German UH-1D Completed!

Looks like it is coming along really nice.  The paint job looks great.  A note on the version though.  The Dragon (ex-Panda) Huey kits can be made into a few different versions, depending on which parts you use.  The directions don't tell you this, nor the correct parts for each version.  The vertical intakes on the transmission shroud (parts B10 and B11) are early UH-1D features, while the roof-mounted pitot tube (part C8) and wire strike kit (parts B19 and B21) are later UH-1H features.  All US D models were converted to H models by 1968.  Also, the pitot tube should not have the square block at its base.  The tube had a small, thin circular base that screws into place.  The long air intakes (parts C22) are missing from the roof too.  They are standard on all Hueys.

My guess is that the German SAR version is actually an H.  If you want a D model, use the nose mounted antennae (parts B18) and add a small pitot tube on the left side of the nose between them.  The D can have either the early vertical intakes on the tranny shroud, or the later ones (parts B14 and B15), H models have the horizontal ones (parts B14 and B15).  Also, only civilian versions have the storage compartment on the left side of the tail boom (part B23).  All military versions have the solid tail boom (part B13).  I don't know if the Ger. SAR bird is military or civilian based. 

For more info on the differences between D and H model Hueys, check this thread.  The blades are incorrect as well.  The above thread addresses that as well.  The best bet is to get a pic of the helo you want to model and go by it.  There were/are so many different configurations it can leave you dizzy.

For more Huey info in general, check the stickied thread at the top of the Helicopter Forum.  It is full of links to other threads with just about everything you ever wanted to know about Hueys.

The Dragon Hueys can come out looking great, they just need some TLC.  The Cobra Company interior update set helps out a lot too.

Good luck and keep us posted.

A correction on Pitot tubes. While All D models may have been converted to H models by 68, many H's still retained the nose pitot. I believed this was because many D's were converted in the field and did not upgrade the pitot systems until they went through a full depot rebuild. I flew many H's that still had nose pitots in the mid seventies as an IP at Rucker. They probably disappeared by the mid 80's. The only real difference in flying was the nose pitot if I remember correctly had a little lower Vne due to differences in calibrations between roof and nose mounting.

I do agree if you want a H model do use the roof mounted pitot. Less people will challenge you on whether you are representing a H model or D.

I too think your model is coming along nicely.  Good Luck.

Charlie

Gino - thanks for the input. I've been using pics of actual SAR birds for my project, so it's probably an -H model since I used the intakes from the photos. The storage compartment was me - I just wanted to break up the lines a bit and see how it would look. As for the other stuff, I tried to replicate the stuff I saw. Here's a couple of examples:

Am I way off or at least in the park? Let me know. I also found disparities between different helicopters in terms of antennas and such. I was quite happy with the paint job - first time I used my airbrush for camo, and then I used "The Detailer" for a black wash over a coat of Future floor polish. Thanks again for your help. It will come in handy for the next one I do - a BGS UH-1.

All the years I spent in Germany, I never paid much attention to the SAR aircraft. The baggage compartment in the tailboom resembles the Bell 205 which is a civilian Huey, not a military. The primary differences in the civilian Bell 205 and the military was the civilian used a different tailboom than the military and it resembled the old G model cobra tailboom with the added bagage compartment. ALso the civilian 205 if I remeber correctly used the right side Tail-rotor assembly that the G model cobra used after they changed to the right side. The mods were mainly to meet 135 operations certifications requirements. Here is a link to an Evergreen Helicopter 205 picture. http://www.evergreen-eagle.com/EHI/specsheets/bell205.html

Hope this helps.

Charlie

Here is the finsihed product - built out-of-box with HaHen decals:

Any comments and observations are welcome. 

nice build!  thanks for sharing.

   Ray
 

Very nice helicopter build and thanks for sharing. The pictures of the original SAR does not have two pitots. What is mounted on the nose I believe is the old ILS glide-slope antenna. This was pretty rare on the Huey's and only the Hueys that needed ILS for instrument flying had this. Most Hueys in the early days had only enough instruments for what we called tactical instrument flying, NDB, FM Homing and VOR. Some models that needed to fly instruments in the Civil Airspace had the ILS systems installed and the original ILS had the glide slope antenna mounted on the nose. Many old Chinooks had this antenna mounted on the forward transmission cowling. Anyway, this antenna disppeared fairly quickly when the ILS glide slope antenna on the Huey became mounted in the chin bubble and if I was a betting man that is what the photo shows on the SAR bird.

 Again, very nice model.

Here is a link to a picture of the antenna. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bpbsurplus.com/lc/images/1010-0021.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bpbsurplus.com/lc/cart.php%3Ftarget%3Dcategory%26category_id%3D341%26pageID%3D1&h=450&w=600&sz=38&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=Zi-2FQeEgr5UAM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DILS%2BGlide%2BSlope%2BAntennas%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

It is the DMN25-3

Charlie