/brown one is 95795 - originally a HH-53C, not a B...

....since realised you originally referred to 14432, which is the fourth grey profile and is depicted without struts, when it should have them -  originally a B:

th-53j_66-14432_10_of_55.jpg

...the third profile with the Anniversary marking is 14433...

 

As for modifying the Revell (or any) kit, as well as the bracing struts, a 'fairing' has to be added to the tops of the sponsons to replace the 'bat wing' mounts...

Good morning all

I am just converting a revell

It's not easy but I hope to succeed in this conversion!
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Four types of tanks carried by USAF H-53s - there were a few variations on the intermediate types, in shape, fin type, and how it was carried.

Kursad's profiles depict the three main types - the 'intermediate' in the second pic below appears to have only been carried by USAFE aircraft.

As always, check references for what's appropriate for the subject being depicted. Click to enlarge.

H-53Tanks.thumb.jpg.889ce227a7a37ba0e777b044dac458e5.jpg

 

Edited by andyf117
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Quick question for those that crewed these birds.   How did the door gunner keep from blowing the front of the drop tank off when he was suppressing ground fire?   Was there some form of interrupter that cut the gun off when he pointed at the tank or just training to not shoot yourself in the drop tank?

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1 hour ago, Drifterdon said:

Quick question for those that crewed these birds.   How did the door gunner keep from blowing the front of the drop tank off when he was suppressing ground fire?   Was there some form of interrupter that cut the gun off when he pointed at the tank or just training to not shoot yourself in the drop tank?

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 and you could easily fire into the rotor arc in as little as 30 degrees angle of bank.  Obviously we had to modify the stops on the cradle system so you could still engage targets at higher angles of bank.

 

On the USAF birds I trained on at Kirtland, the mini-gun had stops installed, as well as their ramp mounted GAU-16 (.50 cal).  I did not crew the birds in Vietnam so I will not speak to the stops installed then.  But from the stories I have heard......both Marine and USAF, "Wild Wild West" comes to mind!!  😉🤣

 

r/Gy

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Which fuel tanks could carry HH-53B (or MH-53J converted from HH-53B) airframes with the support struts ? And so far I was able to find and write down:

 

Fuel tanks in kits:

1:72

Fujimi/Academy RH-53D/CH-53D - "early" 450-gal F-105 style + "intermediate II" 650-gal
Fujimi MH-53J -
Italeri/Revell MH-53J - "late" 650-gal
Bilek CH-53A/D - "intermediate I" 650-gal
Revell CH-53E - "late" 650-gal

1:48

Revell HH-53C - "intermediate II" 650-gal, CH-53GA - "intermediate II" 650-gal + "late" 650-gal, CH-53GS_G - "late" 650-gal
Academy CH-53E - "late" 650-gal

 

Hope it is correct, I took the info from drawings in instruction sheets.

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