Need help with my Huey!

Hi Darren,

There were, in the time of the UH-1D/H, many branches of the 1st Calvary Division, so "generic" 1st Cav markings were rare. Generally, each Unit was identified by a certain White Stripe across the tailboom, or a Yellow Triangle on the door, or a Black Square on the door, etc etc. Each Unit had their own unique name, which was broken down further by the individual aircraft, which generally were identified by a unique "Call Sign", then broken down even further by "Nose Art".

The thing that's so great, and interesting, about Army Aviation Units in the field, was their diversity. Here are a couple of links to sites that contain a WEALTH of information and Photo's of the markings these aircraft wore, and JUST as important, detail on the aircraft/crew!

http://www.vvm.com/~firstcav/

http://www.vhpamuseum.org/

There's other sites, but I guarantee you these will keep you occupied a good LOOOOONG time.

Hope this helps,
Frank

Many thanks Frank, I'll go and check those sites out.

Cheers,

Darren.

When I was in the 1st Cav in 1968, the division had standard method of identifing individual units. Each battalion size aviation unit had a specific color associated with it. My battalion's, the 229th AHB, color was blue, the 227th was green, the 228th ASB I believe was black, the 1st of the 9th Cav was yellow and the ARA battalion was red. Each company in the battalion had specific design. "A" company's, troop or battery was a triangle, "B" company was a square, "C" company was a circle, and "D" company was a diamond. So Company A, 229th would have a blue triangle on the pilot's door.

In 1968 there was not much in the way of nose art in the 1st Cav. All most all aircraft in that time frame were simply army green with black lettering and the unit markings. In our battalion, D Company had just transitioned to AH-1Gs and the only thing I remember were the all seeing eyes painted on some of them. Also some aircraft had a small 1st Cav patch painted near the top of the vertical stablizer.

As far as callsigns go, they were tactical in nature so they periodically changed. The aircraft did not have callsigns per se except for their tail number. If the tail number was used, then the tactical callsign was not used, it would be "Army copter 12345." The leaders in a unit and pilots who were aircraft commanders had callsigns assigned. The use followed a fairly ridged order even though I new saw anything in writing. The unit commander would "6", and so for example, "Black Bandit 6." The first platoon leader would be "16" and so forth. The Aircraft Commanders in the first platoon would be "11", "12" and so forth.

Nothing had changed much in the manner of marking 1st Cav birds in '70
and '71 when I served. Same Tactical identifiers and call signs. Many 1st
Cav "Snakes" started sporting nose art. "C" troop, 1st of the 9th had some nasty looking sharkmouths. "D" company 229th and 227th had some splendid
nose art on their Cobras. 2/20th ARA had more subdued white block letter names on the area below the co-pilot station. "C" battery, 2/20th started
putting some billboard names in "old English" script on the sides of their birds
in late '70. I had the first which was painted by my frequent front seater while I went on R&R. See the profiles in Cobrahistorian's book for the Osprey series
for some great marking ideas.
Almost forgot, headquarters company's were marked with an X on the door. I always
thought it was ironic that the ARA battalion commander road around in a Huey with a
big "Red X" on the door. I remember a 228th "Hook" named the "Frito Bandito" that
was kind of cool, but don't recall seeing any Hueys in the Cav with any nose art other than 1/9th crossed sabres. I have a slide of 15th Med Huey with "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" on port side of nose.

Hey fella's,

Take a look through this "Nose Art" webpage, which is part of the VHPA main site, that contains many photos of the Artwork Cav Birds wore.

http://www.vhpamuseum.org/Art/Art.html

"Go-Go Niner's rolling hot"
Frank

Guys! I checked out the sites that Frank told me about and I found a well of information. I have to say they are great sites for learning about the men and machines of the Vietnam conflict and to that end I found pictures of a huey that I can build.
It will be "the widow Mrs Jones" from 121st AHC known as the Soc Trang Tigers. I have the decal sheet for this scheme already, but it did'nt look great in the instructions. Now I've seen a picture of the chopper as she was, I feel compelled to build it.

The paint instructions on this kit are not too good, and I'm supposed to paint the top of the helicopter on the roof area around the rotor housing. Is this part meant to be painted black?

Once again,

Thank you all for your help,

Darren.

Darren,

Here's a nice "real life" shot of the top of a HU-1D/H while being slung back to Can Tho, Jan '68.



There's a lot of muddy Crew Chief footprints all over the top of it, demonstrating what the "black" area was for. Also, I'm glad you found the bird you want to duplicate. Those are awesome sites!

Take care,
Frank

The black area on the roof was actually "non-skid" paint. Flat black paint with a liberal amount of sand in it.

Frank,

I forgot! Nice picture! I'm sure most of the muddy footprints were from the recovery team rigging the Huey for pick-up. Any "respectable" Crew Chief wouldn't let his Huey get that dirty!

Frank,

Did the Hooks cargo hook hole open up that wide? .......it is a Hook slinging that bird right?

My fav is Stawberry Bitch!! ....yummmy!

NICE PIC!

Hey Papa Echo-64,
I've actually done drops through the "hell hole" on the Chinooks. Hope that gives you an idea.

That explains alot!

Isn't there two hell Hole locations on Hooks?

Troy,

The cargo hook hatch is 35 1/4" wide (side to side), and 39 1/4" long (front to rear), so one could freely move through it, as Sal knows first hand.
I've made many, many jumps out of the Chinook, normally out the CE door, but just as many from the Ramp..................................................... after shutdown, I'd Jump Out onto the ramp and head off toward Base Ops!!

QUOTE: Isn't there two hell Hole locations on Hooks?

No sir, just one. On the "D & later models, the fore & aft hooks were mounted on hard points through the skin.

The Hook mechanism could be rotated forward & up, then be stowed within the cargo hole compartment so the inner & outer doors could be closed.



As a side note: Frank "Max" Grose, a CH-47 Pilot with the 147th during Vietnam, has a GREAT 8mm movie of a shot up UH-1B being dropped into the South China Sea from an altitude of 4000', taken through the Cargo Hole!

Take care,
Frank

Thanks for the Photo Frank. I'm still scratch building the inside of the cabln and up to now the troop seats are done and I have made up the amour plating for the pilots seats. It's not going to be anything spectacular as this is my first 1/35th heicopter and the first time I've attempted scratch building but I'm really enjoying this project.
Reading these posts and doing research on other sites has been a great learning experience, I'm quite certain I'll be building more helicopters in the future and asking lots of questions!-hope thats OK with you guys.

Darren

QUOTE: Melgyver wrote: Any "respectable" Crew Chief wouldn't let his Huey get that dirty!

Normally so, I agree. The "dirty Huey" picture, was one in a series of photo's sent to me by Mr. Ed Zaber, former Pilot with the 147th, of the recovery of a Huey that had just went down in a canal near Soc Trang. The Chinook started taking fire, and the UH-1 AC & CE performed the hook-up so they could get the h*ll out of there!

On a side note.....
Ed came very near loosing his life on this particular mission. They'd taken a hit somewhere in the back of the aircraft just after coming to a hover over the Huey... Ed was leaning over to monitor the engine instruments when; "It felt like somebody smacked the side of my helmet! When I looked up, I saw a hole in the windshield"

Check out what it was that smacked the side of Ed's helmet! (note the pencil through the bullet entry/exit holes of his helmet), standing in Can Tho Ops.


Don't know for sure, but I'd estimate that a little mud on the helicopter was the least of their worries at that time... Yikes [:0]

Take care,
Frank

Thank you for the info and for sharing that with us Frank!....Very cool pics!

I will VOTE for a Nam Vet any day!.....

Frank,

I was just pointing out all the mud on the roof of the Huey was from the "hook up" and "recovery" and not like that "normally". I didn't want someone to get the impression a lot of Hueys in Nam had mud covered roofs!

It's cool, Mel, I should have emphasized they were under fire when they hooked it up, so it was a hurry job. I bet it didn't stay like that very long after they got it back as the CE's always amazed me at their persistence, often without much or any sleep as a result!

Here's to the Crew Chiefs!!

Take care,
Frank

Frank,

No sweat buddy! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt! You sure have a lot of great pictures. If I ever make a swing through the East Coast I'll have to look you up! I may go to the IPMS Nationals in Atlanta in "05". You thinking of going?