Academy MH-53 Sea Dragon 1/48 WIP

SoD Stitch, that port is for the main gear box oil cooler blower.  It is opposite of the #2 engine. It is painted the same color as the airframe. In front of that exhaust is the the main gear box oil cooler blower and first stage hydraulics.  The APP exhaust is on the front adjacent to the APP over the cockpit and is burnt metal in color. I have done two tours flying the MH-53E. I hope this helps

Frmr53Mech - I have a question for you: What's the exhaust port on the starboard side of the superstructure? It's obviously not for one of the engines, is that for the APU? Reason I ask is I'm still trying to figure out what color to paint the interior of that exhaust port (or whatever it is) on my 1/48th MH-53.

Also, what color are the gear wells? I've seen some references tell you to paint them the body color (FS 36081), and other references say it's gloss white.

Thanks!

I know this thread is old but it caught my eye because I bought one of these models and I was a 53 mech.  Having worked on 53s for a few years, I noticed a couple of things.  The inside lights could be switched between white and blue, not red as someone mentioned.  The blue was more of an aqua/green looking color, than the blue you used, but it is close enough.  Also, I never saw silver, or lighter colored blade extenders as you have depicted them.  They were always black.  There were times when the paint kind of started coming off of them, but they were only bare on the leading edge.  Also, the nickel strip on your tail rotor blades is on the trailing edge.  It should be on the leading edge of the tail rotor blades.  Aside from those little details, the model looks great.  Better than anything I have ever built.

Beautiful Model!!!

I noticed that, too; I thought it might be a recent Navy "mod" in order to help reduce the IR signature of the exhausts, but I guess not. I have that model, too, and the exhausts are actually "keyed" to go in the housings one way only, not sure how they got put on backwards.

Looks great, love these helos. If I had found this thread in time, I would have suggested red in the 'pit at least, if he was feeling ambitious.

Nice to see the color, I have a CH in the stash that I am going to be doing up as my old squadron, HC-1.

BTW not sure if this can get corrected, but it appears that your exhausts for the 2 forward engines, are backwards. They should be pointing away from the fuselage.

Here is a photo of the starboard side.

upload.wikimedia.org/.../US_Navy_021217-N-4953E-002_Sailors_aboard_the_Harry_S._Truman_offload_a_jet_engine_from_a_CH-53_Sea_Stallion_helicopter_assigned_to_Helicopter_Combat_Support_Squadron_Four_Two_(HC-42).jpg

Not trying to be a kill-joy, just trying to help.

Cheers,

Dave

Came out great...those decals really added to the scheme, and I for one like the blue lights.

Awesome work

Agreed, but I had to give into the "that's what color my kid likes best" technique. 

Looks pretty good but I was suprised nobody suggested using red LED's instead of the blue as red lights are used on real aircraft to preserve night vision.

Fatalgrace

Forgot to post finished pictures

 

 

 

Forgot to post finished pictures

Painted and construction 99% done. I used a mix of Tamiya Dark Green, Light Ghost Grey, Black. I "dusted" the middle of the panels by adding some flat white to the mix.

Landing gear done in Nato Black and Testors Burnt Metal. Rescue hitch in some Alclad, Gunmetal, Flat Yellow, Insignia Red.

That is one cool looking bird so far!

no critics ,just wishing one

Been awhile. Some updates from the weekend. Main assembly together, all the photoetch pieces on (Eduard interior, seatbelts,exterior set used). So many little fiddly PE parts...

Primed, masked, and preshaded.

Hopefully I'll get paint laid down sometime this week.

Thanks for critique!

Very cool mod with those lights!

LOL blue lights

Best way was to put batteries in the central piece back the rotor head with a sort of door

Ok, so REALLY enjoying this build. So, I put alot of detail into the interior but of course when I test fit the fuselage, all that disappeared. Then I got it in my head that maybe I should light it. I spent a couple of days figuring out how and googling, etc. I have NEVER worked with any kind of electronics before today. It was actually easier than it was made to seem. 

Step #1: goto Radio Shack. Find the nerd and ask him how to set up a simple LED. 

Step #2: buy the Breakaway Breadboard, LEDs of whatever color, and Battery Pack that he/she gives you. If they are nice they will set it up for you in the store.

Here's what i came up with in the end after a couple hours planning and drilling.

this is the breadboard with the LEDs in series. all you have to do is plug them in the same way (one pole is longer than the other). Plug the battery pack in to match red-red, black-black (pos/neg). I drilled holes in the "ceiling" on the interior with a Dremel and a bigger-ish drill bit. The holes were made to fit the LEDs perfectly.

Here's the basic effect. I put the battery pack underneath the roof. It fit nicely (lucky) and it looks like a piece of internal equipment to the helicopter.

I put the battery pack in such a place where I can take the battery out easily and within reach of fingers. 

Fatalgrace

Coming along more this past weekend. I also bought a Tamiya "Handy Drill". that was an excursion in and of itself. 

LOL

Great updates there

The detail your putting into this thing is amazing...  

Coming along more this past weekend. I also bought a Tamiya "Handy Drill". that was an excursion in and of itself. 

I really like the seat cushion detail and the cargo floor weathering is awesome too.

More progress. Im using resins for the first time so its taking me forever. Also used the "hairspray" technique for the first time. Not sure that it looks quite right, but this was my fifth stripping and repaint try. 

Following the wip of my favourite copter it's huge! 

Black stallions group are the same i occasionally see fliyng over my sea ,he's take off from sigonella base

Hercmech

 

Fatalgrace:

 

Yup! all folded up. I dont have near enough space for the flight version. also it makes it easier to put on a tidy little dio base.

 

 

I can imagine they would be pretty big. Good that they have the option!

I have the Super Stallion hanging over my computer, it has a ceiling footprint bigger than a 1/48 F-4

Fatalgrace

Yup! all folded up. I dont have near enough space for the flight version. also it makes it easier to put on a tidy little dio base.

I can imagine they would be pretty big. Good that they have the option!

Yup! all folded up. I dont have near enough space for the flight version. also it makes it easier to put on a tidy little dio base.

Hercmech

So you are going with the folded rotor option?

A wise choice for display space purposes... plus they look really cool when they are all folded up including the tail.

So you are going with the folded rotor option?