1:35 CH-54A Tarhe radio equipment compartment for ICM kit

CH-54A Tarhe radio equipment compartment, 1:35 scale

An add-on set covering the radio equipment compartment of the CH-54A Tarhe heavy crane helicopter in 1:35 scale. It is designated for the ICM kit.

The real subject

The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is a crane helicopter of the US Army. It has no cargo cabin in the usual sense: behind the crew cabin only the load-bearing spine continues, and the load or a slung transport pod hangs beneath it. The tall, widely splayed landing gear lets the machine straddle its load, so it carried artillery equipment, engineer materiel and crashed aircraft. Precisely because the fuselage is not enclosed, the inner spaces are well in view on the model and it pays to work them up.

What the set contains

A replacement fit-out of the compartment with the radio equipment, that is the cabinets, the panels and the supporting frames, which the kit handles only in simplified form. The manufacturer gives the extent and the number of parts in the instructions.

Building tips

• The parts are not polystyrene, so glue the joints with cyanoacrylate, not with cement for plastic.
• Cut off any excess material with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder carefully.
• Wash and degrease the parts before painting, otherwise the paint holds poorly on the smooth surface.
• Dry-fit the assembly before you close up the surrounding parts of the fuselage.

Who it is for

For builders of helicopters in 1:35 scale who want the open fuselage of the Tarhe convincingly fitted out. It is an accessory for a kit, not a kit in itself.

The kit, the paints and the glue are not supplied, unless stated otherwise.