Fujimi 1/72 Sikorsky HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant

FUJIMI 1:72 SIKORSKY HH-53C SUPER JOLLY GREEN GIANT
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: John Lacey (rec.models.scale)

72^nd Scale Fujimi HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant

Aircraft History

The Sikorsky HH-53C was the successor to the HH-3 Jolly Green Giant that was performing the demanding role of CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) over the skies of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Super Jollys took over the role and continue to this day, albeit in a much modified MH-53J Pave Low form.

Kit Parts

Another eBay gem, this is an older boxing from 1983 with a large, full-colour boxtop illustration and colour profiles of the three available machines on the sides. All sprue trees are separately bagged, including decals and clear parts. Curiously, the internal parts, rotors and engine details are in a light grey plastic as opposed to the dark green of the major parts. Shades of Matchbox!!! Sprues consist of finely recessed panel line and raised detail where appropriate. Details consist of a nicely detailed cockpit with two crewmembers, some detail to the cargo area and some rotor head detail. Clear parts are reasonably thin and have detailed panel lines.

Options

Options are limited to an open or closed entry door and cargo ramp, alternate filtered or unfiltered engine intakes, an optional refuelling probe and an option to fold the tail. Unfortunately, the HH-53’s mini-gun armament isn’t included in the kit, this will have to be sourced from other kits or scratchbuilt.

Instructions

This early boxing has Japanese script for the aircraft’s history and dual language (Jap / English) for the remainder. A parts map is followed by three pages of marking & decal options and nine construction steps. No detail painting of the interior exists so references will be required for these areas.

Colour Options

Three aircraft are provided for as per the box sides. A USAF HH-53C, an IDF/AF S-65C-3 and an Austrian AF CH-53Oe (referred to as a German CH-53G in the instructions). None of these aircraft have unit or location details and the instructions give some very vague ideas on colours for all three options. The US machine is in a standard SE Asia three tone camo over a ‘white’ belly. This light colour is more usually light aircraft grey although Stateside aircraft did fly with a peacetime scheme of light gull grey over white. The IDF/AF aircraft is a sand overall with chocolate brown disruptive uppers and sides whilst the Austrian machine is overall olive drab. At no point do the instructions mention FS numbers or accurate names and as such references will be necessary.

Decals

Decals consist of a number of stencils, instrument panel markings and appropriate markings for each of the three machines offered. Even in such an old boxing, the decals themselves seem very clear, in excellent register and stable on the sheet.

Impressions

A nice kit with some options, the HH-53 will no doubt have naysayers out there amongst the JMN community, but in the box it certainly looks the part of a Super Jolly, albeit an unarmed one.

Conclusion

I’ve always been a CSAR fan and love Super Jollys, particularly in their later guises. Who, with an interest in military aviation, hasn’t read about the Son Tay raid or the Mayguez operation during the Vietnam war or later with the MH-53 ops in Desert Storm? Given the construction of the kit, Fujimi was able to produce a number of different H-53 variants and as a result, the kit shouldn’t be too hard to modify to CH or RH standards if the standard HH or foreign variants don’t suffice. I heartily recommend the kit to all Vietnam war buffs and other helo fans.

web hosting • domain names
web design • online games