jonbryon Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 Hello all, Last year I made the Academy 1/48 CH-46E using decals from the excellent AOA HMM-264 Black Knights sheet, and this year I've started the Academy 1/48 CH-53E to be made also using markings from this sheet. I want to model EH-20/161252 'Lady Luck', which was on USS Bataan in 2006. I've got the brilliant Cavu book, but would love some photos of this particular airframe if anyone has any. It would really help me pin down colours of various parts and some details of the aerial fit, etc. Many thanks for looking Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
andyf117 Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 Photographed at Le Bourget the following year, June 2007: At far end in this shot: Another smaller shot here (copyrighted image): http://www.pictaero.com/fr/pictures/picture,33398 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted October 27, 2023 Author Share Posted October 27, 2023 Thank you so much! That port side shot is extremely useful. Cheers Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyfoos Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 If you still have the decals instruction sheet there were about 5 photos of that specific H-53, including overall views that would show overall appearance/config, and also including closeup detail of left side showing earlier removed HMH-461 markings (and fluid). Here are a few more shots specifically of 161252 too taken at the same period in 2006: (In this first pic, EH-21 is in the background and had a different staggered EH tail code compared to EH-20 & 23.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted October 30, 2023 Author Share Posted October 30, 2023 8 hours ago, ziggyfoos said: If you still have the decals instruction sheet there were about 5 photos of that specific H-53, including overall views that would show overall appearance/config, and also including closeup detail of left side showing earlier removed HMH-461 markings (and fluid). Here are a few more shots specifically of 161252 too taken at the same period in 2006: (In this first pic, EH-21 is in the background and had a different staggered EH tail code compared to EH-20 & 23.) Yep, I've still got the instructions, but these extra photos are fantastic and help me with quite a lot of detail questions. Thank you so much! Cheers Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rotorman Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 (edited) Get Masons book on the 53, it's full or incredible. photos Edited October 30, 2023 by Rotorman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted October 31, 2023 Author Share Posted October 31, 2023 Yep, bought as soon as it came out 🙂 Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 @ziggyfoos Many thanks for the photos and for producing the decals. It ended up looking like this: Cheers Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 WOW, beautiful job !! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HeavyArty Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 It came out looking great. Nice job on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 (edited) Beautiful build Jon! Nice weathering, though it is a little too clean for a fleet Shitter! LOL! Edited March 26 by Dutch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tank Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Awesome looking Shitter Jon! 👍 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Beautiful Shitter Sir! I love the fact you weathered the aux tank to show the carbon fiber showing through. Thats exactly how some of our aux tanks look every day!! Dutch is right, this one must have just come off a quick wash rack....LOL You have Masons book so you have seen the wear and tear on these poor beasts. You even included a gray Sleeve and Spindle on the rotorhead!! Your blade tip weathering is spot on as well. Super nice build. Thank you for sharing it!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted March 27 Author Share Posted March 27 Thanks everyone for the feedback - I've very much enjoyed reading it. I know I should have put a decent exhaust stain on for the #2 engine, but for some reason I didn't feel like doing it - maybe the fear of messing it up! It's a fragile monster - I've already snapped the sensor arm off once. I used magnets for the refuelling probe, the blades into the hub, and the hub to the rotor shaft: Cheers Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Jon, Did you scratch build that rotorhead? Or is it the Reskit? It looks just fantastic. The first Academy I built I did not know about Reskit, so I scratch built my rotorhead blade fold lines. Your RH assembly is jaw dropping. I can see the pitch lock cylinders, the blade fold harness junction boxes, the dampers....WOW😃 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 20 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said: Jon, Did you scratch build that rotorhead? Or is it the Reskit? It looks just fantastic. The first Academy I built I did not know about Reskit, so I scratch built my rotorhead blade fold lines. Your RH assembly is jaw dropping. I can see the pitch lock cylinders, the blade fold harness junction boxes, the dampers....WOW😃 It's the ResKit set, but detailed with some wire, ANYZ connectors and plastic card. To be honest, the ResKit set was a disappointment. It's way simpler than the real thing and lacks even some of the more obvious morphology that Academy managed to mould. There are quite striking 3D print lines. The worst aspect is it's not engineered to fit the kit at all - the rotor mast is a lovely casting that fits to absolutely nothing. They replicated the actuating arms with very poor PE - I replaced the more obvious ones with brass tube. My efforts are still very poor compared to the real thing, as I'm sure you can see. The best I've seen is this build here, but I think he put upward of 1000 parts into the rotor head and I simply don't have the time, skills or references: https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=14143&p=albums&album=64551 Cheers Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 OMG!!! That JMSDF MH-53E is one heck of a model. Over 1000 parts in the head. Wow!! He did an outstanding job on that kit. All the scratch built interior cargo was excellent. thanks for the link. I now bow my head in shame at me scratch built head...LOL Gunny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyfoos Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 On 3/26/2024 at 9:37 AM, jonbryon said: @ziggyfoos Many thanks for the photos and for producing the decals. It ended up looking like this: Cheers Jon Jon - excellent build again,and paint job, also especially like how you represented the remnants of earlier number under the new "20" really wish this kit was readily available again Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ziggyfoos Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Also read through your build on your site, shame to hear about all the ResKit H-53 problems, I have these sets but hadn't used them yet and now don't want to.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 Thanks 🙂 The decals were great to use and I loved the choice of aircraft available. Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
usmcski6502 Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Fantastic looking Shitter! Love the remnants of the “02” modex on the starboard fuselage, and the blade weathering is spot-on! Just an awesome build overall. Semper, Ski Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Roof Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 On 3/28/2024 at 2:13 PM, jonbryon said: To be honest, the ResKit set was a disappointment. It's way simpler than the real thing and lacks even some of the more obvious morphology that Academy managed to mould. There are quite striking 3D print lines. The worst aspect is it's not engineered to fit the kit at all - the rotor mast is a lovely casting that fits to absolutely nothing. They replicated the actuating arms with very poor PE - I replaced the more obvious ones with brass tube. Jon 1 hour ago, ziggyfoos said: Also read through your build on your site, shame to hear about all the ResKit H-53 problems, I have these sets but hadn't used them yet and now don't want to.... This is the third build of the 48th CH-53E in recent weeks that have mentioned poor fit / overall disappointment with the ResKit parts. Kelly Quirk's build is another, and the third is from a modeler whose name I can't recall at the moment. Both builds were posted on Facebook. Other than their MER's and TER's, I dumped all of the ResKit stuff I had. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonbryon Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 14 minutes ago, Dave Roof said: This is the third build of the 48th CH-53E in recent weeks that have mentioned poor fit / overall disappointment with the ResKit parts. Kelly Quirk's build is another, and the third is from a modeler whose name I can't recall at the moment. Both builds were posted on Facebook. Other than their MER's and TER's, I dumped all of the ResKit stuff I had. Chris Becker has highlighted the poor fit and engineering on his YouTube channel, and Bernhard Schrock did the same in his superlative build I linked above. The refuelling probe is an improvement, as was the tail rotor. The exhausts saved some seam work, but they missed an opportunity to engineer them to fit after the fuselage halves/pod halves are joined. The intakes were rubbish and the main rotor hub deeply disappointing. Jon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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