Leaping Lizards! Test shots of the 1/48 CH-53!!!!!

Unknownpharoah wrote:

wow.. thats going to be cool. Guess I can get rid of that still un-opened kit from 1981. Its a Revel I think? Came with that jeep.

Not so fast.  The Revell kit is a C/D model and pretty good.  Academy's is an E model.  Revell's kit's detailing is pretty good and still looks good today. They are different animals though, not the same aircraft in both kits. Still need the Revell one to make a PaveLow III.

The Revell is a CH-53D, which can be converted to a MH-53J PaveLow III with the Cobra Company set and details from Meteor Prodcutions(?).

The new Academy one is a CH-53E. The E model is larger than the D. Has 7, instead of 6 rotor blades. Has a 3rd engine mounted on the left side. The tail is totally different with a larger tail rotor and angled, larger tail plane as well. PaveLows are not made out of E models.

So don't get rid of that Revell CH-53D just yet.

Hello, Big Iron!  If those shots are any indication, this is going to be one great kit. 

I've got the old Revell -53 (I believe its a C model) and I was thinking of making it a Pave Low at some point with the help of Cobra Co.'s details.  But I may make it as is, and add a couple of Sandys to have a Vietnam era SAR team.

Could I use the Revell -53GS that I've seen out there as the basis for a Pave Low?

Papa-Echo-64 wrote:

Look at the soundproofing!!!!  This one is going to be neeto!!! http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2006/Bilder/index.html I sure wish Trumpeter would have done this to the Hook.....I would have paid 50.00 more for a better kit!

Just remember that soundproofing is light blue... with black, grey, brown and red (hydraulic fluid) stains.     They're such goo-balls.  This picture stars some of my buddies, but it gives a good idea of the sound proofing color and layout.    

Could I use the Revell -53GS that I've seen out there as the basis for a Pave Low?

Sure could.  The German GS version has all the basic sprues in the original kit and an added sprue for the German specific parts.

Pretty impressive helo!

... so many models so little time!

MAN, JUST GIVE ME MY CHITTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

do we have a date at all?

Cool!  I flew several MEDEVAC's in a 53.. I like the interior on that kit... and I'll have to plan to buy one of the monsters!!!  Would look nice next to the Sea Knight I haven't built yet... I'll have to think back to which HMH was out with us on that cruise...  most of the shots I have of them from that cruise are silhouetted against the sun so I can't see markings...

Ridle was right about the hydraulic stains.  one flight in particular, I was tending a patient we were medevac'ing to Wiesbaden, DE from Turkey, I thought I got stung by a bee or something even though I knew it couldn't be as we were cruising about 100 miles from land..  I reached and felt my back and came back with hydraulic fluid on my hand... the crew chief looks at me and tells me don't worry... if it WASN'T leaking I should worry because that means it was running out...