1/48 Academy CH-53E HMT-302

[slick95]

Well, after 7 months of work my 1/48 scale CH-53E from training squadron HMT-302 is complete. The in progress thread can be found here: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=186177

Any comments and critique are welcome. I plan on entering my next build (whatever it may be) in my first contest, so if you see anything in particular that I should change don't hesitate to let me know!

Thanks for looking!

SLICK

[slick95]

Some details:

Here's a picture showing the large size of this kit. Sitting next to it is a 1/48 F/A-18. It was difficult to try to get good pics of this model because of its large size.

SLICK

Edited January 12, 2010 by slick95

[Aggressor Supporter]

Wow Slick, you did a real good job on that Marine chopper. Big

[geedubelyer]

Outstanding build Slick, BRAVO!

Just superb. The rotor head is immense and the etched mesh really brings the tail to life.

There is so much to admire about this model, the details, the weathering.........everything!

Very inspirational, thanks for sharing.

As I scrolled down the images I had to look twice at the interior shot, I genuinely wondered why you were including a photo of a real CH-53...that is a great image

Excellent stuff, well done.

[Eastern]

It's just fantactic! This is though the best CH-53E model I've ever seen!

Great paint work and very deft weathering! The image of the interior looks like photo of that of a real thing.

Awesome close up pics! So flawless and neatly done model, it looks so inspiring that I feel my modeling mojo rises more and more while I'm admiring the pics.

Really outstanding!

Cheers!

Alexander.

[scotthldr]

You've gotta love the "Hurricane maker", and your build is no exception. Outstanding piece of modelling

[dpwatson]

Amazing!!!

I really enjoyed following the build thread towards the end and the outcome is sensational!

David

[pminer]

Some details:

Here's a picture showing the large size of this kit. Sitting next to it is a 1/48 F/A-18. It was difficult to try to get good pics of this model because of its large size.

SLICK

Awesome...Awesome..Awesome!!! Spectacular build! Would you care to share how you weathered the beastie?

Thanks!

Paul

[kilroy]

Gorgeous work! That kit is just huge!

[slick95]

Thank you very much everyone for the incredibly kind words! I really appreciate all the support!

As for the weathering, I apologize for not taking any pictures during the process. However, I will try to describe my process as best I can:

The weathering actually started with my preshading after a coat of white primer. I then painted on the base coats (fairly thinned down I might add) until I achieved the desired preshaded look through the base coat. I then applied a layer of future, decals, and another future layer. After this second coat of future dried I started the post shading. Every color paint I used was thinned down at least half paint:half thinner. It is very important to have thin paint and good control of the airbrush or you could make quite a mess. It takes a bit of practice to get just right as I have found.

Anyway, for some of the areas that look fairly dark or oily/patched, I started by slowly adding multiple layers of the darker gray base color. After that had dried, I painted over it with the lighter gray color, leaving a little of the darker gray showing on the edges. See the pictures below...

I also used the dark gray to highlight some of the oily/greasy/dirty areas, which I have pointed out here...

After this, I did a major portion of the weathering with heavily thinned Tamiya smoke. I started by highlighting some of the panel lines that are heavily covered in exhaust stains, and then randomly highlighted panel lines to give a dirty look. After going over some of the panel lines, I used the smoke to do the exhaust stains around the aircraft. (One thing I didn't mention or take a picture of is the bottom of the aircraft, which is heavily stained with every color I used in the weathering process. I also did a lot of preshading on the bottom. I'll try to remember to get a picture of this tomorrow). Below is a picture showing some of the post shading with smoke as well as the obvious exhaust stain.

After that I used MM "Rust" and mixed it heavily with thinner just as I did with the gray colors. I used this to simulate the leaking hydraulic fluid from under the engine cowlings and around the rotorhead...shown here...

After all of this was said and done I used a little bit of heavily thinned flat black (using a very fine brush) and added some wash to the gear wells, hook, engine filters, etc.. I also used some silver to add a bit of paint chipping around the cowling for the transmission and engines. I also chipped the side door.

Picture from Adam Baker's walkaround

After all of this I added another coat of future before finally using Poly Scale Flat to finish it off before assembly.

ROTOR BLADES:

For these I started by laying down a silver coat underneath the black. After I painted the blades black I used some 2000grit wet/dry sand paper (I also used various other grits such as 1200 to give a bit more of a worn look) and sanded the blades as per some reference pictures. I also faded the top with a few different shades of black. Then I future coated, decals, future, then a very heavy gray wash was applied to the tops of the blades. Then I used a wide brush to wipe the stains backwards (in the direction of the airflow).

EDIT: I also scratched up the walkways a bit and added some gray washes to them while breaking it up a bit with a q-tip. I noticed in the reference pictures that the majority of the walkways do not rub away much...if they are even applied to the aircraft at all.

Thanks again everyone!

SLICK

Edited January 13, 2010 by slick95

[Avus]

Guess I missed some of your updates!

AWESOMINGLY GREAT!! That's the most approrpiate comment to make.

[otis252]

FANTASTIC! Super job. I was wondering when you could get it finished. Hope the book helped you some. Makes me want to drag mine out and get to work.

Chuck

[HOLMES]

SLICK..

I have always admired your ability and talents for making some really AMAZING,builds.models

but this is just AWESOME , SO OUTSTANDING, It is the BEST , SUPERB

STUNNING Chopper that I have laid MY eyes on.... well done SLICK

HOLMES

[Adam Baker]

Fantastic job Slick. It came out just gorgeous. Im really hoping to get back to working on mine in the not too distant future. And I plan on purchasing that Landing Zone book to supplement all the pictures that I already have.

[GreyGhost]

Slick, your Echo has come out Fantastically ! :wub:

Beautiful build ... I think this is worthy of contest entering ...

Thanks for the In Progress thread too ...

Congrats on another excellent build, young man ...

Gregg

[twong]

Great looking CH-53. Paint and weathering looks really good.

[POMPEO]

slick my friend, you alwais show to us its nice builds, this heli is fantastic and nice builded

congratulatios

cheers

[Ken Middleton]

that is awesome work - that interior shot looks like the real thing

[Rampage55]

Outstanding build Slick, the level of detail is superb...

Mark

[Gambler]

As others have said Slick,.... that is one outstanding build!!

Superb work all round, and the finish is brilliant.

Love it!

Cheers,

Jeff.

[slick95]

Thank you very much for the complements everyone! I really appreciate all the kind words!

SLICK

[Andrew Doppel]

Beautiful work Slick. That is one good lookin' chopper.

Regards

Andrew

[lgl007]

Outstanding!!! Definitely in the top 2 CH's I've ever seen completed around here... Just brilliant :-)

-Greg

[slick95]

Thanks a lot Andrew and Greg!

SLICK

[skyhawktroll]

Slick, what you have done with the CH-53E is superb as one who worked on some in HMT-302 and HMH-464, should know. That is really outstanding.. but you did ask for some criticism. Three antennas are incorrect as they are duplicated. Lets start with the AN/ARC-210 UHF/VHF antenna on the drive shaft cowling on the back of the aircraft, second to last down the middle. That one was removed due to the coax cable coming apart from the connector and dropping on the drive shaft in flight, not good. Was moved on to the airframe to the left of the drive shaft tunnel, you have that one on the aircraft already. Second, the GPS smoke stake was also removed from the driveshaft cowling for the same reason as the comm antenna, it now uses a mount to the right side of the drive shaft cowling and it is just the little square on the right side just forward of the smoke stack on the airframe. You have that antenna already on there also. And third, AN/ARC-94 uses the wire antenna on the right side of the aircraft and the AN/ARC-174 uses the tube antenna, also on the right side of the aircraft, common called the pullup bars. They are both High Frequency (HF) radio antennas, the aircraft with will have either or, but not both. So it would be your choice as to which one to use, but with that BUNO 163075 the AN/ARC-174 (long tube antenna) is good to go, the wire was removed during a change. Dude other than the duplication of the antennas that is most outstanding. I have a CH-53E and a MH-53E model kit that I haven't started yet. Its really been years since I have even touched my model building supplies.. but one day soon when the kids get a little bigger, I am going to get back into it and maybe mine will look almost as good as yours does.. hopefully. Thanks for the pictures they are great..

Drew