Howie
This subject has popped up a few times in the huey threads and has been cause for much debate. Its interesting, as new pictures throw up new questions it tends to fuel the fires of those in the know and for some reason brings forth knowledge of all things "official"
Gino's right, The only "official" gunships were the B and C models and later the cobras, The D and H models only "official" use, was for troop and cargo transport. But like Gino said, some units begged, borrowed, swapped and stole parts from other units or downed helicopters and "unofficially" added bits and bobs to there aircraft.
Ive done a fare bit of research into nighthawk/firefly helos lately and its true that many units adapted one of the slicks for night fighting with spare parts and weapons for base protection but there was also an "official" role for the helicopter.
They were used to annoy the enemy and induce sleep deprivation. They would continually fly in circles over suspected enemy locations at night with searchlight on in the hopes that the noise and light would deprive the enemy of sleep or flush them out (similar to the daytime role of the loach) and as with the loach the nighthawk would also be supported by one or two UH-1C or Cobra gunships flying at higher altitude. If anything kicked off the nighthawk would guide the gunships in to sort it out.
Allthough many were armed to the teeth with either twin M60's, miniguns and 50 cals, they were only door mounted weapons and usualy only mounted on one side (as their role was to circle locations). They do not really qualify as "gunships" in the "official" sense of the word as that would mean that all the slicks with door mounted M60's could also be called gunships, and thats just silly. Basicly the nighthawk was the night time version of the loach, a scout ship, Both the loach and the nighthawk were armed with a minigun for protection but their primary role was to spot targets for the "Official" Gunships.
(Unofficial Nighthawk with minigun)
(Unofficial Nighthawk with 50 cal)
Apart from early initial UH-1D armament trials and a few Individual unit based hybrid D&H models built with external mounted armaments in the field, there were no official US Army D or H Gunships serving in Vietnam.
(Unofficial Hybrid quad 60 armed UH-1D)
(Early test model UH-1D armed with quad 60s)
We tend to keep getting hung up on the terms "Official" and "Gunship" and it seems to cause alot of confusion but in most part thats due to the Armys "official" role of a gunship. As Gino said anything that has a fixed forward firing externaly mounted weapons platform is usually deemed as a gunship (desperatly trying to forget that the loach had a fixed forward firing minigun so as not to confuse myself or undermine my own point![Whistling [:-^]](/emoticons/icon_smile_whistling.gif)
lol)
Another thing to bare in mind is when US troops called in helicopters for gunship support only Bs,Cs and cobras would turn up (Aussies had H model gunships for support but thats a whole other story) and as far as i know most helicopter units were split into two sections, Slicks and Guns. The "Slicks" section was comprised of the larger troop carrying Ds or Hs and the "Guns" section was made up of the armed smaller B or C models. Also the name of the helicopter is a big clue as to its "official" role but can also lead to confusion, AH-1 = Attack helicopter, UH-1 = Utility helicopter, but then the Utility helicopters A,B and C were used as attack helicopters so that helps lol.
I think for modelling purposes whether something was "official" or not, how common it was or wasnt is pretty irrelevant, in my opinion if it existed, then its fair game. (C ration cans used On door mounted M60D's were not used officialy but for some reason do not bring the same "Its not official" response when mentioned in posts, that armed slicks do lol). I dont think its ever been said on here that "D or H model hueys only flew with standard M60s on each door "? But on the flip side i dont recall anyone ever actually asking or stating if or that the US army used these armed UH-1H/Ds as "gunships" in any "official" or "regular" way! If its a heavily armed UH-1H or D just be aware that these were not deemed officialy as gunships and you will be promtly informed so by the guys on here.
But heavily armed slicks did exist nomatter what anyone says. Part of what qualifys a gunship as a gunship is its use as support for troops on the ground for which the nighthawk/firefly was used on many occasion on bases coming under attack at night. Im sure the guys inside the wire watching the minigun tracers saving their bacon, regarded the nighthawk as much a gunship as they did the huey hogs and cobras and C-130 spookys, anything that can rain down minigun fire on an advancing enemy couldnt be anything less than a gunship, but in the nighthawks case it wasnt "Official".
The picture below is an "Unofficial" Heavily armed UH-1D, Its not a Nighthawk or an "official" gunship but its armed with two door mounted M134 miniguns, (one less than a C-130 gunship!) a 50 cal machine gun and a flare dispenser so official or unofficial, uncommon or not, you cant escape the fact that its a ship with lots of guns!! Call it what you want (but do it "unofficialy" lol ![Wink [;)]](/emoticons/icon_smile_wink.gif)
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P.S this has to be said!
Im fully aware that as usual some of my comments will no doubt be ignored, resented or critisized by those that for whatever reason dont like my posts, or feel and think they know better and thats fine ![Smile [:)]](/emoticons/icon_smile.gif)
I couldnt care less, i am more than willing and gratefull to learn new things from the guys on here with first hand experience who have been so open and helpful, but one thing i cant bare is closed ranks or closed minds, Its a great site and i only post to get people talking, to help keep the forum flowing and for the benefit of people like me that are interested in making various huey models (Official or Unofficial) and havnt reached the point yet where they think they know it all, or possess the rights to all huey knowledge lol, of those people i have neither the time or the patience. Its an internet modelling forum for all and not an elite members club ![Big Smile [:D]](/emoticons/icon_smile_big.gif)
lol
I never served in Vietnam but God knows i have spent enough years researching the subject to know a little of what im talking about.
Moan over lol
Andy
While the rest of the crew may be in the same predicament, it's almost always the pilot's job to arrive at the crash site first.