1/32 Revell UH-1D/H

Maybe, maybe not. 

Anyways, back in 2014 when this was a living thread, Stik posted those two great box art photos. I remember I built the one thats shooting up the bridge, it was a birthday present and I must have been about 11 which would make it 1967?. Height of the war then, it meant a lot to me. I didn't bother to paint it as it was a really nice green color.

For most who build scale models, irrespective of the subject, we learn a little about ourselves, our subjects and others every time we construct a kit.

Special mention to SILVER - your assistance has been greatly appreciated.

To all who have contributed, thank you. 

My friend flew them Later part of the war .He stated that many UH-1's were Jerry rigged w/many kindes of weapons not shown to the normal media.I can't verify that because during the Viet Nam war I flew F-100's ,F-105's.

I on a normal basis build model aircraft but this time I checked out the Helo forum and stumbled on someone who needed help.It may be a year ago but it was worth checking it out.Your help is great also.Now you know of makeshift versions of UH-1's from someone who did that.If any one ever Jerry rigged my F-100 or F-105,1 would not be alive .

hemlock_037

For most who build scale models, irrespective of the subject, we learn a little about ourselves, our subjects and others every time we construct a kit.

Special mention to SILVER - your assistance has been greatly appreciated.

To all who have contributed, thank you. 

 

 

I couldn't agree more, sir.  I knew nothing about Hueys when I started researching a build of one of my Father's birds back in 2005.   Now I have persoanlly climbed on dozens and even flew in a few!  

I know this thread is old, but if you need any other Huey bits, just let me know.  I have a LOT of Huey kits!

   Ray 

Silver

My friend flew them Later part of the war .He stated that many UH-1's were Jerry rigged w/many kindes of weapons not shown to the normal media.I can't verify that because during the Viet Nam war I flew F-100's ,F-105's.

 

Silver,

  It wasn't just the late war birds that got unusual mods.  Check this link out for a thread I started years ago on unusual Vietnam Hueys.  Napalm dropped from a Huey, anyone?

   Ray

Unusual Vietnam Hueys

Silver

Now you know of makeshift versions of UH-1's from someone who did that. 

I still stand by my statement that no long-bodied US Army Huey (UH-1D/H) mounted the miniguns on the gunmounts off the sides in a gunship configuration.  That is what UH-1B/C models (and later AH-1G Cobra Gunships) were specifically designed/used for.  UH-1D/H were troop transports, not gunships.  The need for troop transports outweighed the need for a larger gunship.

Yes, there were some D/H model Lightships and Firefly setups that mounted miniguns and .50 cals on pintle mounts, but not the way they are depicted in the Revell kit; Revell got it wrong.  I already knew about these versions though, so nothing new. 

I'm not saying anything bad about your friend, but sometimes the exact details of things that happened many years ago are remembered a little fuzzy, especially when you have to worry about other people shooting at you as opposed to exactly what piece of gear you are using or flying.  Hell, half the time, I can't remember what I had yesterday for lunch, nevermind exactly what my HMMWV looked like in Iraq a few years ago. 

A photo is worth more than anything.

Yes, like my F-in-law said when I asked him what color his WW2 plane was...

"How the hell would I know, I was too busy climbing in and out of the damn thing".

There's an intersection here that I notice often.

A whole lot of folks have been in, on or around military hardware, as an example of a subject. A much smaller group of people have the visual acuity, eye for detail and color sense that answering very specific questions requires. And a segment of those are modelers.

So to get that in combination with first hand knowledge of the subject, and a good memory to boot, is pretty rare.

I agree w/ you very much,and it is great information not everyone can get from other modelers .I took interest in the helicopter modeling side of the house.I have started a project of a 1/32 scale AH-64 Apache from Revell to super detail it.All opens up including scratch build engines.I have access to a real AH-64 at the local military base near by.I have several friends who fly and work on Apache helo's.it will take w while to complete But it will be spectacular to see when finished.Its going to be very hard to match.It will be displayed at a national if it ever were in Seattle.I will post it on the forum.I will work on a very interesting  1/24 scale UH-1 that is out there.I will get your information and other correct info to complete a Veit Nam version also opened up in a maintenance scene .Having a large scale exposes to greater detail and craftsmanship of the modeling hobby.Thanks for your help.Note::It will take about a year to complete these projects.

I think I "resemble" that last remark!  Happy "Hueying"!

I have a buddy that crewed "Night Hawks"(UH-1H) in Nam, while not a "gunship" it could sure kick ass  with the .50 cal. and mini-gun.

Melgyver

I have a buddy that crewed "Night Hawks"(UH-1H) in Nam, while not a "gunship" it could sure kick ass  with the .50 cal. and mini-gun.

 

Stumbled across this FSM thread while looking for reviews of the Revell 1/32nd scale Huey and have enjoyed the conversation as I read through it. I have collected a few of the old Revell Hueys, mainly the ones with the ficticious weapons package.  Any idea of how the minigun and 50 cal were configured on these birds??

Thanks,

Dave

Tal Afar Dave

 

 

Melgyver

I have a buddy that crewed "Night Hawks"(UH-1H) in Nam, while not a "gunship" it could sure kick ass  with the .50 cal. and mini-gun.

 

 

 

 

Hey Mel,

 

Stumbled across this FSM thread while looking for reviews of the Revell 1/32nd scale Huey and have enjoyed the conversation as I read through it. I have collected a few of the old Revell Hueys, mainly the ones with the ficticious weapons package.  Any idea of how the minigun and 50 cal were configured on these birds??

Thanks,

Dave

 

Dave,

 Nighthawk birds were set up any number of ways, but a xenon light with starlight scope and minigun on one side and a 50 cal on the other would be a viable combo.  Also many smoke ships carried 50 cals as they flew low and slow in indian country.  The mounts for the lights were custom built in country as were the mounts for the miniguns.  Good luck!

   Ray

Here are afew examples from the US Army Aviation Museum archives.

Here's one with a 50 cal in the door but I believe that is just a starlight scope.  Certainly not the big xenon light most Nighthawks carried.

In addition to Rays info, there were also Firefly Hueys which had an array of landing light sas opposed to the xenon search light.  Here are a couple examples.

rotorwash

 

 

Tal Afar Dave

 

 

Melgyver

I have a buddy that crewed "Night Hawks"(UH-1H) in Nam, while not a "gunship" it could sure kick ass  with the .50 cal. and mini-gun.

 

 

 

 

Hey Mel,

 

Stumbled across this FSM thread while looking for reviews of the Revell 1/32nd scale Huey and have enjoyed the conversation as I read through it. I have collected a few of the old Revell Hueys, mainly the ones with the ficticious weapons package.  Any idea of how the minigun and 50 cal were configured on these birds??

Thanks,

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Dave,

 Nighthawk birds were set up any number of ways, but a xenon light with starlight scope and minigun on one side and a 50 cal on the other would be a viable combo.  Also many smoke ships carried 50 cals as they flew low and slow in indian country.  The mounts for the lights were custom built in country as were the mounts for the miniguns.  Good luck!

   Ray

Here are afew examples from the US Army Aviation Museum archives.

Here's one with a 50 cal in the door but I believe that is just a starlight scope.  Certainly not the big xenon light most Nighthawks carried.

 

 

Thanks for the awesome pictures and information!! I didn't know about the armaments on the long bodied Hueys other than the M60 door guns, and the stuff depicted in "Apocolypse Now." I was an Army grunt and loved making air mobile movements, especially in the classic Huey.  I saw the last of the Hueys retired at Ft. Campbell as the 101st transitioned to the Blackhawk....Still nothing in the world sounds like a Huey!!

HeavyArty

In addition to Rays info, there were also Firefly Hueys which had an array of landing light sas opposed to the xenon search light.  Here are a couple examples.

 

 

TAD

Tal Afar Dave

 

 

rotorwash

 

 

Tal Afar Dave

 

 

Melgyver

I have a buddy that crewed "Night Hawks"(UH-1H) in Nam, while not a "gunship" it could sure kick ass  with the .50 cal. and mini-gun.

 

 

 

 

Hey Mel,

 

Stumbled across this FSM thread while looking for reviews of the Revell 1/32nd scale Huey and have enjoyed the conversation as I read through it. I have collected a few of the old Revell Hueys, mainly the ones with the ficticious weapons package.  Any idea of how the minigun and 50 cal were configured on these birds??

Thanks,

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Dave,

 Nighthawk birds were set up any number of ways, but a xenon light with starlight scope and minigun on one side and a 50 cal on the other would be a viable combo.  Also many smoke ships carried 50 cals as they flew low and slow in indian country.  The mounts for the lights were custom built in country as were the mounts for the miniguns.  Good luck!

   Ray

Here are afew examples from the US Army Aviation Museum archives.

Here's one with a 50 cal in the door but I believe that is just a starlight scope.  Certainly not the big xenon light most Nighthawks carried.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Ray,

 

Thanks for the awesome pictures and information!! I didn't know about the armaments on the long bodied Hueys other than the M60 door guns, and the stuff depicted in "Apocolypse Now." I was an Army grunt and loved making air mobile movements, especially in the classic Huey.  I saw the last of the Hueys retired at Ft. Campbell as the 101st transitioned to the Blackhawk....Still nothing in the world sounds like a Huey!!

 

Happy to help.  Actually the Apocalypse Now Hueys are total fantasy.  They did look cool on the big screen though.  They were Phillipine Uh-1H's I believe fitted with fake armament.

   Ray

Thanks again, Ray!  Yeah, I thought some of the stuff on the Apocolypse Now birds were a bit unusual and out of the ordinary....still love that great attack scene though!! It was really inspirational to me as a teenager when I first saw it!

Dave,

I just saw a good picture recently, but can' t seem to find it of a UH-1H with a .50 cal and Mini-gun set up on the same side.  Mini up front, .50 to the rear on the standard post mount the .60's used.  

Some very good information and photos in this thread.  I’d like to add a few comments; as a Nighthawk CE in Nam; I can tell you that there really was not a one size fits all.  For instance, because this was a non-standard system the components differed between units.  In my unit we used a 50,000 watt Xenon searchlight from a M60 tank.  We never did have a Starlight Scope, although I know many units had one.  We relied on the high bird which carried the XM-19 Dispenser, Flare that dropped the Parachute aircraft flares for most of the over-watch illum.  The light was mounted using the M23 standard M60 gun door mount.  That was in the right side gunners well (rear).  Next to the light was the M-134 minigun using a floor mount.  On the left side was the M2 50cal and a free M60.  Again the 50cal used the M23 standard door gun mount.  The selection of having the light and mini on the left or right was a unit by unit decision.  The sheetmetal shop and electricians made all the attachment hardware and mounts, there was not a Nighthawk standard kit.

We only had the UH-1D, I did not get a UH-1H until after Vietnam in 1975.  The larger engine from T-53-L-11 to T53-L13 (the AH-1 engine) was a blessing. 

Huey638

 

Some very good information and photos in this thread.  I’d like to add a few comments; as a Nighthawk CE in Nam; I can tell you that there really was not a one size fits all.  For instance, because this was a non-standard system the components differed between units.  In my unit we used a 50,000 watt Xenon searchlight from a M60 tank.  We never did have a Starlight Scope, although I know many units had one.  We relied on the high bird which carried the XM-19 Dispenser, Flare that dropped the Parachute aircraft flares for most of the over-watch illum.  The light was mounted using the M23 standard M60 gun door mount.  That was in the right side gunners well (rear).  Next to the light was the M-134 minigun using a floor mount.  On the left side was the M2 50cal and a free M60.  Again the 50cal used the M23 standard door gun mount.  The selection of having the light and mini on the left or right was a unit by unit decision.  The sheetmetal shop and electricians made all the attachment hardware and mounts, there was not a Nighthawk standard kit.

 

We only had the UH-1D, I did not get a UH-1H until after Vietnam in 1975.  The larger engine from T-53-L-11 to T53-L13 (the AH-1 engine) was a blessing. 

 

 

Thanks for your service, sir.  You are definitely correct, no two Nighthawk birds are exactly the same.  I believe this 101st Nighthawk is close to what you have described.

   Ray

Here is the XM19 flare dispensor as well.  Photo from US Army Aviation Museum archives.

   Ray

Thanks for my service acknowledgement!!

I attached a photo of my high bird.  Note the resourcefulness of the GI, we wanted to carry more flares, so we used the 50gal drum for reloading in the dispenser during flight.  We would rotate between high bird and low bird to get a break from the 40 kts 360s of the low bird in the search mode. 

This is the first attempt of attaching a pic from photobucket.

Sorry, but I don't see a photo.

  Ray

Huey638

 

 

 

 

Thanks for my service acknowledgement!!

 

 

 

I attached a photo of my high bird.  Note the resourcefulness of the GI, we wanted to carry more flares, so we used the 50gal drum for reloading in the dispenser during flight.  We would rotate between high bird and low bird to get a break from the 40 kts 360s of the low bird in the search mode. 

 

 

 

This is the first attempt of attaching a pic from photobucket.

 

 

 

Wow, guys you are all such a wealth of information on the Huey!  What an incredibly versatile helicopter!! For those of you that have served my I offer my most sincere "Thank You." And for those of you who served in Vietnam: "Welcome home." 

I have never seen these Huey variants before and greatly appreciate the pictures and stories that you have been sharing.  Really cool stuff!! I was always fascinated by the Hueys I saw on the TV flying over Vietnam....

So, since you guys are the experts on the subject, what is your opinion of the Revell Huey kit that's currently available?? I have a few of the Huey 'gunships' and the AH-1 Cobras and I want to do them all justice...any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

[/URL]" alt="" />Ok; think I figured out the image posting.  This was my high bird (Flare Acft) XM19 rack

Tal Afar Dave

So, since you guys are the experts on the subject, what is your opinion of the Revell Huey kit that's currently available??

The UH-1D/H is a decent kit.  The rivet detail on the exterior is really nice.  The interior is pretty good as well, but missing the interior B pillar structures.  The nose is a little short and bulbous, but not too bad.  The hinges for the front doors are way over scale and should be replaced.  You can use the Eduard 1/35 UH-1C PE to update it.  As you know, the armaments are all wrong for a US helo.  Cobra Company has a nice set of M23 doorguns and armored pilots seats for it.  Fireball Modelworks does an Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE, wire cutters, toilet bowl exhaust, oil cooler and side intake covers, particle separator, etc.) set to make a more updated one.  He also had a UH-1V MedEvac set that also included nice jump doors w/interior details and B piller interiors.  The UH-1V set is currenty OOP, but may come back with the reissue.  Fireball also has a great UH-1D/H decal set. 

The AH-1G is also a good kit, but needs some updating.  Cobra Company has a nice cockpit interior, new stub wings, M159 and M157 rocket pods, and an M35 20mm cannon pod for it.  Fireball also has an Anti-Strella conversion that includes the toilet bowl exhaust and a new tail with the tail rotor on the right side.  He also has M158, M200, M260, and M261 rocket pods as well.  Additionally, he has a few great AH-1G decal sets.  Werner's Wings does a nice vac-formed canopy too.

Your UH-1 is on its way.Enjoy.Mailed it today and should be there in a couple of days.