114th AHC Research

Chris,

  Here's the pics I can find of Sexy Snake, but they are fairly low res.  Note, by the way, that she is an early Charlie model and does not have the particle screens over the air intake.  Thankfully, MRC gives you both options.:

Here's a nice shot of the Cobra nose art:

Here are a few shots of other 114th ships that might help as well:

Cobra I (UH-1B). these must be 65-66 because the rocket pods look like LAU23's not M157's.  This bird has the M16 armamant system with quad 60's:

Cobra gunner:

Gunner's office:

I hope that helps.  Ray 

Ray, you are the man when it comes to all things Huey!I had seen most of the pics at the 114th  website,although there are a few I hadn't seen.I really need a good shot of all the markings and then MAYBE I might be able to try my hand at duplicating the markings in 1/35.I should be able to enlarge one of the smaller cobras from the kit decals for the nose art,just need tail number,any tail boom markings and reproduce the "Sexy Snake " on the doorS.I really wanted to do the hog with mini- guns and rockets but was gonna settle for the Heavy Hog with M-5 and rockets when I got the idea to make "Sexy Snake".I dont know how good it will be,but gonna give it a try!Thanks for all your help and keep in touch .I will continue my research.Meanwhile I have started work on the cabin.I love this setup.Something about those ammo feed chutes snaking out the cabin to the guns that is just awesome!Dont know when I will have enough done to post some pics but I hope it will be soon.Oh, by the way,1 question. Are those cabin pics with the red bench seat of sexy snake?If so, did she also have the red pilots seats?I believe it is of another ship,but wanted to make sure as I have no color pics of "Sexy Snake's" interior and was wondering about the seat color.Chris

Chris,

  Unfortunately the cabin pics are another bird.  I just thought they were representative of the 114th's gun setup and might be of value.  Since Sexy Snake was a Charlie model, it should have came from the factory with armored seats (no red cushions, in other words." Hwever, since it is an early C model, I can't be 100% sure.  Does anyone else know for sure whether every charlie had armored seats?  I also think by that time the cabin seats would have been OD, but I'll have to check on that.

          Ray
 

Hey Ray.Thanks.Your level of knowledge and enthusiasm for the Huey really keeps me inspired and wanting to move forward.Thanks and let me know if you come across any other images.Unless someone comes across some info confiming the seat color,I intend to go with O.D. .Anyone else care to chime in?  Thanks, Chris

Chris,

  I did a little digging.  Here is a very early Charlie model from B Battery, 2-20 ARA, 1st Cav Division:

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 Here's the kicker, check out these closeups:

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You can clearly see the armored panels, BUT the seat cushion is RED!!!  So is the bench seat in back.  I have no idea whether this was true of SEXY SNAKE, but it was true of at least one Charlie model.  I hate to confuse the issue, but I try to be thorough.

  Ray
 

  
 

Yeah Ray, I like to be thorough too.Sometimes too thorough!Its gonna take 10 years to finish this build! LOL!As soon as I finish this baby with OD seats,someone will produce a beautiful full color shot of "SEXY SNAKE" with red seats!If anyone reading this knows the answer, please help before I go with the OD seat cushions!Thanks, Chris

Hey Ray and anyone else,

I noticed on the Intruder -Bass build of the UH-1C he chose to paint the pilot seats cushions  red,and those were the armored seats as well and that would be around the same time frame so...Intruder- Bass if your out there maybe you could shed some light on the subject. CHRIS

 no no no that was my little mistake. They are not red. They should have been OD but I was trying to achive that kinda brownish-faded OD color to make cushions differ in shade from the rest of the seat. 

My camera did not help much ether - it has a bad habbit to oversaturate colors in indoor conditions. They dont look that redish on the model

 :-)

 Andy

yeeesssss!!!! Thanks guys!!!   O.D. it is  !Thanks and I hope to add some pics to the erroneous post I started called heavy hog construction begins.  Chris

Chris,

  I would go with OD, I just wanted you to have as much info as you could.  Good luck and I lok forward to the pics!

R ay

OK guys,

I have nailed down the seat color issue .Now I just want to try and replicate the markings.I will be able to enlarge one of the cobra decals for the nose art,and also have the white and yellow tail boom triangle marking for the 114th from the kit decals.What I need is a way to replicate the SEXY SNAKE markings on the doors and the tail number.Any help,pics or ideas would be of great help. I have been to the official 114th AHC web site and of course as seen above Ray put up some pics also, but none of the pics show tail number or all the markings clearly.Thanks and all ideas would be welcome. Chris

Chris, you may already have this one, but it is the only color pic of sexy snake I could find.  Still small, though. Ray

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Thanks Ray.Maybe I can enlarge it a bit and get the tail #.Thanks again, Chris

chris,

  My resaerch indicates that Sexy Snake should be UH-1C 66-0511 (00511 in gold book).  List of aircraft on the 114th site lists AC W1 BOLES LE as the AC for 0511.  He is also listed in the photo section as the AC for Sexy Snake.  I also confirmed that 66-0511 was a UH-1C built at the Bell Factory.  I hope that helps.

    Ray

I think this enlargement shows that the tail marking is the Roman Numeral II, which makes since as Sexy Snake was also Cobra II.

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Ray, we are getting closer!I didnt know there was a roman numeral 2 on the tail.I

had just sent an

Ray thanks.Looks like our replys crossed in the system.Thanks so much for the info on the tail numbers.Chris

Chris,

  Your welcome.  Best of luck with the build!

     Ray

Chris,

  I found this 114th pic in my collection of photos from the Army Aviation Archives.  it's a Charlie model with the old style air intake over th engine, but that's about all I know.  Not the best quality, but I figure every little bit helps.

  Ray 

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My father flew on Cobra II sexy snake - he was a door gunner. That is actually him in the 3rd pic down , the skinny kid with his shirt off. Did this project ever get complete? I've  got quite a number of pictures of his, likely some of the heli.