1/48 Go Go HOOK on ebay...pre-order for July.

Woooow!

I may even splurge and pick that up.  Definitely seems that Italeri is proud of their workmanship!  Lets hope it is up to standard!

No offense to Frank, but unlike many, the "cool" factor of transport helicopters with guns and/or rockets piled on it is lost on me.

I think I'll wait to see if a C or D is going to be released before I get excited. Maybe it's because of the amount of time I spent working on, flying in and living (nothing like the 'Boeing Hotel' when your in the field...beats the hell out of living in a tent! ) in them.

Jonathan Primm

Johnathan,

It is just like the WWII days, the rivalry between fighter jocks and bomber pilots.  Sort of the same thing in Assualt Helicopter Units in Nam, Guns  and Slicks.  Just some healthy "attitude".  No doubt the Chinook's best known for the heavy hauling and support operations.  The C-47 of Nam and where both became weapons platforms out of a necessity.    

I guess the word "cool" means different things to different people.     If we have the opportunity to stand off and admire certain aircraft from a distance, we can determine for ourselves if it falls within our "cool" catagory... however, there are others who have a deeper reason for labeling it as such.     For example:

From: "Mike Moschkin" <hound@tampabay.rr.com>
To: "Frank White" <whitef@gunsagogo.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 27, 2001, 7:04 AM>
Subject: July 19th 1966

Dear Mr. White, I would like to extend my warmest and most heartfelt gratitude to you and the other members of that galiant gunship called "Guns A GOGO", without who's support there would have certainly been more casualties. This is a day that has been etched into my soul for eternity as often as I remember it with trembling in my heart and tears in my eyes. Each pass that your gunship made was an act of mercy as it keeps the enemy from advancing on us and exposing those whom that would start running when they realized that your gunship was coming down on them making them better targets for us. I often thought about "GUNS"A"GOGO" and it's crew and how someday that I's like to personally thank each every one of you and pay tribute to those on board. It has been a long time since that nightmarish day on the battlefield whose memories were the source of many nightmares and lost sleep. Even as I type these few notes of thank you my body is trembling as my adrenaline is rushing throughout my body once more. Those of us that survived that battle would often sit around and talk about how bad ****** your chopper was, the most awesome display of fire power I had ever seen in my life!

oldhooker wrote:

I guess the word "cool" means different things to different people.     If we have the opportunity to stand off and admire certain aircraft from a distance, we can determine for ourselves if it falls within our "cool" catagory... however, there are others who have a deeper reason for labeling it as such.     For example: From: "Mike Moschkin" <hound@tampabay.rr.com> To: "Frank White" <whitef@gunsagogo.org> Date: Tue, Mar 27, 2001, 7:04 AM> Subject: July 19th 1966 Dear Mr. White, I would like to extend my warmest and most heartfelt gratitude to you and the other members of that galiant gunship called "Guns A GOGO", without who's support there would have certainly been more casualties. This is a day that has been etched into my soul for eternity as often as I remember it with trembling in my heart and tears in my eyes. Each pass that your gunship made was an act of mercy as it keeps the enemy from advancing on us and exposing those whom that would start running when they realized that your gunship was coming down on them making them better targets for us. I often thought about "GUNS"A"GOGO" and it's crew and how someday that I's like to personally thank each every one of you and pay tribute to those on board. It has been a long time since that nightmarish day on the battlefield whose memories were the source of many nightmares and lost sleep. Even as I type these few notes of thank you my body is trembling as my adrenaline is rushing throughout my body once more. Those of us that survived that battle would often sit around and talk about how bad ****** your chopper was, the most awesome display of fire power I had ever seen in my life! When you and the other members gather together at your reunion this coming June know that you have been toasted to MANY times in appreciation of your deeds. The area that this battle occured in was Trang Bang a continually bad AO throughout the war. I would have replied sooner but it took me a few days to gather my thoughts and composure to write this letter. I hope you can print it out and take it to your reunion to read to the other crew members. The total number of casualaties for the day was 26 KIA's, 34 WIA's out of the ninety eight of us who went out on the operation that day. It is good to know that there are still men like you and the rest of your crew still exist. As long as I see the light, your memories will endure my brothers in arms for the deeds you all performed so valiantly. Sincerely, Mike Moschkin A1/27th Infantry "WOLFHOUNDS" 3/65-10/66 -------------- This is but one of many letters I have recieved over the years from individuals who got to see their children grow up as a direct result of those big ugly helicopters.      Yes, cool means different things to different people. Take care, Frank

Frank;

No disrepect was intended, and it wasn't my intent to denigrate ACH-47As or their crews.

I certainly understand the significance of the roll that the ACH-47s played as well as the other types that were pressed into service as gunships to provide suppressive and covering fire. Anyone who has been shot at (myself included) appreciates any help they can get regardless of where the help is coming from or what kind of weapons platform it happens to be.

The point I was trying to make was that there are modelers who will not even consider building  ANY aircraft unless guns, rockets, bombs, or missles can be hung on it and unfortunately those are the folks that seem (at least imho) to get catered to the most by the model companies. 

Nothing at all wrong with an new tooled ACH-47A in 1/48th, but it would be nice to see a 'Slick" version of it along with something that could be made into a B, C, or D.

Again, no disrespect was intended.

Jonathan Primm

COOL!  Thats all I can say.  I have spoke to a few locals who have had thier butts saved by HOOKS....only one that I have met said it was from the "Some heavy Chinook that looked like a Huey on steroids...blasting the hell out of eveything" .....I couldn't help but laugh and then I explained to him that there where only four of those for a short period of time called the Guns a Go Go.....and he said "I don't care what they were called....they scared charlie off  long enough for us to get out!"

Most likely other than Trumpeters D .....MRC will be the one to do a newer 1/48 Chinook but it will probably be set up for Iraq....but I guess its easier to make a newer bird like a modern D look like an older D than making a A look like a D.....if that made any sense at all?

Johnathan,

None taken, my friend.      

I guess what made them stand out to Mike, was their ability to stay on station longer and put more weapons to bear on the approaching enemy per pass, due to the large payload and fuel capacity of the Chinook.     It was definately an oddity in Army Aviation history, which helped bridge the gap between the modified UH-1 gunship and the "pure bred" Cobra.    

I had really planned my first Italeri build to be a slick of the 147th "Hillclimbers", since conversion of the two would be only a matter of closing in the side emergency exits, deleating all the armor, and installing troop seats.... and, I have heard Italeri may inclose optional aft pylon pieces, so the possibilities could be quite endless.     Having the Go-Go detailing options available in the kit is a bonus.

Take care,

Frank

Frank,

Thanks for sharing Mike Moschkin's letter to you.  A piece of "history" most will never know! 

Great letter, Frank.

As to the model, long overdue in this scale in my opinion, gunship or not. Will wait for the reviews, but most likely I'll get one, either mail-order or the LHS

grandadjohn wrote:

Great letter, Frank. As to the model, long overdue in this scale in my opinion, gunship or not. Will wait for the reviews, but most likely I'll get one, either mail-order or the LHS

Gee!.....listion to this guy....all non shalant and calm.

Theres more where that came from! just hit Franks site.....its full of letters like that.

I just spoke to my cousin in Cal. and he said twice Hooks had to lift thier PBR out of the mud and back to the base....the safest he ever felt in the country was while he was in that big tin can!

Long live the HOOKERS!

Papa-Echo-64 wrote:

grandadjohn wrote: Great letter, Frank. As to the model, long overdue in this scale in my opinion, gunship or not. Will wait for the reviews, but most likely I'll get one, either mail-order or the LHS Gee!.....listion to this guy....all non shalant and calm.

Italeri has disappointed me in the past with thier quality, so I'm not going to get to excited

I hear ya there John.....yet they have done some very nice kits as well!

Who knows.....these days companies are farming out projects to independent designers and mold makers all the time......could be a nice kit?

Lets just hope for the best I guess.