I Need A Number

[Jschmus]

Now that I have finally begun construction of my entry in this year's Secret Santa build, I'm trying to flesh out the backstory behind the model.  Nick (AeroplaneDriver) brought me the Italeri 1/72 AS-532 Cougar/Super Puma helicopter.  It's my intention to put it in USMC colors, as a stopgap replacement for the CH-46 Sea Knight before the introduction of the V-22 Osprey.

The CH-46 has been in contiunous service with the US Navy and Marines since 1966.  I remember in the late 80s, and all through the 90s, that the Sea Knight fleet was periodically grounded because of accidents resulting from defective parts, or metal fatigue, etc.  The V-22 Osprey was supposed to have replaced the H-46 since the late 80s, but it has taken 20 years to work out all the "bugs" in the design, and there are still some difficulties.

Suppose it's the early 90s, and the Commandant says to the Pentagon, "We need something NOW!"  In real life, I think Sikorsky would offer up an uprated H-60, or offer to push up production of the S-92, because the US military almost never willingly buys anything foreign-made.  In a more ideal world, Eurocopter could offer an Americanized Cougar, possibly in partnership with an American firm.

Service entry would be sometime in the late 90s, and the model will depict a machine in current service, possibly in Iraq.  I just don't know what an appropriate designation would be.  I'm pretty familiar with all the designations up through the late 80s-early 90s, but my knowledge is a little hazy after that.

Any help will be appreciated.  

[GTX]

Well,

here is what happened in the real world regarding designations arouind that time:

"H-66        Comanche              Boeing/     1991    LHX contract winner - low-observability armed
                                 Sikorsky            recon.
H-67        Creek                 Bell        1995?   trainer civilian Model 206B

H-68                              Agusta      2000    USCG A109 - drug interdiction

H-76        Eagle                 Sikorsky            gunship, SAR, observation, utility helicopter
                                                     civilian S-76 - non-standard designation
                                         
H-90                              McDD        199?    USCG MD900 - non-standard designation" (Source)

You could always twist history a bit and use one of these designations.

Regards,

Greg

[jcf]

Call it the CH-69...ya know the gyrenes would love that number.    

Anyhow ()H-69 is an unassigned designation...apparently skipped, as MH-68 is assigned to the Agusta A109, '69' wouldn't be out of the question for the AS-532 .

Cheers, Jon

[B777LR]

CH-532?

[Jschmus]

Call it the CH-69...ya know the gyrenes would love that number.    

Anyhow ()H-69 is an unassigned designation...apparently skipped, as MH-68 is assigned to the Agusta A109, '69' wouldn't be out of the question for the AS-532 .

Cheers, Jon

I think I have a winner.  For some reason, I was thinking H-69 was taken, but I was thinking of Sikorsky's Advancing Blade Concept helicopter, and that carried the company designation "S-69", but the DOD designation "XH-59".  Woohoo!

BTW, CH-69 would be the logical designation for the baseline model, but I'm thinking this one will be a combat search and rescue (CSAR) version, so it will probably be MH-69C, or something along those lines.  There won't be as many seats, but there will be door guns, and I'm thinking of either fuel tanks or hog pods outboard of the wheel sponsons.  I've also found an inflight refueling probe and a FLIR turret for the nose.

Thanks, Jon!

[GTX]

You realise of course that there is a real world CSAR Cougar (it also goes by the designation EC-725:




Regards,

Greg

[Jschmus]

I did see that, Greg, thanks.  In fact, I was looking over the Eurocopter site to get the proper dimensions of the interior, seating arrangements, etc.  Mine won't look exactly like that, but it will be similar.  Getting it all together will be fun, seeing as the kit-provided interior is bare-arse naked.  Which is a little weird, since the cockpit, which will be nearly invisible closed up, is VERY detailed.