Somalia, 93

Hi cmdcntr
Hope this site helps you:[http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/somalia/sitemap.asp]

I need you help. I am trying to do a chalk fast roping from a Black Hawk (1/35). I am pretty new to the game and I can't find the figures. Do you know of a good site where I can find the crew, gunners and the rangers?

Try the book black hawk down it has alot of info on the operation and some pretty good photos. CHIMO!!!!!

Sgt AL

Dragon had some 1/35 scale figures in conventional US uniforms-just paint 'em up in desert camo and have at it. Scrounge weapons from other Dragon and Tamiya figure sets.

Panda models has a UH1d kit out. Make sure you get the "Wasp" version, it has a four figure set that has pilots and door gunners. DML may have a pilot and door gunner kit out and you can forego getting the Huey that way. Tamiya has 2 modern infantry sets one is kit #35133 the other is #35153. Ild love to see your dio when you've completed it. Take lots of pictures and post them either here or on the Track-Link site. Look forward to seeing this one

I've been working on a diorama about somalia as well... one of the best ways that I found to do the fast roping was to mix a couple of sets like Tamiya's modern day infantry with parts of DML Big Red One Infantry set, I had to sand the legs in the groin area so they would be together, I cut the feet and hands as well in order to place them in the right positions. For the helicopter crews I used the DML Nam Huey crew, I altered their flack jackets a bit to make them look like modern flight jackets, and added some details to the helmets.
I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and I have found that the little birds unlike the the hawks did not have any markings on them, at least none that were visible... you might want to try this website, it has a great amount of information about the "Gothic Serpent" op www.nightstalkers.com, you can find there a lot of information about task force Ranger and a few pictures of the choppers, specially of Elvis Wolcott blackhawk... if you need any more information just let me know... I'll be more than glad to share it ( I have spent about 2.5 years building and collecting all the elements and information for the diorama so I have a bit)

Sounds like me, Ricardo. I am presently working on a 3' x 8' diorama on a sandtable. It wil include both crash sites, the convoy, an MH-6 landing people on the target house, an AH-6 covering the "alamo", the CSAR bird, six Humvees and three Flatbed trucks. And about 60 figures. My email is CMDCNTR@oal.com. I have read BHdown 7 times (before the movie). Did you notice that Bowden's maps at times contradict what he says? FXmple, he says Wilkinson saw his guys turning west into an alley, wher they saw the tail of the bird. The maps have them heading east into an alley. I plan to be correct in everything including placement of personnell. I'd like to hear about yer thing

Yeah I have noticed that, but then again we must remember that it's a collection of tales from different people so I guess that at some point there had to be a couple of discrepancies.... by the way if you're still looking for the little birds, Dragon makes a AH-6j NightStalkers version that it's very acurate and nice (Kit No 3527)... I got two of those, however I transformed one of them into the transport version that carried the Delta element to the target building....I feel the same way.. I even got some satellite pictures in order to make sure that the roads, trees and buildings look and are in the right places

I forgot to post this early I apologize.... I know that the blackhawk kits from MRC don't have the fast rope attachment used in Somalia so if you want to scratch build them you can find a pretty good drawing in a rapelling manual in the army website: www.army.mil if you have any problems finding it let me know and I can send it to you by e-mail....

In another thread in this forum I mentioned that GreatModels Webstore has four sets of 1/35 scale figures for Blackhawk aircrews, all in stock at present. Hope this helps. - Ed