After building the Tamiya USAF Skyraider I felt it was appropriate to build a model of the CH-53D to go with it. Although the kit is for a later, more advanced variant, it still has the parts for the earlier aircraft in the kit so you can build a USN Sea Stallion or the USAF Jolly Green. The surface of the model has raised rivets which is correct for this bird and a decently detailed cockpit for the era it was originally made, but the main cabin area will need some detail if you want to display the model with the ramp open. I borrowed a rescue hoist from another kit and mounted it over the starboard fuselage door along with a scratch built penetrator. The penetrator was a heavy steel seat designed to punch through the thick jungle canopy and would hold the survivor in place even if injured. The early CH-53's didn't have intake filters and this kit has both filtered and filterless intakes. The rotor head is somewhat basic but with the cap on not much will be visible anyway. Markings for these helicopters were minimal with an eye to making them harder to target by the enemy. National insignia were small or sometimes absent and lettering was black. Color scheme was the standard SEA three color camouflage. This issue of the CH-53 is the best as it gives you so many options for not a lot of money.