You can tell your kids stories about different helicopters, but nothing is as exciting as them experiencing that aircraft firsthand. While you may not have your own Chinook parked on a helipad in your back yard, you can spark your child’s interest and enthusiasm by gifting them a large model version of your favorite chopper.
All the models on this list are limited edition pieces handcrafted from high-end mahogany wood. Only 100 of each detailed model were produced, so your aircraft comes with a limited-edition numbered metal plate validating its collectable status.
The included wood display stand is detachable and provides a safe place for the helicopter to rest in between “flights.”
1. Bell UH-1D Iroquois Model Helicopter
Start your child’s military helicopter aircraft collection off with a classic – the Huey. Production of the HU-1A spanned more than thirty years, resulting in over 16,000 aircraft of several variants. The UH-1 variant was the first turbine-powered helicopter used by the United States military.
Although the Huey was originally intended to serve as a troop carrier, Hueys were also utilized in supply, medevac, and gunship roles during the Vietnam War. They could carry up to fourteen-armed service members or 6 stretchers plus a medic.
The body of your UH-1D model Huey measures 20-inches long and 4-inches wide with 10-inch blades.
You can also opt for a slightly smaller 1/36-scale model version of the Huey with a 15-inch long, 4.5-inch wide body, and 8-inch blades.
2. Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow Model Helicopter
Since their introduction in 1986, Longbow aircraft have served in multiple United States military theaters of operation including Iraq and Afghanistan. The design is known for its excellent maneuverability as well as its sophisticated weapons system
The body of your model Apache Longbow measures 19-inches long and 4-inches wide with 9-inch blades.
3. Sikorsky Black Hawk Model Helicopter
The body of your Black Hawk model measures 16.75-inches long and 5-inches wide with 8.75-inch blades.
4. Boeing CH-47D Chinook Model Helicopter
When the military, especially the U.S. Army, needs to carry a significant load of either troops or supplies, it turns to the heavy-lift Chinook helicopter. As your child admires the model craft, explain how the Chinook and its three-person crew can transport as many as 55 troops or carry payloads of up to 24,000 pounds.
Another unique feature of the Chinook is its ability to hover with front wheels off the edge of a cliff while the rear wheels and rear loading ramp rest on the ground. Rapid unloading and loading missions are possible using this maneuver, but it takes a skilled pilot at the controls.
The body of your model Chinook measures 17-inches long and 5-inches wide with 8.75-inch blades.
5. Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey Model Helicopter
It took the combined effort of the teams at both Bell and Boeing Helicopters to develop the concept for the CV-22 Osprey. When sharing the model Osprey with your child, note how this craft is a hybrid of a fixed wing plane and a helicopter. The unique usefulness of the Osprey lies in its ability to take off and land in tighter spaces like a helicopter, then fly like a fixed wing plane once airborne.
Like the Chinook, the Osprey is built for heavy payloads. It can haul up to 20,000 pounds of cargo or 24 troops. The United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps all use variants of the Osprey on their missions.
This body of your Air Force model Osprey measures 18.6-inches long and has a wingspan of 14.9-inches.
6. Sikorsky MH-53J PaveLow Model Helicopter
Show your young Star Wars fan the front of the Sikorsky PaveLow and see if it reminds them of the AT-AT Walkers. Although the PaveLow does have offensive capabilities, in practice, the U.S. Air Force used these choppers mainly to fly search-and-rescue missions. The PaveLow series was designed for effective operation at night and in adverse weather, making it a useful asset in multiple theaters.
The Air Force’s first H-53 variant was flown in Vietnam in 1967, and subsequent versions were used everywhere from Panama to the middle East. The final PaveLow, the MH-53M, was retired in September 2008 following a mission in Iraq.
The body of your M-53J model PaveLow measures 19-inches long and 5-inches wide with 8-inch blades.
7. Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican Model Helicopter
When you introduce your child to the Pelican, remember to point out the large search station windows on either side of the cabin. Another feature worth noting is the hydraulic aft ramp that could be opened not only on the ground, but also on water and in flight.
The body of your HH-3F Pelican model measures 19-inches long and 4-inches wide with 9-inch blades.
8. Sikorsky CH-53E Super Sea Stallion Model Helicopter
The U.S. Navy and Marines call in the CH-53E Super Sea Stallion when they need an aircraft with both heavy lift capabilities and significant armaments. The Stallion can carry troops, weapons, equipment, or supplies into and out of conflict zones. Its three 50-caliber machine guns provide significant protection no matter what the mission.
One of the CH-53E’s more well-known missions was the 1995 rescue of a downed Air Force pilot from behind enemy lines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This mission was flown by Marine pilots in two Super Sea Stallions.
The body of your U.S. Marine Corp Super Sea Stallion model measures 18.5-inches long and 5.5-inches wide with 8.5-inch blades.
9. Bell AH-1W Super Cobra Model Helicopter
Some military helicopters are designed primarily for transport or support missions, but the AH-1W Super Cobra is an offensive aircraft. The Super Cobra is a signature U.S. Marine Corps aircraft and has been in use since 1967 when it was developed as the first ever attack helicopter.
One distinguishing feature of the Super Cobra is all the weaponry packed onboard. The weapon loadout has increased over time with more recent models carrying rockets, missiles, and a three-barreled Gatling gun.
The body of your Super Cobra model measures 18-inches long and 4-inches wide with 8-inch blades.
10. Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King Model Helicopter
Our final military helicopter was built for a very specific mission: short-range transport for the United States President. More commonly known as Marine One, this U.S. Marine Corps chopper has made numerous appearances on the South Lawn of the White House since it was first introduced in 1976.
Transporting the president requires the need for significant communications and safety equipment, so Marine One comes equipped with anti-missile countermeasures, EMP hardened secure and non-secure communications systems, survivability systems, and a self-contained navigation system. Although only the helicopter carrying the president is identified by the callsign Marine One, up to five identical Sea Kings may launch alongside Marine One to serve as decoys.
The body of your Marine One model measures 18-inches long and 4-inches wide with 9-inch blades.
11. Bell 206 JetRanger Model Helicopter
The helicopter now known as the JetRanger came from reworked designs for a prospective U.S. Army light observation helicopter. The Army selected the updated design christened the OH-58 Kiowa while the civilian version received the name Bell 206 JetRanger.
The JetRanger went into production in 1962 and has since gained widespread use for businesses, aerial tours, aerial surveying, medevacs, and commuter services. More than 7,300 JetRangers have been produced.
The body of your JetRanger model measures 18-inches long and 3-inches wide with 10-inch blades.
12. Bell 505 Jet Ranger X Model Helicopter
Looking for a newer model of helicopter to add to your kid’s collection? Bell’s 505 Jet Ranger X made its debut at the 2013 Paris Airshow and gained FAA certification in 2017. The 505 is roomy with space for four passengers plus the pilot. It has a maximum speed of 125 knots and a range of 383 miles at 4,000 feet.
The body of your Jet Ranger X measures 19-inches long and 2.75-inches wide with 9-inch blades.
