Page 16 - Model Airplane International - Issue 175 (February 2020)

KIT BOX

1:72

REVELL

www.revell.de

MH-47E CHINOOK
Revell/Materials IM/ Kit No 03876-0379/Price £17.99/Availability: All good Model Shops.

his is a kit that has been with us in one to the U.S. Army version in the instructions, but there
guise or another since 1995, when it was are also a number of RAF airframes which have also
first released by Italeri as the ACH-47A undergone this modifi cation.
Gunship variant. In the years since, The canopy and nose section have been retooled
T it’s been released in various different into a signal piece, with the much larger nose
boxings by several different manufactures, now modelled, which houses the larger and more
each time, portraying a different version, by the advanced radar/navigation equipment now employed.
introduction of new decals and parts. This version The canopy is very clear, but also very thick with
is probably the most interesting of all the boxings heavily defi ned framing.
available, but also the most difficult. Being the later variant of Chinook, it now features
With the 209 parts spread over two original sprues two mini guns for defensive purposes, mounted
and two newer sprues, it is clear that the kit has stood in both the port and starboard front doors. Those
the test of time well, with both the old and new sprues supplied are slightly soft on detail, but easily
employing both engraved and raised surface detail. recognisable.
The newer sprue containing the additional parts to There are some prominent sick marks on the rotor
make this version are more refi ned in relation to the heads, which may prove to be a little tricky to repair,
engraved details, but not overly so. as they span areas rich in detail. Since the 1980s, the
Looking at the cockpit, it is adequate for the scale Chinook was fi tted with composite style rotor blades
and for what you will be able to see once the canopy which are depicted in the kit.
is in place. The seats have nicely moulded harnesses I’m not sure who the decals are produced by,
and both cyclics, rudder pedals and control stick are only stating they are made in Italy. These feature a
all included, with the raised details on the instrument lot of stencil data, along with walkway markings and
panel being from the original moulds, they depict the national insignia. My set had the red very slightly out
early analogue style instruments. Which will need of register on the RAF fi n fl ashes, but this can be
to be removed so that the decal featuring the newer easily dealt with by trimming the decal when you cut it
digital display instruments can be applied. from the sheet.
Incorporated into the fl ight deck fl oor is the fl oor Revell supplies their new style, full colour
of the cargo area, which runs the full length of the instruction sheet, which for the most part is easy to
fuselage and a quarter way up each fuselage wall, follow. The confusion starts when they start jumping
blanking off the interior of the cavernous sponsons from the U.S Army variant and that of the RAF - which
from view. it does quite often - as there are a lot of differences
This version of the Chinook features enlarged between the two types, with regards to window styles,
sponsons, which nearly double the range of the antenna fi t and defensive suites. I would recommend
chinook. The smaller sponsons however, are moulded taking a marker pen to the instructions and crossing
integrally to the rest of the airframe and instead of out the options you don’t need. Interestingly enough,
retooling the fuselage, Revell expect you to cut them the instructions show you to fi t the air to air refuelling
out. Before replacing them with the enlarged versions probe to both the U.S and RAF version, but from the
from the new tooled sprue. I can see this catching research I did, I could fi nd no RAF versions fi tted with
out a lot of modellers, so the utmost of care will be it, so as always, check your references. Paints are
needed in order to get a good fi t in such a prominent specifi ed from the Revell range and as usual offer no
area. This modifi cation is only shown being applicable alternatives.

VERDICT

Looking at the kit, I’m surprised it’s now 25 years old. But like some Hollywood actors and actresses, it’s managed to stay the course, albeit with a bit of help
from additional plastic. It would be a fairly straightforward kit if it wasn’t for the surgery required on the sponsons. But to fi t them does give you a much more
visibly interesting variant, especially with the extensive antenna fi ts and electronics suites. Whilst the kit may now over two decades old, it’s still the best
available in this scale. (Nigel Poole)

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2020