The Little World

I was taken aback. Normally the makers of plastic models do not expect you to saw them apart as soon as you open the box.

Italeri did, though…and it was in a good cause. ‘Cause the Boeing company had made drastic changes to the sides of their Chinook helicopter and Italeri had to follow on. Rather than make an entirely new mould for the fuselage sides, they added the new contours onto a sprue, cut parting lines inside the older fuselage mouldings, and told you to cut them off.

Normally I would have run a mile from instructions like this, but if I was to get the modern CH 147F it had to be done – the changes were just that visible.

In the event, it was pretty easy. The cutting grooves inside the fuselage halves were moulded fairly close to the surface so that it took just a few passes with the X-acto knife to part them. A little fettling, and the new sponsons fitted right in. Surprisingly little cement or filler needed – so I feel lucky. There was a little knife work on a window as the CH 147F has a rectangular one as opposed to the MH 47E. The rest of it fits really well.

Note that there is a detailed cockpit but an empty barn of a space behind that. The CH version doesn’t seem to have the miniguns in the waist positions so these have been closed over. I don’t mind, as I will find a vehicle to roll into the rear ramp anyway.