1/35 CH-54 Tarhe ( skycrane)

LemonJello wrote:

Now, what would you have this monster carrying?  That's the question.

How about some big Artillery, or multiple howitzers?

LemonJello wrote:

Now, what would you have this monster carrying?  That's the question.

Anything big!!  There are plenty of shots of a Crane slinging out a broken -47.  I have seen a pic of one hauling a 113(was it officially capable of doing this?).  It was also used to move 155s a good bit.

As far as building one, you need a new head for the Revell kit at a minimum.  The rest of the kit leaves alot to be desired but it gives you a decent shape to work with, ALOT of detail is missing or incorrect though.  If you want to do one in 48th scale you can use the A-C head and tail rotor but the rest would have to be scratched.  That would be a monstrous project for me.  I don't know the site but there is a 48th scratch build out there.  Look at old threads and you should be able to find it, it is a BEAUTIFUL build.

LemonJello wrote:

Now, what would you have this monster carrying?  That's the question

I might get carried away by a pic OldHooker (I think) posted: a Chinook with a Skycrane slung underneath!

C'mon fellas, you just need to start the lamenting, rending of garments and gnashing of teeth over how awesome and desirable a kit of the Skycrane would be in whatever scale.  If we keep at it, someone will eventually make one.  In just the couple of years I've been on this forum we've seen a new -46, a new -53 and -47s in multiple scales be announced and/or produced.  The compaines are listening, so there is hope that this one could be a kit someday.

Now, what would you have this monster carrying?  That's the question.

HeavyArty wrote:

Most components of the CH-54 are from the CH-53.  Nose/cockpit bubble, rotors, engines, etc. are all the same.   Could make a really nice one using parts from the soon-to-be released Academy 1/48 CH-53.

Sorry Gino, but I'm affraid that wouldn't work.   

The CH-54 does share some of the same dynamic components with the CH-53A-D Models.  I'm speaking specifically of the rotor heads, blades and gearboxes.  However, the new Academy kit is of the CH-53E varient, which has completely different components. 

The 53E has a completely different rotor head, which are larger and have 7 main rotor blades compared to the CH-54's 6 blades.  The tail rotor head is larger on the 53E. 

The main gear box, which is visible on the CH-54, is much smaller than the 53E's.  The same is true for the tail and intermediate gear boxes. 

I hate to say it, but I think that the only major component common to both the CH-53E and CH-54 is the main rotor blades.  The difference being that the 54 has 6 of them, but the 53E has 7.  However, I'm not even sure those are the same. 

Semper Fi,

Chris  

HeavyArty wrote:

Most components of the CH-54 are from the CH-53.  Nose/cockpit bubble, rotors, engines, etc. are all the same.   Could make a really nice one using parts from the soon-to-be released Academy 1/48 CH-53.

I think that 1/48 would be perfect for a helo of that size.   Yup... a better and newer kit on Skycrane would be nice.  MRC / Academy preferably.