AH-1W stores query

The rocket pods can be OD, I tried to upload a pic but it didn't work. The rails for the hellfire missiles are always black, but the hellfires themselves are OD.
This pic was taken in Al Kut Iraq sometime in the spring of 2003. It's HMLA-269 based out of MCAS New River, NC

There's a couple in the hanger next door. I'll check em tonight at work

Are you two sitting at the same place but in different locations????

So, the Hellfire rails are black? I figured they'd be the aircraft's color, no biggie to fix that, then. Guess I learned something new. But I can make the rocket pods OD and that would be accurate? I just wanted to break up the overall grey scheme of this bird with something. Thanks.

Oh, would a Cobra ever carry all TOWs or Hellfires? I'm talking all four hardpoints with the 4 round launchers? I've got another -1T Cobra that I was going to load out with 16 TOW (using the extras from the -1W that I'm working on now).

AH-1W 's were built to carry both TOW and Hellfire's.
John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

The 2.75 launchers can be either OD Green or White.. Lord knows I loaded enough of them to at least remember that much.

The more common color today is the OD Green though.

Paul

Chopperfan, we're both in Jacksonville, NC.

It's true that they can carry both TOW and Hellfire, but all I've really seen on Whiskey Cobras is Hellfire. I'm not an ordanance expert though, airframes and Hydro is my speciality. In fact, I don't even work on Cobras. So I don't want to misrepresent myself as an expert, but I do pay attention to the little birds whenever they're around. They're so cool.

I didn't really have a chance to take a closer look at their ordinance stores tonight. It was a busy night for CH-53E's. I was right next to a Cobra when I borrowed a hydraulic servicing thing-a-majig. I appologize.

Chris

QUOTE: Originally posted by ridleusmc I was right next to a Cobra when I borrowed a hydraulic servicing thing-a-majig. Chris

Spoken like a true "wrench twister", Chris.
By the way. If I haven't already said it to either of you 2. Thanks for serving! I for one appreciate all you do and sacrifice to keep this nation great!!
I'm not a Marine but, what the hell, Semper fi!!!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandadjohn AH-1W 's were built to carry both TOW and Hellfire's.

But, as another project, I'm looking to put 4 sets of TOW tubes on a single -1T and I was wondering if that was a realistic loadout. Someone posted that you could either have a full tank or a full weapons load, but not both with a Cobra, and I was going to go with the "heavy" load of 16 TOWs.

The current -1W that I'm working on will have the rocket pods and Hellfires that you usually see, but the kit came with some excellent TOWs that I don't want to go to waste, so they'll go on the -1T.

Thanks for all the help so far.

QUOTE: Originally posted by ridleusmc Slightly off topic, but kinda related... ...we're both in Jacksonville, NC.

That's kinda funny. There used to be a band out of NC called Whiskeytown and one of their songs was "Jacksonville Skyline" off the Pneumonia album. One of the chorus lyrics is "The soldiers fill the hotels on the weekends" Check it out iTunes

When I was working in Orlando a couple years back, our photographer was formerly a shutterbug with the Marine Corps in NC and he had some cool pix of Cobras and Ospreys. He said that the TOWs were kinda "buggy" when fired over water. One of them turned around after the Cobra fired it and it almost hit the Huey he was in and that kind of thing was one of the reasons they switched over to the Hellfire

Chopperfan, we appreciate your support. It's good to hear it. Thank you.

As for the full load vs full gas. I think that's more of a harrier problem. From what I understand, Whiskey Cobras with their 2 gas turbines don't lack for horsepower. CH-46E's on the other hand have some serious HP issues.

The AH-1T's probably could carry 16 TOW. The -T is an older model, and the TOW is an older missile, so I think that would work. I think the Army is still operating some T's. Army Reserve and National Guard might have some too. I've never seen a T up close, but Whiskeys are all over the place.

The Army doesn't have any Tango model cobras. All of ours are single engined. In fact, I think the cobra was retired from the Army all-together with the 'Pache replacing it in all Active, Reserve and National Guard units. I could be wrong though.

Man, I'm surprised Cobrahistorian hasn't jumped in on this one yet. He must be busy at the moment.

I think adrake2's correct. Even my home state's NG is flying Apaches now, and they held on to their Hueys for a loooong time before switching over to the Blackhawk.

Oh, didn't I mention that these are going to be USMC snakes? That's pretty much the majority of what I build, stuff we jarheads keep improving and using long after the army goes for the new, gee-whiz "next generation" stuff.

1) Most 2.75" inch rocket pods are green, usually a lot of different shades but predominately brighter than OD (more like field green or FS34097 or 34095) older ones could be white but that is mainly just the 5" Zuni pods. I've never seen a grey pod on a Cobra.
2) Hellfire and TOW launchers are OD (CARC or helo drab). Some older ones may have been black but all I see now are green.
3) USMC Hellfires are black. Older TOW missles are OD, newer ones (TOW IIs) are tan.
3) Army never had AH-1Ts.
4) AH-1Ts never carried Hellfires.
5) There are no AH-1Ts in 1/35. If you are buidling the 1/35 MRC AH-1T+ it is really just an AH-1W (the prototype). The T+ is really just the name for the first W and was nothing like a T. I've got a picture of the T+ shooting a Hellfire during trials - the missile was bright orange.

Thanks for the info and the pics, supercobra. That is just what I needed to get this one done.

Trigger,

LOL... yeah, I had drill this weekend. Loads of fun, but at least I learned something about deuce and a halfs and OOOOLD Bradleys (yes, we have M-2 Bradley number FOUR).

From what I know the full load vs. full fuel issue was strictly for the Army's Cobras (single engined jobs) and once that second engine was added (J, T, W models) there wasn't as much of an issue.

Sadly, the Army retired all of its Cobras in 2002, so I'll probably never get to fly one. As Adrake said, the Apache has pretty much replaced the Cobra in all active, guard and reserve attack units. Good news is, I've pretty much locked in the unit I'm going to upon commissioning, and will be flying Apaches shortly thereafter! Anyhow...

I guess those pics prove me wrong on what I said about TOW's. However, the missile rails sitting in HMM-162's (Reinforced) hanger today are black. I did get a chance to check them last night. No Ordinance (hangered Aircraft are not permitted to be fitted with Ordinance), but the rails were most definately black.

Cobras make such a show out of hover taxiing. CH-46E's and CH-53E's roll out and taxi on their wheels. Cobras come in creeping down the flight line slow at about 5 to 10 feet off the deck. It's kinda fun to watch. However, whenever a Cobra goes to launch out it's surrounded by a gaggle of avionicsmen to troubleshoot. As opposed to 1 or 2 for CH-53's.

I've never seen a Whiskey Cobra fully loaded out with all Hellfire or TOW. I don't think they can load TOW or Hellfire on the inner stations due to weight and proximity to fuselage and or interference with skid crosstube. Any Cobra Ordies out there?

supercobra, some of those pictures look like they were taken at 29 Palms, CA, others look like MCAS New River, NC. Yet another looks like it was taken on a hanger deck. Did you take those pics yourself? Excluding the Test fire pic.

Outstanding pics, supercobra. Just want to add my two cents being a former avionics and fire control tech.

1) ALL rocket pods are various shades of OD or dark green....doesn't need to be too specific (I have seen quite a few shades), and make sure they are pretty heavily weathered....they get beat up a lot.

2) Hellfire rails are ALWAYS black....Hellfire missles are ALWAYS black too. Supercobra's pics are great, but if you're modeling live ordnance, replace those blue stripes with yellow ones. (blue-striped hellfires are inert)

3) ALL TOW missles in use today are a desert tan color. Color stripes on those are one yellow stripe, and one brown stripe. ALL TOW launchers are black.

4) Whenever a load of Hellfire and TOW are carried, TOWs go on the LEFT-hand side (#1 side), and Hellfires on the RIGHT-hand side (#2side) This is to minimize the risk of TOW wires getting caught in the tail rotor. This arrangement is used about 90% of the time unless there is a maintenance issue with the aircraft. Seeing a bird with two sets of hellfires happens occasionally, but two sets of TOW is rare.

5) I am 100% sure that the AH-1W and 99% sure that an AH-1T cannot carry 16 TOW. That would require the inside hardpoints on each stub wing to be capable of mounting a TOW rack (with the wiring). I have never seen any signs that our Whiskeys had been capable of this. The ONLY things the inner hardpoints are capable of mounting are rockets pods or auxiliary fuel tank. Hate to bust your bubble on that idea....but if you're going for realism, I'd say no. (However, the AH-1Z will have the capability of 16 hellfire....all underwing hardpoints will accomodate full missle racks.)

.....aaaaaand........the whiskey cobra is fully capable of flying with a full ordnance and fuel load. In fact, the engines are so powerful that they are power limited via electronics, because they could actually over-spin the transmission if let wide open. If we had a stronger transmission, the bird would have even more power!

When I say ALWAYS...that just comes from 5 years of deployments and maintenance and what I have seen in my unit....I am sure there is probably an oddball-colored missle rack or rocket-pod out there somewhere in a DRMO pile, lol. Have fun....sorry if I bored anyone to death with details:)
Semper Fi

"PRIMUS ET MAGNUM"

This just gets better and better, I'm learning more than I thought I would when I first thought up this question. Now, it is a bummer about having 16 TOWs loaded, but I may just say to heck with it and do it anyway. I'll save the extra missiles either way.

As a grunt turned data geek, I appreciate all the help from the air-wingers out there.

Looks like those Hellfire launchers are Army Helo Drab, not black.... like they came off an Apache..... hmmmm... must have Marines creeping around the hangars again!

QUOTE: Originally posted by LemonJello This just gets better and better, I'm learning more than I thought I would when I first thought up this question. Now, it is a bummer about having 16 TOWs loaded, but I may just say to heck with it and do it anyway. I'll save the extra missiles either way. As a grunt turned data geek, I appreciate all the help from the air-wingers out there.

I'm glad you asked it, LJ!!! I've got an AH-1W in the "goody pile" I need to think about starting and this information will be very useful, indeed!!!!

I've seen Hellfire racks that are Dark OD green and black.

Cobrahistorian: Marines improvise, adapt, and overcome.