Questions about Italeri's 1/72nd Ch-53e

Jesse,

The main gear struts are alittle too long making the bird stand too tall; the Main Gearbox output shaft is too long making the rotor head stand higher off the rotary wing cowling than it actually should be. [very minor trimming needed!] In the exterior kit there is an ??uhf/vhf antenna that you'll need to research to see if applicapable.

Brian

Jesse,

There is an interior and exterior PE upgrade kit for the MH-53E, I suspect you are referring to just the exterior kit here.  I looked over my ext. PE and see you'd be using over 75% of it in upgrading your CH-53E.  The parts you won't use are the sponson and crew door details. Pictures of the CH-53E show the lower crew door swinging into the fuselage(like on the RH-53D) so save those parts in case you ever build a /72 CH-53D. I would further examine pics, as in prime portal, or ask the -53E guys about the actual hand holds about the fuselage before installing.

Brian

*I now see you did say 'sets', I'll go back and lookover my interior kit as well. **you'll use most of the interior PE kit , you won't install the ..operator's seat nor the 'boom' hardware. 

I've built the Italeri CH-53E, but without any PE parts.  I can help you out in saying that the MH-53E differs from the the CH-53E in 3 major ways. 

1.  The MH-53E has rear view mirrors hanging off the nose of the aircraft.  They are angled down and aft for the pilot to observe the sonar sled while it's being towed through the water.  You can ommit rear view mirror parts on the CH-53E. 

2.  The MH-53E has enlarged sponsons for more fuel.  Pulling a sonar sled through the water used alot of power and alot of fuel. 

3.  The MH-53E has a sonar sled which is stowed in the cabin while not in use.  This can be ommitted on a CH-53E.

 It's good to know that Eduard has made aftermarket details for Italeri's CH-53E.  The kit is good, but lacks detail.  I'd say that the area most deserving of improvement is the main rotor head.  A 53's Main rotor head has wire harnesses and hydraulic line criss crossing it the blade roots. 

If I may suggest that you use the HMH-464 decals. 464 is the best helicopter squadron in the world, but I'm a little biased.  I have some reference and build pics on my photobucket site

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v491/ridleusmc/

Semper Fi,

Chris

Hi,

Although I've never used these sets, if you click on the Eduard www, they usually have the instruction sheet on pdf, so at least you'll have an idea of what goes where and wether you'll be able to use it or not.

Rich