Trumpeter's 1/35 scale
CH-47A Chinook

Reviewed by Brett Green

Trumpeter's 1/35 scale CH-47A Chinook will be available online from Squadron.com
 

Trumpeter continues on its path of high quality kits and constant improvement with their brand new 1/35 scale UH-47A Chinook.

Trumpeter has decided on this military vehicle scale for its helicopter kits, and it does make sense. This big Chinook will certainly be the ultimate Vietnam diorama accessory!

Trumpeter's 1/35 scale Chinook comprises 256 parts in light grey plastic; 23 clear injection moulded plastic parts; 8 rubber tyres; 14 white metal cast undercarriage parts; 26 photo-etched parts on one large fret; acetate film for instruments; markings for two aircraft.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Surface detail is as good as on Trumpeter's recent 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 kit - in other words, true state of the art. Panel lines are very finely recessed with sublte rows of rivets in places. Subtle details such as vents and raised window sills are convincingly depicted too.

Ejector pin marks are admirably few, and limited to some interior surfaces.

There are a few slightly sunken lines on the fuselage, but these actually look like stressed metal effect to my eye anyway. You may or may not choose to fill and sand these, but I probably won't.

Engineering is quite simple. This kit does not suffer from metal hinges and gimmicky moveable parts. The focus instead is on practical detail and designing a model that is quite straightforward to build yet has useful options.

Clear parts are very thin and free of distortion. The big windscreen is moulded as a single part with the entire nose section - a nice approach that will ensure that you will not smear the clear parts with glue. The instrument panel is offered as a clear part as usual, but for the very first time Trumpeter has not hollowed out the instrument lenses. Although this will require a little more time masking the instruments, this very welcome improvement will deliver a more realistic result.

The kit features two nicely detailed engines and pods comprising 19 parts each..

Cockpit detail is very thorough. The seats even feature separate photo-etched harnesses, while bulkhead and floor textures are very impressive. The rear cabin is also detailed with tie downs on the floor and quilted sidewalls, but no seats are supplied. The cargo door is a separate part and may be posed open, and the lower door for the winch is also supplied separately. The forward door with its integrated step may also be displayed open.

Trumpeter has supplied landing gear legs in white metal. These are well cast and have nice detail. Tyres are vinyl.

Multimedia content is further boosted with a big photo-etched fret. This includes grilles, vents and harness straps.

Two sets of markings are supplied - US Army Aviation Command during 1966 and 228th ASHB, 1st Cav Div (Airmobile), Lai Khe, Vietnam 1970.

With their CH-47A, Trumpeter delivers another impressive, high quality kit.

Trumpeter's 1/35 scale Chinook is large, features excellent surface detail, good interior detail, makes very effective use of multimedia parts and is thoughtfully engineered for a simple build.

Whether you are a fan of Vietnam era, or helicopters in general, or just an admirer of excellent kits, Trumpeter's big Chinook will not disappoint.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to JB Wholesalers for the review sample.