CH-46 medivac

Hey bondoman,

I've been making steady process on the -46.  I've nearly finished the interior.  I should be able to close up the hull either later today or tomorrow.  I got my new digital camera (and compressor too). 

Jesse

usmc1371 wrote:

Hey Bill, What do you have done so far on the -46?  I got the rotar heads and blades finished, including painting.  I'm currently working on the interior.  I just finished painting the left side.  I should be able to put the decals on today or tomorrow.  Masking all the those boxes for painting was a real pain.  Cleaning up those ejector pin marks wasn't fun either.  I'd post some pics but my camera just died (along with my compressor).  Hopefully, I can get a new camera this weekend. Jesse

http://thewall-usa.com/info.asp?recid=29668

PM inbound soon.

Aaronw wrote:

J.H. Primm wrote: 2. Data decals for rotor blades placed on top surface of the blades (This information is on the lower surface of the blades so it can be read from the ground without having to get on top of the aircraft)   Is this true of rotor data markings in general? It does make a lot more sense that they would be on the bottom of the rotor, but I've never seen a kit show to put them on the bottom always on the top.

Nominal blade weight, nominal trim tab angle, etc... were always on the lower side of the blade. I don't ever recall any stenciling on the upper surfaces. This was true of all metal blades on both the CH-46s and the CH-47As and Cs that I crewed. And I seem to recall it was the same for FRBs on the CH-47Cs, CH-47Ds and MH-47Ds that I crewed.

J.H. Primm wrote:

2. Data decals for rotor blades placed on top surface of the blades (This information is on the lower surface of the blades so it can be read from the ground without having to get on top of the aircraft)

Is this true of rotor data markings in general? It does make a lot more sense that they would be on the bottom of the rotor, but I've never seen a kit show to put them on the bottom always on the top.

usmc1371 wrote:

Jonathan, Thanks for the info.  I didn't know about the different rotor systems but even if I did, I wouldn't of fix them.  I hope the directions are correct in depicting the forward and aft rotor systems.  I was very careful about assembling them correctly.  I did put the decals on correctly (bottom).  I have no idea what you're talking about concerning the cockpit escape panels but I haven't got to that part yet.  I'll keep it in mind when I get to it.  Forget about folding those rotor blades.  I wonder why noone has come out with a update set for them? By the way, what ship is that? Thanks again, Jesse

No problem Jesse. If you need more techical info, let me know.

The top photo was taken aboard U.S.S. New Orleans (LPH-11) in the winter of 1978-79 when I was with HMM-164 (the aircraft was a CH-46F serial # 157696)

The bottom photo was taken aboard U.S.S. Guadalcanal (LPH-7) in  May of 1977 while assigned to HMM-461 as part of the CH-46 Detachment from HMM-162. (CH-46F serial #157703)

Jonathan,

Thanks for the info.  I didn't know about the different rotor systems but even if I did, I wouldn't of fix them.  I hope the directions are correct in depicting the forward and aft rotor systems.  I was very careful about assembling them correctly.  I did put the decals on correctly (bottom).  I have no idea what you're talking about concerning the cockpit escape panels but I haven't got to that part yet.  I'll keep it in mind when I get to it.  Forget about folding those rotor blades.  I wonder why noone has come out with a update set for them?

By the way, what ship is that?

Thanks again,

Jesse

usmc1371 wrote:

Hey Bill, What do you have done so far on the -46?  I got the rotar heads and blades finished, including painting.  I'm currently working on the interior.  I just finished painting the left side.  I should be able to put the decals on today or tomorrow.  Masking all the those boxes for painting was a real pain.  Cleaning up those ejector pin marks wasn't fun either.  I'd post some pics but my camera just died (along with my compressor).  Hopefully, I can get a new camera this weekend. Jesse

One of the draw backs to the Academy series of CH-46s if doing a Viet-nam era D or F is the rotor system. Sadly when they released the Ds, the rotor heads and blades were the same as on that included with the E. Not really a big deal as most people will not notice it.

There are a couple of common mistakes that I have seen people make on these kits... 

1. Forward and Aft Rotor heads mixed up (aft on forward part of the aircraft and vice versa)

2. Data decals for rotor blades placed on top surface of the blades (This information is on the lower surface of the blades so it can be read from the ground without having to get on top of the aircraft)

3.Cockpit escape panels (The clear parts that go on either side of the cockpit enclosure) opened up like doors with a hinge at the front (These normally kept closed, and when opened, fold outward and are hinged horizontally in the middle) 

4. Several people have gone to great lengths to depict the blades folded with varying degrees of sucess, my advice is to look at photos of '46s with folded blades...it isn't a simple matter of just positioning all the blades over the center of the airframe.

Hope these hints will be useful.

Jonathan Primm

Hey Bill,

What do you have done so far on the -46?  I got the rotar heads and blades finished, including painting.  I'm currently working on the interior.  I just finished painting the left side.  I should be able to put the decals on today or tomorrow.  Masking all the those boxes for painting was a real pain.  Cleaning up those ejector pin marks wasn't fun either. 

I'd post some pics but my camera just died (along with my compressor).  Hopefully, I can get a new camera this weekend.

Jesse

In summary, and thank you for your information, gents, the helo would be a standard set-up, with a configuration of seats/litters/ door guns on a mission basis, with green seats and litters.

usmc1371 wrote:

Marine Nurses?? That would be cool.  Actually, the Marines do not have any organic medical personnel.  All medical personal serving with the Marines are attached from the Navy. -Jesse

Bill

bondoman wrote:

Thank you Primm. That man in the back of the pic is the loadmaster? Any more pics of that quality would be great, Did the medivacs have Marine Nurses on board? What was their insignia?

 "That man" was me when I was all of 21 years old. At the time we weren't  known as "loadmasters", we were referred to as "crew chiefs". The normal crew was four...Pilot, Co-Pilot, Crew Chief, and 1st Mech.

Later when I got out of the Marines and enlisted in the Army and started crewing CH-47s, the number of crewmembers was the same..four. Pilot, Co-Pilot, Flight Engineer (same as Crew Chief on CH-46s) and Crew Chief (same as a 1st Mech on CH-46s).

As I understand it, the selection and training of enlisted aircrew for CH-46s has changed quite a bit since I crewed in the 70's. The process of selecting and training crewmembers used to be much more informal. In the past, prospective crew members were chosen from the helicopter mechanics within the sqaudron who showed initiative and a positive attitude, and aptitude towards working on helicopters. After a period of about three months under the tutleage of a more experienced Crew Chief, the prospective crewmember had to undergo a series of check rides, oral, practical and written exams to test technical knowledge of the aircraft and gain the approval of the Line Chief and be endorsed by the C.O. before being awarded permanent aircrew status. (A similiar process was in place for qualifying as a crewmember in the Army)

As has already been mentioned, all medical personnel assigned to Marine Corps units are actually Naval medical types. We didn't have any medical personnel assigned to us at the Squadron level, but while deployed as detachments we would often have some medical personnel assigned, depending on the size of the detachment and where we were sent, but they didn't typically fly any missions with us.

The medical personnel assigned to Marine Corps units normally wear the same work uniform (utilities) as Marines, and the only way to tell that they aren't Marines is the collar insignia they wear, or when they are in their dress uniforms. I never saw any Corpsmen wearing red cross armbands if that is what you are asking. 

Medical personnel assinged to the Marine Corps, especially those assigned to infantry units, are usually highly regarded and efforts are made to keep them happy....No one wants to******off "doc".

Marine Nurses?? That would be cool.  Actually, the Marines do not have any organic medical personnel.  All medical personal serving with the Marines are attached from the Navy.

-Jesse

bondoman wrote:

Alright that sounds good to me. The kit has litters, which photos on Google from the first Gulf war look to be red, but in Viet Nam I think were green. Primm and 1371, thank you for your service, sincerely. And any additional information from Viet Nam or otherwise is more than welcome. Thank you Aaron for answering, too.

If it helps, the troop seats were constructed of a red nylon material and litters are OD canvas.

The troop seats that come wiht the kit look more like solid benchs, here is what the real ones look like;

Alright that sounds good to me. The kit has litters, which photos on Google from the first Gulf war look to be red, but in Viet Nam I think were green.

Primm and 1371, thank you for your service, sincerely. And any additional information from Viet Nam or otherwise is more than welcome. Thank you Aaron for answering, too.

 You are correct...Unlike the Army (which had UH-1s assigned to dedicated medevac units), the Marine Corps did not have any CH-46s dedicated strictly to the medevac mission. However the aircraft can be configured to carry wounded.

When I crewed '46s, I usually had at least two litters set up on the forward left hand side of the cabin. They came in handy after a rough night. :)

I'd agree. I was in the Corps (combat engineer) for 8 years and rode helo's ALOT.  I never really cared for the -46 but I loved to ride in the -53.  I don't ever remember seeing a medevac helo, though.  The Corps has two usages for helos: close air support and transport of personnel/equipment.

By the way,  I'm working on the same kit.  I'll be doing the Ch-46A with the door guns.

Jesse