The CH-46 Sea Knight first entered service back in the 1960s as a medium-lift assault/cargo helicopter and has been a reliable workhorse for the US Marines ever since. Hobby Boss's kit consists of:
57 x grey styrene parts
10 x clear styrene parts
Decals for 2 x colour schemes
As befits a new-tool kit, there's no sign of flash on the crisply moulded parts. Surface finish is smooth with engraved panel lines and neatly done raised details. I think it's fair to say the engraving is a bit heavy for this scale, but it should look fine under a coat of paint and will lend itself to weathering with washes.
Construction looks very simple with the interior consisting of a one-piece floor running the length of the cabin and cockpit. Onto this attach a bulkhead, bench seats for the cabin and a neatly detailed cockpit with a nice instrument panel, joysticks and cyclic controls and a pair of seats. There's obviously a lot more that can be added - and the cockpit transparency is clear enough for the effort not to be wasted. Likewise in the cabin, where both the side door and tail ramp can be posed open to reveal the interior which, as supplied, is rather bare.
Turning to the exterior, there's a separate transmission-shaft cover which allows some detail on the vents and louvres without a seam to spoil them, plus rotors which are very simple, with crisply moulded one-piece rotor-heads onto which the blades attach. The undercarriage is similarly straightforward and the kit promises to be a quick, easy build.
The transparencies are crystal clear. Frame details on the canopy are a bit soft , but it is moulded with windscreen wipers. Both flat and bulged fuselage windows are provided.
The instructions are well drawn, but don't include any painting instructions for the interior, which is surprising as so much will be visible.
Both machines are finished in overall grey and Hobby Boss give a match for Gunze Sangyo paints.
The decals are thin and glossy and the registration looks good. I found a little bleed on the national insignia, but this might be limited to the review sample because it's not a problem I've encountered with Hobby Boss sheets. Luckily alternatives are easily obtainable.
Conclusion
Hobby Boss's Sea Knight looks to be a simple, effective kit of an important part of the US Marines' arsenal. The easy construction will make it ideal for newcomers to the hobby, while the kit will also provide a good basis for experienced modellers wishing to add more detail.
Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.
SUMMARY
Hobby Boss's range of 1/72 helicopters continues to grow with the release of an attractive kit of the CH-46D Sea Knight.
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About Rowan Baylis (Merlin) FROM: NO REGIONAL SELECTED, UNITED KINGDOM
I've been modelling for about 40 years, on and off. While I'm happy to build anything, my interests lie primarily in 1/48 scale aircraft. I mostly concentrate on WW2 subjects, although I'm also interested in WW1, Golden Age aviation and the early Jet Age - and have even been known to build the occas...
I think it's a great little Sea Knight, I pulled out the Testors/Fujimi kit just comparison and found that the new Hobby Boss is much better, especially with it’s interior. It’s a shame that the window wipers were molded on. As for AM kit, well I wouldn’t waste time or money in the interior as you’ll never see it, but it would be nice to see an exterior set to replace the inlet screen and the armor plating along the Pilot side of the fuselage. It’ll be interesting to see if Hobby Boss has their fuselage halves specific to their CH-46E/F version. Great review….
Joe
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