The Trumpeter CH-47A arrived today...
when I was home for lunch and I thought I'd I'd give my first impressions. I will update further when I get home this evening.
I glanced through the instruction sheet and much to my surprise and joy, I see that rotating and stationary swashplates are included, pitch change links are provided as seperate pieces and there are even two piece drive links for the rotating swashplate. On the stationary swashplate there are attachment points for the pivoting and swiveling (lateral and longitudinal) actuators which I beleive will have to be scratch built, along with the LCT actuators and other items if one wants to display the forward and aft pylon work platforms opened.
There is simulated sound proofing molded as part of the fuselage interiors and the cabin floor has good detail. The aft landing gear struts look good, but I will have to check and make sure that the aft wheels are smaller in diameter than those for the forward landing gear. I didn't see any troop seats, so those will probably have to be scratchbuilt as well. The cooling vent on top of the forward pylon will have to be filled in but that is easy enough, some of the colors they call for such as interior green for the aft cabin, ramp area and siilver pitch change links are wrong, but those are minor points.
My initial impression is that it is a very good kit, and will look fine to anyone who isn't intimately familiar with Chinooks, but for those of us who have spent time bustin knuckles while changing the tach generator on the #1 engine, or trying to get the safety wire installed on the top mount bolts on the aft transmission oil filter housing (those of you who have done that know what that involves), eating dust while calling sling loads or clearing the aircraft into LZs, it will need some work.
As I mentioned I will provide detailed info after I have a chance to look closely at this kit.
It looks to be well worth the money I paid that guy in France.