UH-1 'Huey' and AH-1 'Cobra' (Bell and Augusta built aircraft) all versions

[rickshaw]

Generation Kill's been on the ABC-TV the last seven weeks.  Not sure what time on free-to-air as I've been watching it on their iview service on my PC - http://www.abc.net.au/iview.  I think they only have episode six and seven now.  Yes, they appear intense and gung-ho.  A lot of their stuff is pretty childish and I can't see diggers putting up with the stuff they spout nor officers acting the way they do.

[Jschmus]

Not to get too off-topic, but Generation Kill is based on the book by the same name by Evan Wright, who was embedded with 1st Recon when they went into Iraq.  It's a little skewed, but considered to be mostly factual.  It originally ran on HBO in 2008.

[Maverick]

Thanks for the link Brian.  Pity it's just show eps 6 & 7.  I wasn't aware it was a fictional thing tho (altho based in reality).  I had some impression it was more a doco.  Might keep a lookout for the boxed set when I'm back in Bali next year.

Regards,

Mav

[Weaver]

A question, if I may?

The USMC Super Sea Cobra has been upgraded to the gills over the years, far more so than the Army AH-1Gs were, and yet, it still has the curved plexiglass canopy from the original Cobra, instead of the flat-plate armoured glass one used on the AH-1G. Does anybody know why this is?

[Scooterman]

IIRC the curved canopy offered more head room.  Marines use their Cobras differently than the Army.  Simply, the USMC moves a lot more!    Army tactics are (roughly) move, stop, spy, shoot, spy, move.  Corps Cobras never stop moving.  Run and gun.  So more room in the cockpit means the pilots can look around much better and have better vis to the outside.

Again, not claiming to be all knowing, just going off faulty memory. 

[Jschmus]

The flat plate glass canopy was actually introduced on Army Cobras as part of the AH-1S upgrade.  Supposedly the flat plates reduce glare, but that's the only distinction I've been able to identify.  The only AH-1J derivative with a plate canopy is the Iranian Panha 2091

[Weaver]

Done a bit of reading now - Jschmus is correct: the flat plate canopy was introduced to reduce glare and is NOT armoured as I'd always assumed.

[famvburg]

     Just curious. Why is the BT kit crap? I've built a few & they all build up quite nicely.

Slight OT here, but I've always wanted to build an AH-1W or -Z with a 4 or 5 blade main rotor, a retractable wheeled undercart, and a Fenestron tail rotor.

How badly do you want to build this WHIF?  I trashed at least three of those crap 1/32nd scale Monogram Blue Thunder kits many years ago.  I salvaged the interesting things such as the Fenestron rotor assembly which I thought would be ideal for a 1/48th scale UH-60 Blackhawk WHIF but it could be applied to an AH-64 or even the UH-1 and AH-1 with a bit of imagineering. 

[kitnut617]

I think you'll have a long wait for a reply famvburg, Jeffry is not on the forum anymore --

     Just curious. Why is the BT kit crap? I've built a few & they all build up quite nicely.

Slight OT here, but I've always wanted to build an AH-1W or -Z with a 4 or 5 blade main rotor, a retractable wheeled undercart, and a Fenestron tail rotor.

How badly do you want to build this WHIF?  I trashed at least three of those crap 1/32nd scale Monogram Blue Thunder kits many years ago.  I salvaged the interesting things such as the Fenestron rotor assembly which I thought would be ideal for a 1/48th scale UH-60 Blackhawk WHIF but it could be applied to an AH-64 or even the UH-1 and AH-1 with a bit of imagineering. 

[Jschmus]

Holy thread-resurrection, Batman!

Apologies if this has been posted here before, but I could not resist sharing the only Huey-logged air-to-air victory of the Vietnam conflict:
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol52no2/iac/an-air-combat-first.html

[DarrenP]

Looking at time lines it would have been interesting had the RAF or AAC bought the early UH1 to operate in Borneo

[kitnut617]

Saw this one at the Yuma Proving Grounds Main Gate



And then this one at the Yuma Airshow last year.

[Captain Canada]

I thought they were armoured as well ! Odd that they went back to the rounded style then.....

Love the Huey vs. Colt story. Too bad they didn't have 7.62, .50s or miniguns in the door and they could have downed all 4 !

Great pic of the gate guard Robert. Love them old Cobras.

[jcf]

Not a matter of 'went back', the USMC Sea/SuperCobras, from the AH-1J ordered in 1968 and on, always had the blown panels,
flat panels were a later Army mod.

[Captain Canada]

That's funny Jon...I had never really put 2 and 2 together regarding the differences between Army and USMC Cobras ! In the back of my mind I guess I thought they were the same....the Army are all Apaches now ? Crazy.....