Now that we’re getting close to the roll out of Walterson’s revamped Forces of Valor brand, we thought we’d approach things a bit differently. As pictures and information surface, we’re going to be covering them as if they were subjects of their wartime national publications: Signal for the Germans, Pravda for the Russians, and of course, Stars and Stripes for the US arsenal. So, without further ado, here’s our opening installment for our Forces of Valor profile.
‘The Chinook is an awesome aviation airframe. It is able to lift single heavy-duty pieces of equipment and light vehicles and is one of the most reliable airframes in service in the entire United States Military. It can lift up to 50,000 pounds and nearly 26,000 can be slung below the helicopter from the center hook. It has redundancy built in that many people did not realize, which makes it a very safe airframe. Each of the huge rotor blades on the Chinook CH-47 weighs 350 pounds, and the engines work together to turn the rotors. Each of the engines work about 50 percent capacity. If one engine fails the other simply goes into high gear, and functions at 100 percent allowing the helicopter to fly just as well as it does with two engines.”
– Military.com
If you follow their Facebook page, Waltersons has indicated that they are investing heavily in retooling many of the former Unimax Forces of Valor products. Their ultimate goal is to bring each model up to today’s standards, by adding engines and engine compartments, improving the paint wash, and, in the case of the CH-47 Chinook, redoing the front of the helicopter to make it look a bit more realistic when compared with an actual Chinook. This is one of the principal reasons why it has taken the Company so long to bring product to market, as they look to cater to diehard FOV fans and build up a new fan base all of their own.
The Chinook, which will come in several variations, nationalities and versions, will feature a detailed crew compartment, lowering rear ramp, free spinning rotors and heavy diecast metal throughout.
Likewise, the Company has updated the product packaging, all in an effort to appeal to the many different types of collectors eager to add a Chinook to their aviation collection. The first 1:72 scale Chinooks are expected to land in September, and, best of all, a larger 1:48 scale version, with even greater detail, is already in-the-works, and will hopefully touch down before the year is out.
