ICM 1/35 CH-54A with M-121 Bomb (53055)

This review we will try to open the box and check ICM 1/35 CH-54A with M-121 Bomb (53055). As you can guess from the name, kit comes as another version of the famous US helicopter in big scale. Nevertheless, this time we get it together with bomb in the cargo area. This combo might turn into an impressive build, and it is definitely worth checking closer. Packaging is typical for this brand, all parts come in two boxes. There are 604 parts which should assemble into a model with 774mm length. Let's open this box and take a closer look together.

By the way, here you can read review with the previous version of this helicopter.
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Watch this video-review where I show all parts even closer.

We are going to start with large frame which carries fuselage panels. Boxy design allowed ICM to get a nice design without complex subassemblies.

Tail sections get assembled in the same way. Here you can also see landing gear legs, each of those will have to be installed on special tabs.

Inside separate panels you will find guiding elements which should help with alignment of those large sections.

Fuselage panels feature recessed panel lines and raised rivets. Pay attention so that none of those rivets will be damaged.

Main rotor blades are quite large and feature slight sag. I would recommend to check some references in order to understand what will be the most realistic look for those.

Kit is quite generous in terms of parts for the engine compartment. I recommend to spend some time on painting and weathering this area.

Even though model is quite large, there are plenty of small parts, so be ready to work with those. In some cases you will need sharp tweezers and cutters.

Landing gear wheels look good and should be easy to assemble. Note that there are no details on the tire walls.

Front cab is also glued out of separate panels. It is good to see that those parts repeat panel lines and you just need to join them together.

Last frame is dedicated to M-121 bomb which is fixed in the cargo compartment. Overall design is typical for such item, there are guiding pins which will help you with alignment.

Clear frame is packed into separate plastic bag. Molding quality looks great, but there are no masks templates included.

Decals sheet is not that big and features symbols for one marking only. Overall printing quality looks great. You can see the profile on the photo below.

Assembly manual is typical for this brand. I show all pages in the video-review.

New helicopter should be already available for purchase. In my opinion it is a great choice for modelers who would like to assemble the model with something in its cargobay. Overall quality still looks great and ICM did a great job in terms of parts division and details. Of course, you can also get some aftermarket for more details, but even standard plastic offers a lot. This is a huge model project, so I won't recommend it to beginners, and you shouldn't underestimate the whole build. :)

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