The Huey Challenge

Here is 157848 in Army paint.  Tallahassee FL

Regards
Steve

Ray,

Don't be including Partical Separators in your modex theories now.  Those are apples and oranges.  If it didn't come off the line with a separator, then it was just an AFC (airframes change) to be applied at the next overhaul.  If it was important enough a NARF team would visit a squadron and apply the AFC in the "field".  I don't think it happened here.  I flew aircraft without separators right up to the end.  As they were nearing the end of service life it just wasn't deemed that important.  There might not have been any "Kits" available either.

Anyway, separators have nothing to do with MODEXs.  It only shows that the AFC has been applied. 

By looking at the updated spreadsheet one finds a "pattern" to MODEXs and BNs.  Since we don't have the policy letter available to us, all we can do is draw conclusions. 

I conclude that HT-8 most likely gave the low numbers to the TH-57s and the TH-1Ls started with 35-78.  When they transfered to HT-18 in 1972, they had the 100s block and went from 136-179 for the TH-1Ls and UH-1Es, UH-1Ds used the 100-135.  That is my theory right now.

Remember that MODEXs have absolutely nothing to do with BNs.  It's easier to FIND and aircraft out on the line with large MODEX numbers than it is to look at the small tail number.  Note the Armys large local ID numbers on thier Rucker training aircraft.   

You busy moving?

Regards

Got another one.  157845.  Apparently this was taken prior to 1972 while still with HT-8 at NAS Ellyson Field.

Regards
Steve

Hatter50 wrote:

Hey Aaronw, First, thank you.  I was getting the impression that N204VC was possibly gone.  I note that N204VC went to them from NAF China Lake which had first aquired it.  I also note that the bell 204s probably more pointedly the 540 rotorheaded birds had a few expensive ADs to contend with.  I think the 1996 TH-1L crash during logging ops where the verticle fin brokeoff had a lot to do with that.  Lots of civilian TH-1Ls kinda deregistered about then. And Cobrahistorian, I have a message into the Frontiers of Flight Museum to nail down that Bureau number.  Thanks for the tip on that one. Aaron, I also show another TH-1L 157827 that is, or was stored at Camarillo Airport for Ventura County, any status on that?  Have you seen anything there? Thanks all, Regards Steve

That fits with my understanding of why 204's became rare in fire use, I don't know the exact details but there were some crashes related to non-Bell parts being used and incomplete maintenance records when they transfered from the military. As a result the FAA decertified them for passenger use. I know many 205's went through complete rebuilds and so don't have the same issues, I guess the 204's were not worth the cost of rebuilding compared to a 205.   

Steve,

  I know that particle separators and MODEX's have nothing to do with one another.  However, all UH-1L's and I believe HH-1K's came off the line with separators installed because they were Vietnam bound.  Since the TH-1L's were to be used for stateside training, they didn't require the separators immediately. I was trying to point out that TH-1L's with the separators were later retrofits, possibly about the time the 3 digit system was implemented.  Also, any training bird with the bell mouth intake should be a TH-1L since the other models had separators from the beginning.  This is just my opinion, though.  I wouldn't even call it a theory.  Maybe a hypothesis woudl be a better description.

    Ray
 

Hypothesis accepted.    Sounds reasonable to me.

Steve

New find.  157808.  This was actually found in the background of another shot I took.

Regards
Steve

Steve,

  A couple more China Lake birds that didn't make it:

157835:

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157836 (atually a B model and not 836):

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 Unfortunately, my particle separator hypothesis doesn't work for all HH-1K's as evidenced by this bird at China Lake in 1971:

157193:

However, I still think most HH-1K's had the separator installed like 157177:

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 Anyway, chalk up two more for the TH-1L tally.

    Ray
 

Hey Ray.................Caught you! 

157836 as shown in your China Lake photo isn't a TH-1L at all, but a "B" model.  I think they miss identified that photo.  Unless of course they decided to repaint and re-rotor thier TARGET.

I had provided links to those in an early post also.  Tricky find though.  Thank you. 

  And yes, those dang Bellmouths get you all the time.  Theories go only so far.

I'm still trying to get up with somebody that works out there at NWC on thier HH-1K restoration.  I understand that they HAVE recieved some TH-1L parts for that.

Regards
Steve

Steve,

  Thanks for catching that one.  That's what i get for trusting captions!  I thought tha looked like a 204 rotorhead, but it's so trashed I couldn't be sure.  The blade counterweights weren't obvious to me either.  I'll fix teh post.  Did you see the pics of the Huey firing a stinger at China Lake?  Now there's an interesting bird!

      Ray

Ray,

Did you find this photo also?  Shows 157835 & 836 in the backyard at NWC China Lake.  I'll have to believe the caption.  Hard to tell.

Seems that NWC took posession of 5 TH-1Ls.  One went to Ventura County Sheriffs (deregistered and sent it to a Junk Yard).  One went to MCAS El Toro, then Miramar (whereabouts unknown).  2 for target practice, and one to help with the rebuild of their HH-1K.  At least thats what a little bird whispered to me.

157835 was noted at Inyokern in Aug99 at the Budd McGee Air Park collection. However, the collection was dispersed by Oct02 and 835 is "lost" again.

Regards
Steve

Steve,

  I didn't find that one, but I'll think twice before I believe the captions again!  THe high res pics I posted earlier came from my reference collection.  Check the first page of the Vietnam Hueys thread for the list of my Huey refs.  I just don't have them in front of me right now.  I'll give you the specifics when i dig them back out again. 

         Ray 

Found another one. 157818 (I think). Sure of all the numbers except the last "8". The MODEX of 86 shoots holes in my MODEX theroy. Anyway, shot in Aug 1970 when she was only a few months old. HT-8 at NAS Ellyson Field.

Regards
Steve

Got another one. 157838

"This is a photo of 157838 taken at AMARC May 9, 1987. According to AMARC records it was 7H-137, arrived Aug 4, 1983, left Oct 25, 1988 as N838GH."
bill word

Spreadsheet updated.

Regards
Steve

This is a bona fide TH-1L panel from 157848. The Forest Service didn't modify it TOO much and from the looks of it just slapped a coat of paint on it. Sitting in Tallahasse at a VVA right now.

The "hole" for at attitude gyro has been greatly enlarged. The Dual Tach isn't supposed to be there, but the rest looks original, just missing parts.  Saw copy of Data Plate as CN 6443.

Regards
Steve