Vietnam Huey

   http://huey.co.uk/

Nice website with some very good photos both black and white + colour.

Revell UH-1H Gunship mystery solved.  

During the main helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now there is a UH-1H armed with M6 quads and 7 tube rocket pods, oh and a couple of surfboards just incase,

I love the smell of historically accurate films in the morning.

Andy

skypirate1 wrote:

Revell UH-1H Gunship mystery solved.   During the main helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now there is a UH-1H armed with M6 quads and 7 tube rocket pods, oh and a couple of surfboards just incase, I love the smell of historically accurate films in the morning. Andy

Yeah.  Good idea to follow Hollywood.  They are always a great references for accuracy.

I have examined as many of the helicopter scenes in Vietnam movies as I could find and the ONLY one that seems to accurately depict Huey gunships is the Green Berets with John Wayne.  My father remembers John Wayne coming to Ft. Benning in '67 to film the movie and he even took time to talk to the guys who were actually going to war.  There is a scene at the end where you can see a whole flightline of B/C model gunships (can't recall at this very minute) and they look authenitic because they were actual Army birds ready for combat!  There are some gross innaccuracies elsewhere in the film, however, and the terrain of Vietnam looks suspiciously like Southern California and Georgia.  The scene where the chopper goes down is also hokey.  They needed one of you guys to make the models.  Anyway, has anyone seen this movie more recently than I and can comment on the helicopters?

      Ray

PS:  I know We Were Soldiers did a pretty good job as well, but I don't think the XM-21 system saw action in Ia Drang in '65. 

Hi Guys,

Just been reading through this thread and found it facinating, not just from a modellers persprctive but from a historical one as well. It's great that forums like this can keep history alive and teach us "kids" (I'm 41) about the past and how it was lived (and fought). Thanks to all you fellas who were over there for reciting your tales, anecdotes and knowledge on this subject.

Rich

Hey all

I've just spent the last 20 odd mins reading through this thread - excellent stuff. For what it's worth, this topic generates a similar level of interest on our aussiemodeller forum here in Oz. Speaking of modelling gunships accurately, I would think the reason us Aussies haven't done many full-on Bushrangers properly yet, is because there are still many RAAF 9 Sqdn guys around - they are held in fairly high regard & I guess we want to do the bird, & them, justice.

Sagami mounts - I'm not certain, but I think our AAAvn Blackhawks use a similar mount for the previous M-60's & now MAG58's. Can anyone verify that - Gino perhaps?

Sagami mounts - I'm not certain, but I think our AAAvn Blackhawks use a similar mount for the previous M-60's & now MAG58's. Can anyone verify that - Gino perhaps?

Shaun, I don't know about Aussie Blackhawks, but I haven't seen any Sagami-type mounts on US Blackhawks.  I would assume that you use the same M144 mount we use on our hawks with M60s and M240B (US nomenclature for the MAG58). 

You can see the standard US M144 mount below.

Here is a Sagami mount on an early D model.

Yep that's it. Thanks Gino. I didn't have my refs handy to draw on.

On the subject of books & Hueys & VietNam: If anyone hasn't read it, get a hold of "Chickenhawk" by Robert Mason. A very good read.

Shaun68

I agree chickenhawk is a good read but check out this link, it may shock you, as it did me, its from 1/9th Air Cav website.

http://www.9thcav.com/Trashing%20A%20Troop.htm

Andy

Well, well. I....don't really know what to say.

And yet when you click on the recommended reading link at the bottom of the page, there's the book.

I have the Chickenhawk book, but haven't read it.  I'll be honest, it lacks pictures and that is what I am after these days.  Good, solid documentation that is irrefutable (unless somebody photoshopped it!).  That is why I have started putting links to photos in my posts.  Thanks for posting the Sagami mount photo, Gino.  Speaking of said mount, I understand that this mount was never a Government Issued system, but was adapted in the field.  I would be very suprised to see any modern aircraft with the identical system on active duty today.

     Ray

Ray,

Here are the pics that should ahve been in the book but were included in more uptodate publications.

http://www.robertcmason.com/

Once you start reading it you wont be able to put it down. I've read it three times now, each time in about 3-4 days, which is fast for me.

Enjoy,

Rich

HeavyArty wrote:

Don't always believe what you read on the net.  Anyone can put up a website to further their B.S. agenda.  From all the Vietnam helo vets I have talked to, his book was right on and he was a highly decorated pilot.  No telling who the author of the webpage is, but it is most likely someone who had an axe to grind over the book or with the author.  The website is not an official 1/9 CAV webpage, but a personal page of a guy who was supposedly in 1/9 CAV.  Who knows.

I hope so Gino, it would be terrible if the guy had ripped off actions of other pilots, the only thing is the web page is linked from a site that deals with all the individual air cav squadrons, that link is for 1/9 A Troop. In his photo page there are lots of pictures donated from other members of Alpha troop and surely they wouldnt contribute to his site if they had a problem with his comments.

But then if what he says is true im surprised other members of Alpha troop havn't spoken out, Plus the pictures in the link to the chickenhawk webpage that Rich provided, mostly show helicopters from Bravo troop so like you said "who knows"

All i can say for sure is it is a very good book and hard to put down and is essential reading for anyone interested in Vietnam and huey helicopters.

Ray .. If you do get round to reading a book about Vietnam without pictures, make sure its this one  p.s. go to this page for a couple of good pictures of sagami mounts mate.

http://www.vhpamuseum.org/companies/118ahc/118ahc.shtml

Its the same site that has links to all the Air Cav and other helicopter company pages.

Andy

Andy,

  I didn't realize quite how dumb it sounded to "only red books with pictures" till I saw your post.  I am interested in other facets of the war, it's just that as a modeler and scientist, I tend to trust photos or even better, things that I can go up to and touch and look at for myself, more than words.  The old addage that a "photo is worth a thousand words" is so true when it comes to model building.  I'll have to get "Chickenhawk" from my dad and give it a go.  I remember reading some of it a long time ago, maybe I have matured more since then!

      Ray

www.118ahc.org

Also try 145th Avn Brigade, of course 1st Cav div . 227th and 229h AHC from the 1st Cav should have websites.

Would be glad to help you with any info.

Ed

Ed,

  Thanks for the link and thanks for your service.  My father was at Ben Hoa with the 190th from 68-69.  I have wanted to see Bandit 3 ever since I saw the restored aircraft in the Wayne Mutza  Huey Gunships book.  Man, she looks nice!

             Ray

one of my favorite links...........wish decal companies would grab some of these and run with them...

http://www.vhpamuseum.org/art/art.shtml

phantom works wrote:

one of my favorite links...........wish decal companies would grab some of these and run with them...

One company has, Fireball Modelworks: Huey Slicks, Cobras, and USN SeaWolves.

I had seen those before, would be nice for another sheet or two of huey nose art.....

also, don't know if people have seen this or not; c ration can in use for door gun

this is cool..........238 awc website

D/1/10 CAV camo huey and camo cobra......interesting;

Thought i would dig out some more Huey vids for you guys, some for fun, some for info and some for nostalgia (the last one is my favorite) 

Hope you enjoy

Some of the best clips of hueys from the movies.

Apocalypse Now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlI4Qs_k6p0

Hamburger Hill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXUI1tVVcvU

Platoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuDKtb-Y3BY

We were soldiers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5S3XClj03Q

Great little UH-1 Information video, for use by rescue services on how to safely remove pilots from a crashed huey, a nice source for a UH-1 walkaround. (US army safety videos for the CH-47 And AH-64 on same page)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHMXEHDMUl0

This one shows the original footage of hueys being pushed overboard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKJ49--2kiA

Huey ride, only 15 secs long but worth watching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxZqu5bbmIM

A ride in the gunners seat of A UH-1H

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDiMDRoQ_g

A ride in a bushranger UH-1 Gunship on live fire exercise!! Woooooo (note those forward mounted miniguns mentioned throughout this thread)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20vIEJpMkps

Last but not least "Operation Veteran Flight" Vietnam Veterans go for their first Huey ride in over 30 years (looks like a UH-1B gunship from the 3rd platoon "Bandits" 118th AHC)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M35Fo61LdoI

to all the veterans that use this forum

Welcome Home

Andy

Hello Propellorheads - Just kidding I rode many a Huey

when I was a grunt. Just thought some of you might be interested in

a lil gem a fellow Propellorhead let me copy...He was a door gunner

with 214th Combat Aviation Battalion - July 67 thru June 68 at

Bearcat RVN...It is the cruisebook  for the above dates. Drop me a line and I will

burn a copy....This book shows a bit of history not seen or covered in most books

Semper Fi

Here is a link to a documentary about the Huey that was resurrected in the UK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m7YRFxTO2o&mode=related&search=

It is short (9 min) but very interesting and shows the ship from its Vitnam days through the restoration process.

Notice the bug guts spatter on the front of the Thumper....you dont often see this modeled, and maybe many who havent worked on machines in bug country *read San Juaoqiun Valley California and anywhere in Southern Lousiana* knows that they come home at the end of the day coverd in bug guts.

I did this on a firebomber in  1/48 scale and found that clear yellow, green and orange with dark brown specks worked well.  Its easy to overdo it, but people who live in areas where your windsheilds get covered in bee guts recognize right off what they are looking at when they see it on your models! :-)

David