MH-53M Pave Low IV special ops. helicopter

[Ralph_S]

I've been on a helicopter building spree in the last few months. Perhaps I had enough of building fixed wing aircraft for a while after finishing my B-1B bomber, but since then I've mainly built helicopters. After my CH-46E Sea Knight, a UH-3H Sea King and an AH-1W Super Cobra, I felt that once again it was time for something big: a USAF MH-53M 'Pave Low IV' special operations helicopter:

Here's the link to the picture on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/madphysicist/2498270243/

and for more pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/madphysicist/...cialoperations/

Cheers,

Ralph

[brickbitz]

Another stunning creation Ralph. Your attention to detail and accuracy is truly amazing.

[zero1312]

WOW, incredible!!!

It looks like my fav decepticon from the Transformers movie.

[Asuka]

Another marvelous work, an indeed well detailed LEGO model of a distinct and impressive helicopter.

As always you managed to stay true to the original shape and proportions of the craft in a beautiful way.

I especially like all the great work you´ve put into the functional aspects of that MOC, like the folding features

of the rotor and the tail. The details of the interior´re pretty cool too.

[Siegfried]

This is really good! This is actually one of my favourtie choppers and you have done a great job of all its details; especially the folding function. I wasn't aware that the Osprey replacement was happening now...

It looks like my fav decepticon from the Transformers movie.

You've got it the wrong way round!

[Ralph_S]

Thanks guys. As always, building the details was part of the fun. It's not an elegant helicopter by any means, but it does look pretty menacing and that's the look I wanted for mine too. The folding function was really a necessity. It makes the model a lot more compact and allows me to put it on a shelve. Without the fold, it's so big that I wouldn't know where to put it.

They are indeed being replaced by Ospreys, at least in the infiltration/exfiltration and CSAR roles. They were also used for re-supply missions of special forces and that role will now be taken over by the US Army's MH-47s. I think it is a bit sad to see them go, but the basic airframes and engines are getting very old -they were delivered as HH-53B/Cs in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies. They're also running out of spare parts. Many of the components needed to keep them flying, such as gearboxes, haven't been in production in twenty years and the original suppliers don't even exist any more. The helicopter is also rather vulnerable because it lacks infra-red suppressors for the engine exhaust. Still, the Marines will keep flying their CH-53Es for quite a while yet and are even getting a new version.

Cheers,

Ralph