gULF wAR cOPTER COLORS

Light Ghost Gray, FS36375, is good for the gray color, just about any sand will do since the sand color was locally bought in Saudi for them.

Some additional info...

All AH-1Ws were originally painted in the USMC tri-color (black, green, gray) camouflage scheme that first appeared in the mid-1980s. Within a couple of months of arrival in theater, the parent wing directed that the only acceptable colors for helicopters were all sand, sand/brown, or sand/gray.  HMLA-369, "Gunfighters", deployed to Desert Storm with 18 AH-1Ws and 6 UH-1Ns. They chose to use the sand/gray paint scheme. The sand was applied over the black and green of the tri-color paint scheme. The original gray of the tri-color camo was used as the gray of the sand/gray scheme; any markings that appeared on the original scheme were still visible. Therefore it was common to see half a stencil visible on the gray while the other half was covered by sand.

EDIT: Sorry, I didn't actually answer his question.  Here goes again...

Prior to Desert Storm all HMLA-367 aircraft were repainted sand/brown. The only visible markings were black Bureau (BuNo) numbers (tail) and MODEX numbers (side). HMLA-367's assigned side numbers for their ten Cobras were 120s and 130s. Their 18 UH-1Ns were assigned numbers between 100 and 117 (8s and 9s are not used in side numbers).  The best colors to use are: Testors Model Master Sand, FS 33531, and Military Brown, FS 30117. 

The decals in the MRC kit are for versions of an HMLA-367 Cobra in Desert Storm sand/brown scheme or an HMT-303 (training squadron) Cobra in tri-color camo. HMT-303 always uses 400 series side numbers. The picture on the side of the MRC box is inaccurate in that it shows the tri-color decals on top off the sand/brown paint scheme. To be nit-picky, if you choose to use the tri-color and depict the model with a full load of ordnance, do not use the HMT-303 tail letters (QT). The training squadron does not use TOW or Hellfire.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any photo evidance of sand/gray UH-1Ns.  I have seen plenty in the three-color scheme though, as such.

I would assume that they were done the same way as the Ws.

Wow. excellent treatise on colors. Thanks!!

I plan on using the sand/ brown. Do you have any ideas where I could get fotos of the Marine CH53E,like what color were the seats, cockpit panel, walls, floors of the main cabin the walls etc.?

Greg

CH-53E Interior

CH-53E Exterior

Lots of walk-arounds of all sorts of helos at Aircraft Resource Center.

shaun68 wrote:

Do you have any pics of a 'N' Huey showing what you described Gino. I have Italeri's kit in the pile, & contrary to an earlier post asking about the different grey colours used, I wouldn't mind doing mine like this - just for something different.

I don't know why color cameras were such an oddity back in '91, but I have not been able to find good references for the desert Hueys, either. These are the only two decent shots I could find on DVIS. I guess we are spoiled today with digital media and real-time uploading.

Pretty simple as far as markings go. As with the Cobras, the only visible markings are the modex numbers. No "MARINES", no national insignia, and looks like the bunos were covered as well.

**edit** due to the black & white photo, I can't tell if these birds are sand/grey or sand/brown. Very possible it could be either.

No real set colors for the interior grays.  I have seen them in all shades.  Best bet is to go with a different shade for the fabrics and the metal surfaces.  Seat webbing should be a shade of OD or dark green.  Instrument panel is gray with black instruments.

Good luck.

shaun68 wrote:

Do you have any pics of a 'N' Huey showing what you described Gino. I have Italeri's kit in the pile, & contrary to an earlier post asking about the different grey colours used, I wouldn't mind doing mine like this - just for something different.

not the best quality but here's a pic of the grey/sand Huey........

AH1Wsnake wrote:

[**edit** due to the black & white photo, I can't tell if these birds are sand/grey or sand/brown. Very possible it could be either.

The first one looks very similar to the color one I just posted (a/c 213 vs 212). The second pic you posted has the intake warning markings still visible, I didn't think they were repainted on if it was a sand/brown helo, so I assume that this too is a sand/grey (original warning still there since it was on grey area) - that's a guess.....

Found some pictures.  Testing to see if they post before I post all.  Sorry I can't recall the photo credits - some are mine:

Happy to be back.  Sorry no HML/A-269 Desert Storm pictures Snake - their Hueys all stayed tri-color.  Here are some more pictures.  These three are HMLA-367 Scarface.  They started the war with the grey scheme (painted lightly so that the darker black and green show through and make it look two toned).  They later painted some aircraft sand/brown but kept some of the grey ones until the end as`well.

More great photos! Thank you for sharing them.

I'll get around to building the desert scheme AH-1W on the Twobobs Whiskey sheet soon.
I know it was a non-NTS bird -- would the loadout have consisted of TOW on stations 1 & 4?

Andy

The loadout was 4 tow (old green tubes - BGM-71A or C) on station 1 (port) and 4 HF on station 4 (starboard).  Would have preferred all tow since laser designators were few and far between but we only had two TMLs per aircraft.  Returned to the FARP many a time with tow gone but four HF still hanging.  Also only had one ammo can per aircraft so most of the time we left the empty can in the FARP and picked up a full one the next visit.   

Snake - were you in 269 during their Zebra phase - the black and grey paint scheme?  That would be something different to paint.  Enter it in a contest and see how many experts people call it wrong.

Hah!! That looks great!
No sir, I wasn't in during their Zebra (actually looks like a killer dairy cow :) phase, just 2000-2004. Beginning to think I should have stayed in. When did they carry that scheme?

Thanks for the heads-up on the ODS loadout, as well. I had always assumed that the non-NTS birds could not carry Hellfires. Was there a HF laser designator in the old TSUs? Was the THCDP standard in all pre-NTS Cobras? I guess I always figured that the Hellfire electronics came along with the NTS upgrades. Shows my boot-ness....all I ever knew were NTS birds.

Andy

All Ws came with the THCDP and HPCP but there was not an onboard laser (designator or rangefinder).  The NTS added that and the night capability (FLIR).  Pre NTS W's carried Hellfires but had to rely on someone else to designate. During ODS we relied mainly on OV-10Ds and ground mounted designators (MULES). 

Back to the original subject.  A couple of shots of 369 Hueys.  369 Hueys came in all sand or sand/gray and were only marked with the side number (200 series) in black.  367 Hueys were the light coat of gray and some but not all were repainted in sand/brown.  They had black side numbers (100 series) and tail numbers.

I don't think I took these pictures - sorry I can't credit the photographer:

Thanks, supercobra. Great stuff.