Metal Earth: CH-47 Chinook

Two rotors, no tail rotor, and a first flight in 1961 that it has never really needed to improve on.

The Chinook solved the tail rotor problem by not having one: two counter-rotating main rotors cancel each other out, which frees the entire fuselage for load and gives the thing its unmistakable banana profile. It has been in continuous production for over sixty years, which almost nothing else in aviation can claim, and it is still the aircraft you call when something large and awkward has to be somewhere else.

Two sheets of laser-cut stainless steel, tab-and-slot assembly, no glue or paint required. The twin rotor pylons make this a more interesting build than a conventional helicopter, and the six blades take a while. Tweezers and needle-nose pliers recommended throughout. Finishes in bare steel on a display stand.

Perfect for: Anyone who has stood under one and felt it in their chest before they heard it.

Laser-cut steel | No glue required | Age 14+