Need help finding a helicopter crew!

Yup, they have been around since spring (May) of '11.

From DToys out of Korea, USMC AH-1W Heli Crew Set. They look pretty nice. The standing female pilot looks a little stiff though, especially her right arm.

new Helicopter Crew i found

http://www.soga-miniatures.com/index.php?productID=17259

Hard to see the detail in the pictures, but they do look better than the ones I have...

Thanks.

Cosmic J wrote:

...but the crew are very substandard. Any good 1/72 scale helo pilots out there?

Good is relative, but here's what's in Revell's 1/72 CH-54 Skycrane

I just want to add that I have found this thread to be very useful. Normally I build sci-fi kits; guidelines for painting the crews are usually non-existent. Thanks to all the contributors.

Recently I purchased this kit:

 http://www.hlj.com/product/KBYKP-46

...but the crew are very substandard. Any good 1/72 scale helo pilots out there?

Just a note that all boots now are tan. The Black boot is officially gone. I believe its last wear date was a couple of months back or longer. Also I noticed the image of the trumpter Ch47 crew wearing jungle boots. While some got away with flying with jungle boots it was against regulations. Flying boots for the Army had to be all leather. The nylon was a fire hazard. The Grunts could wear them but flight crews were not suppose to wear them.

Charlie

arkhunter2002 wrote:

Does anyone have the Nemrod crew? Are the helmets a good representation of the HGU-56?

I have those figures and as seaking suggesed the helmets are SPH-4NV, so a no go on HGU-56! Sorry! 

seaking wrote:

I think that just the guy kneeling doesn't have the sph-4 model, he has the hgu-55 air force model. Maybe he represents an Air Force PJ? Hope someone could clarify that.

Yes, it's very probable that the kneeling guy is a PJ. He's the only one with a hip holster and knee pads, too. 

seaking wrote:

other doubt...can you see any survival vest on pilot in commad figure?

No, neither pilot nor co-pilot are wearing a vest.

Hi there,

 Are you sure they represent HGU-56 model? the pics I found are not clear but they seem to be SPH-4 with the old style visor cover, suitable for NVGs. I think that just the guy kneeling doesn't have the sph-4 model, he has the hgu-55 air force model. Maybe he represents an Air Force PJ?

Hope someone could clarify that.

 other doubt...can you see any survival vest on pilot in commad figure?

take care

Seaking

Does anyone have the Nemrod crew?

Are the helmets a good representation of the HGU-56?

TIA,

Austin 

    Thanks a lot, Gino - thats very helpfull!

Still qurious about the backpack on the vest though. Would like to know more.

  That fire extingusher seems to be smaller then standart one? Anyway it would be a nice touch to a figure in 1/35 scale.

    Andy 

I don't know of any one website to look at, but if you put each term into Google, you will come up with pics and websites that show them. 

The guy in the second pic does look like he is wearing a backpack.

The bags are part of the survival vest.  Each holds survival gear like emergency rations, water, signal mirror, first aid kit, etc.  The survival vest is standard equipment that is usually worn.

The fire extinguisher is carried by the Crew Chief during start up of the engines in case of a fire.  He will place it back in the helo once they get underway.

Most crew carry M4s and a couple of magazines in case of a crash as well.  They are usually strapped into the aircraft somewhere.  Most crewmen also carry an M9 Baretta 9mm pistol on them and a survival knife as well.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, Gino

   Is there a website where I can see this stuff in detail?

  Is it a backpack on the guy on second photo or its just a vest?

  What are all the "bags" hanging from the vest of the first guy?

 Are they a part of nescessory equipment and are usually carried or its just a random shot.

  I mean for example that fire extingusher on the first photo - is it a part of the gear?

  What about personal weapons of crewmembers lets say in Afghanistan?

  During the war in 1979-89 Russian pilots ussually took a shortbarreled AK-47 and several clips of ammo in case of a forced landing. I've read a book where one of them was saying that he felt very uncomfortable, almost "like naked" without AK-47 tied to his gear.

  Is it same with US pilots curently in A-stan?

  Andy

   This is a great thread. It answered a lot of my questions. Especially the Vietnam/Modern era helmet question.

   Now I am intersted in the rest of the modern ARMY pilot/crew chief's equipment and gear. Like this guy here:

and this one :

    Can anybody please discribe with photo/drawings examples what gear is that on these guys. Where can I find more or less detailed visual info on that sort of gear?

   I think it will be an interesting continuation of the thread

   Thanks

Andy

Thanks to all for the suggestions.  I ended up going with the Nemrod crew, then casting a dupicate of the pilot to end up with two survival vests. 

You can find pics of the crew and the finished model at http://picasaweb.google.com/nadeauc242

Dudley

n/t

If I'm not mistake the USN/USMC current helo helmet is the HGU-84/p. 

Here's a helpful link:

http://www.flighthelmet.com/pages/hh/phh.htm

I completely agree with you. They aren't the most crisply moulded figures out there. They look a bit like enlarged wargamer 1/72 figs. To be honest they're still "waiting for the call" up in my loft, however next year I'm planning on having my own Huey group build and try and bash a few of my Huey stash out, so I'll have a better butchers at them then.

Cheers,  Rich

the desert camo in use today is the same as the desert camo that was used in Desert Storm minus the "Chocolate Chips"

No, they are totally different patterns.

The ODS era Chocolate Chip pattern was 6 colors; dark brown, light brown, sand, khaki, and white dots w/ black outlines or shadows.

ODS era Chocolate Chip Desert Camo:

Modern 3-tone DCUs are sand, khaki, and have dark brown shadow lines.

Modern 3-Tone Desert Camo:

Good luck with your pilot figures.

the desert camo in use today is the same as the desert camo that was used in Desert Storm minus the "Chocolate Chips" (thats what my dad called the black and white specs integrated into the scheme when he served in Desert Shield/Storm.)

BTW I have the DML Vietnam Helictor crew and am going to use them with Revels 1/32 scal AH-1G Huey Cobra but with one difference I also am taking one crew member from the Academy 1/35 scale UH-1 Huey and switching it with one of the DML figures. (I know this sounds confusing) The copilot figure from the DML set wouldn't fit into the Cobra with his arm sticking out from the side. But the Academy copilot would fit inside and his hand will fit around the tripod sight in the center of the cockpit tub which would be a bonus

I have the figures almost done since I decided to build up all of them. Oh and also BTW the standing crew figure that is holding the pedestal mounted M60 would work well with Academy's UH60 as a door gunner but it would be better when you buy 2 sets and the sitting figure holding the M60 would work as a Winch operator.

Found this on great Planes site tonight, two 1/35th Vietnam helo crew

http://greatmodels.com/

Just a little help on the Army flight gear colors.  If you are modeling the AIRSAVE vest paint it green.  I am not saying that there aren't any black ones out there but I haven't seen them.  Only our medics wore black vests so that they would be a little easier to identify them in an emergency.

The biggest difference between the SPH-4 helmet and the HGU-56 is the boxier appearance of the -56.  It is also wider than the SPH-4.  The HGU-56 also has visor tracks that come down the sides of the front opening.  They are painted with the same shade of green as the aircraft but, as it is a different paint and not exposed to the weather, it doesn't fade as much as the CARC on the aircraft.

Now a question for you Navy Marine guys out there.  I have heard that the DoD was going to a common rotary wing helmet (the HGU-56) but I have only seen Army and AF crews wearing them.  FMFDoc's comments make it sound like there are Navy/Marine crews wearing the -56.  Are these guys switching over now?

Mac

The Navy and Marines are flying the HGU helmet.  The old SPH's started being phased out in the late 90's for helo crews. The new HGU's are light and comfortable and great for SAR and CASEVAC but I don't like looking like a fixed wing bubba.

The one thing that kills me is trying to model the square ear cups on the  new Army helmets. I am the Navy Liaison instructor at the Army Flight Medic Course and even with a helmet in my hand I have trouble molding or scratch building that shape.

If you use the heads off of the 1/35 APC driver and commander you can get a pretty good USN/USMC HGU helmet. I just add some metal foil to the top to simulate the leather visor protector and a boom mike. Works great.

If you want to do a crew in theater cover the whole helmet with metal foil to simulate the cloth helmet cover (to hide the white scotchlite tape) and paint it OD or desert cammie.