USMC gunship

My Father-in-Law was was with HML-167 late '69 to late '70 at Marble Mountain Airfield, Vietnam, and he flew UH-1E's, which from what I understand is basically a 'C' mod with some different avionics and other internal mods.  I think it is the same airframe as a 'C' mod, could be wrong...In country, many of the maintainers fabed mounts for different armaments, so there are different configs out there.  Hope that helps.  I made several 'E' mods from the Monogram 1/35th 'C' model, turned out cool.

 

many thanks, i really like what you did to show off your bird.

HML-367 was flying a mix of UH-1Es and AH-1Gs.  By 1971, the AH-1J was flying with HMA-369, but IIRC, they didn't deploy to SEA until early 72. 

Jon
 

thanks cobrahistorian,looks like ill be making an E version. im almost 100% sure my buddy wasnt in cobras though....that would be just to easy

As a matter of fact, those very first Cobras the Marine Corps used in country were actually leased from the Army!  The Corps received their own some time later.  It's interesting, some out there probably know this, but my Father-in-Law(a Marine) received primary flight training at Ft. Rucker.  There was such a shortage of Marine helo pilots that the Corps contracted with the Army to augment their helo training.  He said he felt the training was actually better than his Marine counterparts who did their primary flight training the traditional Navy way (Pensacola or Meridian).  The really interesting part in which I never knew until recently was that since he and the others never went through Navy training(which all pilots are trained in fixed-wing first) he was sent back to Meridian later for that, kind of backwards, but that's what the op tempo of Vietnam was.  So, upon completion of Army flight training, they were all technically desigated as "Army Aviators" and wore the Army Aviator's wings as Marines.  Not until they later completed Naval primary flight training were they technically designated as "Naval Aviators" and were authorized to were the gold Naval Aviator wings.  He then went to Tustin to train as a 46 pilot, shipped over to Vietnam, and a resourseful Major welcomed them on the tarmac.  This Major, knowing these guys were a batch of the Army trained pilots (and he being a Huey Sq guy) needed pilots in his units.  But he knew these unique 46 trained pilots had something no other pilots coming into country had for a long time-Huey experience (couple hundred hours from the Army).  So he asks these FNG's, "do you want to be the shooter, or the shootee?"  Well, he knew long ago he wanted to shoot bullets, not carry them, and the rest was history!

ya know you just have to hand it to vets of all makes and models. they were handed the s**** end of the stick and yet manage to keep the rest of us free...

The biggest difference between the C and the E was 1) material it was manufactured out of.  Army birds were magnesium, Marine birds were aluminum and 2) the E model had a couple specific mods that Army birds lacked.  They are 1) Marine specific radios 2) a rotor brake for quick stopping of the rotors while aboard ship and 3) a winch housed above the right side of the cabin which was housed in a bulged fairing visible on the cabin roof. 

I'm sure the Marines on the forum here can fill you guys in more, but as an Army guy, that's all I know!

Jon

thanks

The Marines also used UH-34's but I think all or most were gone by 70.

I didn't see anything about scale, but in 1/72 Italeri has a UH-1C and a UH-1F. The F has a winch so you might be able to combine them to make an E or at least something close. Italeri 1/72 kits are pretty cheap so it wouldn't be an expensive kit bash.

I believe there is an E model in 1/48, Revell maybe? I have no idea how accurate the kit is, I just remember building a 1/48 UH-1 with a winch and USMC decals when I was a kit.

Aaronw wrote:

I didn't see anything about scale, but in 1/72 Italeri has a UH-1C and a UH-1F. The F has a winch so you might be able to combine them to make an E or at least something close.

The problem there is that the UH-1F/P used the GE T58 engine, which had an exhaust that came out the right hand side of the aircraft, rather than the rear like every other Huey model. Also, the UH-1F/P used the same main rotors as the UH-1H, so it also used the longer UH-1H tail.

empeter wrote:

Aaronw wrote: I didn't see anything about scale, but in 1/72 Italeri has a UH-1C and a UH-1F. The F has a winch so you might be able to combine them to make an E or at least something close. The problem there is that the UH-1F/P used the GE T58 engine, which had an exhaust that came out the right hand side of the aircraft, rather than the rear like every other Huey model. Also, the UH-1F/P used the same main rotors as the UH-1H, so it also used the longer UH-1H tail.

 

I meant the winch from the F could be used on the C kit. I think that otherwise as far as a kit goes the C and E are fairly similar.

Aaronw wrote:

I meant the winch from the F could be used on the C kit. I think that otherwise as far as a kit goes the C and E are fairly similar.

Sorry, I mis-read. That'll work.

thanks guys for the input.i was thinking 1/48,maybe one of the MRC kits?

If you're looking to do an E in 48th, you'll need the Cobra Company C accurization kit.  The Monogram UH-1B/C kit is good in some ways, but it really is a Swoose when it comes to accuracy.  It has features of both the B and C models, but as a whole, it isn't either variant.  Plus, it comes with Marines decals, which while perfect for your project, are completely inaccurate for a B or C model.  The Cobra Company update corrects the small tail and synch elevators and also provides the gunsights for both the pilot and gunner. 

 You'd almost have an easier time doing it in 35th and using the MRC kits, although from what I've seen, none of these kits have the correct Marine weapons layout.

Jon

Do a search on this forum for UH-1E.  It's been covered pretty in depth.  In a nutshell, the 1/48 kit is Revell/Mongram.  Although the decals are for USMC (not an in country squadron) the ordnance setup is not USMC.  Contrary to what was posted earlier about maintainers fabricating their own mounts, I would not use that as carte blanche to do whatever you want.  It's possible it did happen but officially everything that hangs on the aircraft has to be approved and I have never seen or heard of any UH-1Es using anything other than the TK-2 kit to hang ordnance on this side (and the TAT turret on this nose).  Be advised that the TK-2 is unique and not found in kit form (Corgi makes a die cast 1/48 UH-1E with the correct setup).  You've got some scratch building to do.  Again, search the forum - I've posted line drawings here somewhere.

thanks guys i really appreciate your time for sharing your knowledge

        ill def. do a serch for the drawings sup.cobra

The first Uh-1E's were built after the B model not the C.  I assume however that by 70/71 they may have been phased out.  I personally think the Monogram Hog kit is easier to convert to a B than a C but you have to get the correct rotors from another kit.  Thta's really the only downside to building a B vs a C. 

Ray 

Anyway, here is a photo of an Echo built after a B model:

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Here's one that is modeled aftera Charlie (both are from the Mutza UH-1 gunships book)

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thanks rotorwash,looks like i should invest in Mutza's book.

Cobrahistorian wrote:

HML-367 was flying a mix of UH-1Es and AH-1Gs.  By 1971, the AH-1J was flying with HMA-369, but IIRC, they didn't deploy to SEA until early 72.  Jon

HML-367 sent their Hueys to 167, then received 24 Cobras from VMO-2.

In 1971, the 4 Js were assigned to 367 while undergoing operational evaluation. They were sent to Okinawa at the end of the trial period and later used to stand-up Sub-Unit 1, H&MS-36 (June 71).

Sub-Unit 1 deactivated 31 March 1972. HMA-369 activated 1 April 1972 at Futenma.