Correct UH-1B seats

This is from the UH-1 TM

Chief Snake

Chief,

  Wouldn't it depend on the era of Huey Chris is modelling?  Here are pics from the cockpit of a couple of UH-1B's my dad flew in in 1968. As you can see they are the newer armored type.  The one you illustated above is the older type with red cloth cushions.  I don't know when they were all changed from the older style to the newer one.

    Ray
 

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Edit:  Sorry Chief, I see Chris is modelling the older type seats based on his other post, but I'll leave these up anyway, since they show the armored seats pretty well. 

When the armored seats became available, they were retrofitted to some UH-1B's. The earlier seats had a field designed "armor" that was made of locally obtained materials and attached to the sides of the seat in the thigh area. Panels were also fitted to the doors at shoulder height.

Chief Snake 

I had planned on scratch building the earlier UH-1B seats but I think I will scatch build prototypes of the early seats and the retrofitted armored seats and see which I like best.Also will depend on which UH-1B I chosse to portray.I am just killing time on this project until the detail sets come in foe the UH-1C,  as this is gonna be a very, very long drawn out process,hopefully the UH-1 Gunship walkaround I ordered with the 1/35 detail sets will also have some good UH-1B reference material.Thanks again, Chris

Grandad,

  I guess I should have specified that I meant Vietnam Hueys.  I figured that stateside Hueys wouldn't need armored seats.  However, I'm sure there were B models that finished the war with the unarmored seats, but I thought that most in country birds had them replaced.

   Ray

Thanks Grandad.I first have to find which b-model I want to model and go with what the reference pics show.I don't have to much B-model info now,so I am finding it difficult to know which seats to go with.I am going to scratch build both types of seats and then make resin copies of the kind I intend to go with.Only thing I know for sure is the the seats in the kit will not do!Thanks, Chris

Oops! thanks Ray as well!   Chris

Chris,

  I finally got to all my Huey pics and I thought you might like these of the seats in two UH-1B's at the Army Aviation Museum.  First, however, is a comparison pic between the armored and un-armored seats. It is from TM 55-1520-220-10 for the UH-1C:

The next two images are from UH-1B 60-03553, one of the two TOW Hueys that were in country:

Here's the armored seat (sory about the angle):

[img]http://Here is the back bench seat as well (just in case you're interested):

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The next set of pics is part of a SUPER WALKAROUND I did of UH-1B 60-03554, an exhibit at the museum.  This bird is a hodgepodge of parts, but the seats are at least good representations of the older type.

Copilot seat, left side from the rear:

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Copilot seat from the rear:

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Copilot seat from left side:

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Both seats with console in between:

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Details of seat bottoms (note map case behind center console):

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Seats visible through front windshield (note deployed rocket sight on pilot side):

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Hope those are of some help.

   Ray
 

Chris,

  Check the Vietnam Huey thread.  Any pics that I posted of my dad and his aircraft are of UH-1B's.  I try to give captions for all the pics I post that include the model and any pertinant info that I have.  Drop me an e-mail and we'll see what I can do about getting you more pics.  Otherwise, ask particular questions and I or one of the other guys on the forum will do our best to answer them.  Welcome to the wonderful world of Huey!

      Ray

By the way, I forgot one seat type.  Here is a pic of one of the single seats that were arranged in various configurations in some Hueys:

[[[img]http://[Here is a series of pics from a seat that sold on E-bay.  The seller was nice enough to provide a walkaround of the seat:

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Hey again,to all who might know, although this question has already been answered partially, I would like to know if it was a mandatory thing that the UH-1B original seats were always replaced as they are delivered in country or were they replaced state side and then delivered, or were some even left with the original seats and just modified by what was on hand?Whew!Sorry guys for all the many questions but I believe in gaining as much knowledge on a subject I am building as possible and I am on a bit of a budget .Just blew my remaining savings for models on eduards 1/35 UH-1C bIG eD SET!Thanks and maybe someday I can return the favor!  Chris

Chris,

  The short answer is that early in the war, even birds in country had the un-armored seats.  as Chief Snake already mentioned, makeshift armor was fashioned as a stopgap before th armored seats were introduced.  Based on my experience, most late war B models had armored seats.  Maybe Ed (Snakedoctor) can tell us whether they were installed at the factory and when.  I was under the impression that many were retrofitted with armored seats, but later birds came in country with armored seats installed.  

    Ray

Chris,

  Here's a little inspiration.  This is a early Vietnam pic of a 118th Bandit ship (UH-1B) at Bien Hoa:

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This bird sports the M16 armamant subsystem with quad M60C's (the barrels have been removed) and 7 shot XM157 7-shot rocket pods (the earliest ones were white, but most were OD green).  Also, note the gloss finish and high vis markings.  If you're modelling an early B model, make sure you include the FM antennas on the nose.  The best thing about this pic, though, is that you can see the old style un-armored seats.  There is also an M60A on a Sagami mount in the door.  If you like this scheme, I have a few other pics of Bandit birds from this photo set.  It was donated to the Army Aviation Museum by a soldier with the last name of Reese.  

    Ray 

WOW Indeed!

Great set of pictures there Ray

Thanks for posting them.

Andy.

(PS. Welcome to the Forum Chris )

Chris,

  Here are the other 118th pics from the Reese collection that I have.  The 118th consisted of three platoons: 1st platoon: Scorpions, 2nd platoon: Choppers, 3rd platoon: Bandits (guns). Enjoy!:

This is the same ship as the one above.  I just love how the Huey was used to make shade for naps!  Check out the weapons scattered about.  Is that an M1Garand I see there?!

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Nice shot of the bandits art and the nose of the aircraft.  Notice the early rocket sight in the pilots window.

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 A 118th psy-ops bird.  This really belongs in the Unusual Huey thread, but what the heck.  The scorpion on the doorpost indicates that this bird is from the first platoon of the 118th (Scorpions).

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 A B-model minus armament coming in for a landing.  I can't tell is this is a 118th bird or not, but notice almost all high vis markings are gone (including US Army).  However, in the background you can see a high vis armed gunship.  This was definitely a time of transition!

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This is the bird whose tail can be seen in the preceding picture.  Notice the narrow chord tail fin and symmetrical horizontal stabs characteristic of the B model.  You can also see the 204 rotorhead with it's vertically placed counterweights and the nose mounted FM antennas.

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This pic shows off the Fuel filler cap and 204 rotorhead quite nicely.  Note that the placement of the fuel filler cap on the right side is the one sure-fire way to tell a short fuselage Huey was originally a Bravo model. The Charlie and Mike models both had the Fuel filler on the left side.  to prove this is early VN, check out the H-37 Mojave airlifting a Huey in the distance!

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Pic of another Bravo.   Note Mojave is getting closer!

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A great pic of the high vis Army and National Insignia markings on the tailboom of a Bravo.

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Some 120th "Razorbacks" ships.  Note the guys taking a siesta under the fuselage.  This is definitely a candidate for the Unusual Huey thread.  Check out those rockets!  I believe this bird is armed with the M6 quad M60C system and a variation of the "Mighty Mouse" 2.75 inch rockets that were used on A models when they first come in country.  It looks like there are 12 tubes slung under the guns.  Very odd and I don't know the exact nomenclature (if there is one) for this setup.  For more great Razorback pics and info check out: http://www.angelfire.com/az3/razorback947/contents2.html

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Great pic from the back of a Huey showing the M156 Universal mounts to great effect and the M16 Armamant subsystem as well.  Note the  XM157 rockt pods are OD green on this bird, not white as in the earlier pic.  Once again some guys are getting a little well deserved rest.

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Bandits working out their next move.  Note the ship in the background has white XM 157 pods.  as I said, these pics were taken during a time of transition.

Loading up for an assault.  The absence of D models on the flightline and all the unarmed Bravos make me think these pics are late '64 or early '65.

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 Check out the water cooler on the pilots floorboard.  Is this something you could lagitimately put in a Huey?  Does anyone know if these were regularly carried onboard say C and C ships?  This pic also shows a nice view of the doorframe and the bright yellow inside the frame.

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 Last, but not least, here is a pic of a Bandits Heavy Hog ship.  Sorry it's a bit dark.  Here is the 118th website with lots of great pics and info:

http://www.118ahc.org/Index.htm

OK, I'm going to bed!  Gotta drive 6 hours back to Baton Rouge tomorrow and my brain is fried! Ray 

 Ray

 I know what you mean, it is 4:21 am here and I must sleep!Thanks for all the awesome pics.You are the man and then some.I am so stoked about this now,I may continue on with this build and put the UH-1C on the back burner.I am starting to really get into the whole transitional period and see sooooo... many possibilities for a really interesting build.Thanks and sleep well. Chris

Hi Chris,

I thought I would mention, since I saw another thread related to the same topic, that there is a third consideration when looking at early Huey seats.  This can be confusing, especially when the crew doors are closed and the early Huey, with red cushioned seats looks like it has armored seats.  In 1964, the Army introduced a modification kit, made up of armor plates and plexiglass panels.  The composite armor plates were referred to as tipping plates and were attached to the inside of the crew doors on Hueys.  There were also plates that went on the floor, and the plex sheets went into the lower part of the front wind screen creating the appearance of another pane of plex in the window.  It doubled the thickness of the lower part of the wind screen, since a study conducted by ACTIV (Army Concept Team in Vietnam) documented that most bullet strikes into the front of the Huey came from below and up into the lower part of the plexiglass.  Someone posted a pic of an early 2/20 Charlie model which I think shows the armor kit fitted.  It has the non-armored seats with red cushions but the side armor plates from the modification kit fitted to the doors.

Some units did not like the armored seats.  I had a UH-1B in 1967 with the old unarmored seats, cause my pilots didn't like what the armored seats did to the CD loading of the helicopter.  We had the armored seats but these guys did not want them.

Bob Chenoweth

Hello,

I'm building a Vietnam UH-1C, can you tel me what was correct colors of armored seats?

Thank you for your help

Luca

Italy

    Ray 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     Would that happen to be Greg Reese? Do you even know? There was a Greg Reese that flew with my dad, at Ft. Ord Ca. with the 5th/9th aircav. I do know he was in Nam.  

Fermis,

  The only info I have on him is his last name on the donated materials.  These photos are very early in the war.  I'd say 65 sometime if that helps narrow down the possibilities.  I'd be very interested to know if it is the same Reese.  thanks.

    Ray

Luca,

The armored seats in the Charlie model Huey were Olive Drab.  Most seem to be the "brown" drab, not the dark olive.  You can either lighten or darken the shade you used for the frame of the seats and paint the "cushions" the different shade for some "effect".  They are actually a knit nylon that are stretched over a tublar framework.  There was black rubber "trim" on the side seat frames and the leading edge of the sliding armor plate.  The inside fixed "elbow" armor plates were also trimed with the back rubber.  You can see good pictures of this in the begining of this thread.

Hi Mel,

ok...! Thank you very much for your help !

Luca