The CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter manufactured by Boeing Vertol. It possesses several means of loading various cargoes, including multiple doors across the fuselage, a wide loading ramp located at the rear of the fuselage and a total of three external ventral cargo hooks to carry underslung loads. It is still one of the fastest helicopters in the US inventory, with improved and more powerful versions also developed since its introduction in 1961. It remains one of the few aircraft introduced during the early 1960s that has remained in both production and frontline service for over 50 years. Over 1200 have been built.

Trumpeter came in 2008 with a new tool 1/72 Chinook, offered in both the  “A” and the improved “D” version (the latter previewed by our Editor here), which basically share the same sprues but one that caters for the different engines. The subject “A” version comes in a very nice and strong top opening box with an attractive box art of a U.S. Army Aviation Chinook, flying over a presumably Far East landscape.

Upon opening the box, the first thing that struck me was the superb packaging, something that Trumpeter has become famous for, among others. All parts are separately bagged, with additional pieces of cardboard compartmentalizing them in a supreme way. Well done Trumpeter!

I was greeted with 99 light gray styrene parts arranged in two sprues, except for the two engine covers that are in a mini sprue and the fuselage halves that are separate pieces. Molding is first class, with crisp recessed panel lines but also raised details where required. No flash was apparent whatsoever.

The highly visible cockpit is sufficiently detailed with all basic controls. The instrument panel and console faces are nicely provided as separate thin plates with fine raised detail. They will look great with dry brushing and some red/yellow/white “knobs” added with a fine brush. Seats also look good with molded-on seat belts. Apart from the front bulkhead, the good looking floor and the structurally detailed sidewalls, no other cargo detailing is provided. The rear ramp and side entry hatch are separate, so if you wish to pose them open you might consider beefing up the empty cargo area.

The engines are well represented, something also very true for the rotors, which feature convincing hubs and blades superbly molded “dropped”, which is their posture on the ground with engines stopped. The landing gear is well represented, as are the various add-ons (antennas, hooks and the like) that are found all over the Chinook!

Two clear sprues are provided, one containing the one piece canopy and another containing all windows. They are superbly molded and crystal clear. Instructions are very well done in a mini booklet style, containing a parts list, with the construction sequence spread in nine logical and clear steps. Internal color callouts are provided in Gunze, Mr Color but also generic names.

The decal sheet looks sharply printed and of good quality. Colors look very good, too, though a number of modelers might find them tad on the bright side. A small correction sheet is supplied for one US Army badge that was not correctly depicted on the main sheet.Three schemes are provided, two US Army Aviation and one Texas NG. They are all done in olive drab allover, with the one of the US Army schemes featuring some orange at both the nose and tail and a yellow band surrounding the fuselage, in front of the engines. This might be the most interesting of the three, offering some color note on an otherwise “bland” olive drab scheme!

Instructions start with cockpit assembly onto the big floor, then attaching the 2-piece bulkhead that separates the cockpit from the cargo area. The side windows are then attached from the insides, followed by the lower side walls, with the assembled cockpit/cargo floor and the rotor bases trapped between the fuselage halves. The engines are next assembled and attached, followed by the side entry hatch. Then the landing gear and various antennas, hooks and the like are to be affixed (I would leave these “delicacies” off, to attach at later stages…). The rear ramp is next, followed by canopy attachment. Assembly and attachment of the rotors are the final steps of what looks to be a build of average complexity.

This looks to be a superb kit of the highly iconic Chinook. General shape looks good, as does all external detailing. Cockpit as well as the rest of the details are more than sufficient for the scale, with the rotors superbly depicted “drooped”. Molding is excellent and transparencies are very well done. Decals look good and instructions are clear. The only minor complaint concerns the structurally correctly depicted but otherwise empty cargo area, which may be beefed up with aftermarket stuff that seems to be available, should you wish to pose the rear ramp and/or side entry hatch open.

With a price that seems right for what the kit offers and seemingly good availability, looks like we have a winner here!