Subject: Re: CH-53E sea stallion
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Gavin Rees" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:08:11 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gavin Rees 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007 12:33 PM
  Subject: CH-53E sea stallion

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  Gallery Template #04

  "1/48 Acadamy CH-53E Sea Stallion" 

  by "Gavin Rees"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  I have been eagerly awaiting this aircraft.  I have seen these flying while I was down in San Diego and as well as here in Calgary during the G-8 Summit.  This is the largest helicopter fliying in the western military.  Used exclusivly be the US Marines as a heavy lift troop transport another version is used by the US navy for mine sweeping, the MH-53E Sea Dragon.

  It appears from the parts that Acadamy is planning on releasing the above mentioned Sea Dragon.  The kit has more parts than I have ever had to deal within a helicopter kit.  but it goes together like a dream.  The only other Acadamy Helo I had done is the CH-46 Sea Knight and I was very impressed by that kit and really looking forward to the Sea Stallion.  It went together very well and with no complications.  The folding rotor system and tail is very well done and the details are great.  It is a good thing that this options is available as this helicopter has a huge foot print with the rotors spread.  The interior is amazing but once everything is assembled it is dificult to see it all.  I decided not to place any of the machine guns on board, the box art show this aircraft with the miniguns in the window and door but the kit only provides two 50cal machine guns.  These guns are an improvement over the ones in the Sea Knight which lacked almost any details.  I decided that I was going to use the three colour camo pattern because I like the way it looks and I didn't want to have a shelf full of grey aircraft.

  Click on images below to see larger images

         Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg   Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg  

  I used Testors Modelmaser paints and freehanded the camo.  Weathering was kept light as the images I found of this scheme showed that it weather very well.  Some exhaust staining was applied but tha was about it.  The newer lo-vis greys don't seem to weather as well and show a lot more fading and staining.  The decals went on with only one minor glitch, the "04" that goes on the nose doesn't between the details that are below the windscreen.  This was over come by moving the decal farther up the nose.  I also fab two extra rotor braces for the folded rotors.

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  This kit won gold at the 2007 RMMC Model contest, you can see it in the above image along with the CV-22 and the CH-46.  To the right is a 1/72 scale CH-53E, this shows how big the 1/48 scale kit is.

  Photos and text © by "Gavin Rees"