Vietnam helli pad pix?

Try here for a beginning...

http://www.seawolf.org/index.asp

Btw, it's heli with a single L even if they could give some hell.

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How to link directly in the posts? The [url] tags doesn't seem to work.

Theuns,

     HAL-3 definitely had some land based detachments.  Here are some shots of Det 7 revetments.  You can see that they are basically made of metal sheeting (not sure if it's aluminum or something else) with earth in between.  You can see grass growing in between the tops of the revetments in some shots.  Also, you can see that some appear to have had the same metal sheeting lining the inside of the revetment.  It doesn't appear to be the standard PSP (Perforated Steel Plate) used by the US Army.  These are screenshots from a movie made by Doug Taylor, a Seawolf pilot. HTH

    Ray

Looks like corrugated metal sheet. Surely not PSP/PAP. Anyways, I think he's searching for helipads on FOBs, FSBs and the like and not of the revetments on the homebases. Nevertheless intersting pics. A chance to watch the mentioned video somehow?

Not sure there will be much luck finding FOBs and FSBs for Seawolves.  Perhaps the Sealords had them, not sure.  That was mostly an Army thing.  Of course, I could always be wrong, though.  Regarding the video, I can ask Mr. Taylor how you can order one if you are interested.  I met mr. Taylor at Thunder in the Valley in Columbus Georgia last year.  Turns out he flew my dad's UH-1B, gladiator 36, after it was turned over to HAL-3.  Small world.  Anyway, the video has some excellent shots of gunsgips in action in the detla as well as good stuff on Seawolf daily life.  It's called "Young and Bullet Proof"

   Ray

Would have said some of the ATSBs had helipads (on land).

Ray, the video is up on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnGKw6kmvrk

Wow, so it is!  Definitely worth watching all the way through if you are a Seawolves fan.  Thanks for finding the link.

   Ray

Yes, that's a really great vid and not only for Seawolf fans. Awesome that it has the original sounds for the most parts. Thanks for mentioning it. I would never have found it an otherway as there's no description and the German youtube blocks it because of the music he used. Had to watch it via a proxy.

Thanx guys. I like the idea of the"walls" made from what looks like corrigated sheet metal and earth/grass.Gives real feel to it.

Would a ship pad look like on a carrier with the usual dark grey "rubber" look and round tie down points?

Theuns

A helipad at a forward deployment point (fire base) would have been what ever could have been hastily made using materials at hand. PSP or timbers used to make a firm base for the helicopter to sit on after or during the heavy rains of the region.

I saw pics of one from a friend's scrapbook of images he took of the places he was stationed or was at. They used empty wooden ammo crates filled with sand and gravel set on as level of an area as there was. Once the area was covered with filled crates, it was covered with more sand and gravel. This gave them a footing to park on that wouldn't wash away. Later the base became more permanent and it was replaced with asphalt...and they got a new All-Ranks Club complete with air conditioning too! Both were appreciated.

At fixed bases, it was normal to use prefab revetment kits that contained 240 linear feet of revetment material.  There was a 12' high and a 16' high kit.  Don't remember the actual nomenclature, but I believe there was an A1 and a B1 kit.  The walls had two sided construction filled with local material, usually dirt.  Thats the reason you see plants growing from their tops.  They were usually, but not always, built by an engineer unit .  Often they were topped with filled sandbags or other structual material that could be secured in place.  Forward revetments were built using prefab kit, timber, psp, and/or corrugated metal walls filled with dirt/sand, barrels filled with dirt/ sand, and sandbages.  Basically they were two or three sided open top bunkers with walls built low enough to allow the rotor to turn above them.

Thanx guys! I have a good idea of what I want to do now. All I need to do is find a material that wil replicate the corrugated sheets in 1/72 scale. Maybe some form of corrugated cardbord or something.Failing that I might go with a more "simple" timber and earth theme.

Theuns

Theuns

Would a ship pad look like on a carrier with the usual dark grey "rubber" look and round tie down points?

There was no standard look as much of the helidecks/pads on boats were makeshift stuff. If you search the site I already mentioned you can find some pics of various types. Another great site for additional info (pics) is:

http://brownwater-navy.com/vietnam/#index

Btw, if you really want to build something like a more forward location the mentioned revetment kits are a bad choice as this stuff mostly didn't reached such remote locations as far as I know. Fuel drums, ammo boxes and the like are much more suiting for that purpose in my opinion.

Thanx for the replies guys.I will most likely go with the firebase "look" with some timber planks and earth walls, I reco it could give a nice feel to the flingwing.

I have done some work on the hog, but somehow the carpet monster got hold of my 2 rudder peddals! I guess it hapens if there is to much going on on the work table at the same time

Is the FS 34087 olive drab acurate for the overall green?

Theuns

Is the FS 34087 olive drab acurate for the overall green?

Yes, but not all HA(L)-3 Seawolf aircraft were green.  Check out Fireball Modelworks Seawolves decals for more color and marking options.

Thanx for the link! It looks like the last helo is either a very light green or grey, interesting.

I see on the back of my Italeri's box the decals I have is for HAL -3 Seawolves Vietnam 1970

Tail #316

Eccept for the missing rudder peddals, the build is going very well indeed.Allot better than my attempt at the 1/48 Revell kit

Thanx for all the valuable info and pix sofar ,it helps allot.

I saw a pix of a super cobra model with exhaust stains over the tailboom just behind the jetpipe.I have seen the same on the Pumas of the SAAF.

Would the UH1 also have something similar after a long flight, or would the dark green "hide" it?

Theuns

Theuns,

  Possibly not after only one flight, but Hueys can certainly get sooty tails as the below images show. Not that the exhaust staining does not begin immediately behind the exhaust itself, but slightly farther down the tailboom. First photo is from National Musuem of Naval Aviation, the rest are from USAAM archives.

   Ray

 US Navy trainer UH-1D:

Ft. Rucker trainer:

CARC green UH-1H (you can still see the black even on this dark green):

UH-1M with M22 system and trainer missiles:

Extreme example.  A UH-1B in Antarctic colors:

Wow Ray ,those pix are exactly what I was looking for.

I think I will try my hand at some staining afterall.I find it very interesting to see the dayglo on the door fading in exactly the same "pachy" way that the SAAF T-6 Harvard (Texans) did :-)

Does anyone perhaps have the Humbrol code for the OD? Otherwize I will google some more. Am I correct in assuming that the OD had a very slight sheen or satin to it? In the pix it doesn't look totally matt.

Theuns

Ah, the age old modeling question, what is the correct color for OD.  My usual response to that question is "YES."   by that i mean, there really is no correct color for OD.  Sure, there are Olive Drab colors in most paint lines, but you'll find very little consistency between aircraft or even various panels on individual aircraft.  During the early years of the Vietnam war (say pre-1965), the standard paint was gloss OD.  It can look anywhere from green, to bluish to almost black.  After matte OD became the standard, you'd see birds with faded areas or two or three different shades depending on location.  Saying all that, my advice is to pick a color that looks right to you and go with it.  Just my 2 cents.

    Ray

Personally, I think something like this bird would look cool. And it even has 316 on the tail (remember multiple Hal-3 birds could have the same tail codes). Pic from nation Museum of Naval Aviation:

So true Ray, colour is a difficult thing to get perfect. As you say, it fades and gets dirty.

In your pic you can actually see the "heat plume" from the jetpipe and some slight staining on the boom.Interesting that different helos would have the same tail#, as they were written off I guess.

The one I am thinking of doing has insignea red ontop of the horisontal stabs.

I will start a thread now "Italeri 1/72 UH1c" I would be happywith any imput/advice you lads might have for me.

Thanx

Theuns