Shining Hueys?

Hi Tingler, and welcome to the group!

    As .60 said, the finish depends on the intended mission of the aircraft.     In the early days of Vietnam, most helicopters in Army inventory wore a High Visibility (HiVis) glossy finish, but once they realized the sparkling reflections wasn't conducive to coming back in one piece, the Flat, non reflective markings were used.      It wasn't an instant change over, however, and sometimes aircraft had a mixture of High & LowVis markings, especially from 1965 to 1967.      Generally after late '67/early 68', all Army helicopters in combat were LowVis.

Back then, Bell & Boeing & Hughes & Sikorsky, always liked to show off their new aircraft by sending them on "tours" to different Bases around the Country for photo ops and public affairs purposes; these trips were normally made by factory fresh aircraft in glistening Emeron.     (see below)

Emeron paint is rather expensive, however, and doesn't make a good base coat for the OD application... (after a few times wiping off spilled hydraulic fluid, the HiVis markings start coming through again (see pic below), so instead of waisting all that time & money painting them gloss, they were given a dull coat instead.     

Helicopter Units stateside followed suet, with the exception of Training Units, which sometimes combined the big Day Glo orange panels along with the gloss & flat applications.     (see below)

  I remember one of the "D" Models we got ferried around in the last time I was at Rucker, was flat, light OD overall, with each of the sliding doors painted Day Glo      My advice, is to locate a picture of the aircraft you're working on, for the time period you're wanting to capture, and build it after that photo.     Can't go wrong that way.

I don't think I ever saw a glossy UH-1C however.... there may have been, but if so, they were sure elusive!

Take care and good luck,

Frank

I think Frank pretty much covered everything and I can't add much.  Best bet is old fashion research and a picture or two of your "subject".   I've seen a bird or two with zinc chromate doors and even a tail boom once.  If you see white around the windshield, chin bubble or green house it is because it was just replaced and they didn't get around to painting the outer frame work. 

m60a3

You got the nickname source right, Vincent price all the way!

Thanks for the info, that makes sense, now maybe I'll dullcote the 1C.

oldhooker,

Outstanding advice, the years really help. I believe the 1B was from '65 and the 1C that's near completion is from '69. Now I'll use years as a cutoff for type of finish.

I even went so far as to watch Apocalypse Now and constantly replay the entire Kilgore beach attack scene.

Thanks for the welcome to the group! All you guys kick a**

Melgyver and grandadjohn,

Thanks for chipping in. Extremely helpful info.

I've been reading the printed version of this mag for years. My area has been WWII aircraft, armor and ships. After 55 aircraft (all fighters), 20 armor pieces (mostly Russian) and 2 U-boats all in 1/72 scale I was aching to move up in the historic timeline. The plan was and still is to complete every aircraft possible from WWII starting with fighters and moving up to the largest bombers. Then on to Korea and Vietnam respectively. However every time I would grab a project from the closet I would see the 1B, 1C, 1D and 1F taunting me. I should have put them out of sight. Finally I figured since they are not fixed wing there would be no deviation in the master plan. An easy enough excuse to jump right in to choppers. That's when I had to join this forum since it's an entirely new field, i.e. building strategies, painting etc. etc.
That's the story, all your help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks again to everyone

Mmmm.... a white & red "C" Model would look good!!

I've entertained the thoughts of making the 1/24 "B", like the Rucker Huey in the above entry.

Here's a picture of a "D" Model in VIP trim.     In June '99, the Post Commander down at Rucker made daily flights around post in one just like this:

Take care,

Frank

Anytime tingler, glad to help

Mel, think they also tried a white medivac in Vam(if memory serves me right) in hopes they wouldn't shoot at it

Frnk

Might at that, we couldn't use it for any NOE or range work since it did not have a crashworthy fiel system installed. If shooting would have started I'm sure we would have used it as intended. WE nicknmaed it the "Ice Cream Machine" and wanted to slap a Good Humor Man decal on the nose, but the Facility CO wouldn't have seen the humor in it. He didn't like us doing stuff like taht to his AC

John,

They did that at Chu Lai the summer of "71".  I don't remember the Dust Off Unit that was there, might have been two of them actually.  I heard the first CE refused to fly on it and when threatened with a Court Martial he flew the mission and the ship was shot down and he was KIA.  The bird had over 250 bullet holes in it when recovered.  The second ship out also was shot down.  So much for the Geneva Convention.  I have a few pictures of them at Red Beach after taking mortar fire on the flight line there.  That decision to paint the Medevacs white with Red Crosses on every place there was a crewmember or vital component  reminds me some of our current "management team"! 

Here are two shots I dug up of the White Medevacs, Camp Viking, aka Red Beach north of Da Nang March/April of 1972.  The two in the hanger were damaged by nightly mortar attacks.  Don't know the Unit they were from.  That is "Monkey Island" in the background of the one on the flightline for those of you familiar with Da Nang area.  I was in the 344th Transportation Co. when I took these pictures.