UH-1 Rotorhead

Viet-nam era UH-1 pylons (B,C, D, H, and M) were all painted roughly similar, and components were mixed and matches with out regard to color. So you could have a pair of "drive links" for example of which one was that gloss light gray, and the other being, just anodized and left that metalic silve color.

Mast boots were varied from orange to red to black. The slicks (D&H) had one boot above the scissors and sleeve assy, while the guns (C&M) had two, one above the scissors and sleeves, and one below from the swash plate up to the scissors sleeves. The later protected the "uniball" teflon coated bearing surface on which the swash plate rode. D&H used a "u-joint" arrangement not unlike that found on an auto drive shaft.

Swashplates were generally just coated and left to the elements. Some however, were painted that light gray during overhaul or repair. Swashplate and support assemblies were generally treated alike (being one assembly.)

The mast is a steel alloy and is plated in a process known as Cadmium Plating giving it that silver-goldish color. The same can be said for the Yoke (center) of the main rotor hub.

Blade grips, that part of the hub where the main rotor blade is attached to the hub is aluminum and was almost always gloss lt gray. On the guns, a plastic dust deflector was attached to the leading egde of the grip assembly, this was left it's natural primer grey looking color. (Similar to the color of the floor and some sound proofing blankets on the bulkhead.)

Stab bar is subject to all of the above being made up both steel (outer bar and counter wights), and aluminum, the inner bow shaped pieces being aluminum.

Hardware was often replaced on the pylon at the periodic inspection (100 hr) and maybe either gold Cadmium or Steel Gray/Silver color.

Tail Rotor as above Yoke the gold Cadmium or Steel Gray/Silver color. Grips are painted the gloss lt gray.

Huey trivia...For maintenances purposes a small dot of paint was placed on each component Red on one side, White on the other denoting the left and right side of the rotor system. Typical writeup might be "Red scissor arm has axial play." or "White mixing lever has radial play." (We were lucky the crane drivers had Red, White, Blue, Yellow, and Black to contend with....)

Regards,

Found these photo's in a book, while of a "B" model, the paint on a "C" would have been similar, hope these help

I know the drive links, scissors, collective levers, and collective sleeve support was aluminum but I think the rotating ring may have been magnesium as well as the swash plate yoke on D and H's, the yoke on the C and M's were different.  The stab bar frame was aluminum but tubes were steel.  The drive links and scissors were anywhere from a light blue/grey to medium gray paint for 70's to 80's.  Swash plate yoke and rotating ring were not painted and were a back/grey, similiar to gunship grey color maybe darker.  Boots were black or orange color.  Masts were natural metal, or silver paint.

Clear Left!

Mel

Bones,

These shots were taken 2 weeks ago at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas.  This bird is a super-rare TH-1L, but it has the same rotor system as the B, C and M models.  Gotta love that shade of Emerald Green with the high-vis markings!