Hughes Defender AH.1 * * F I N I S H E D * *

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Been away so long from here, almost forgotten how to do this !  

So before I post any pics or any of that nonsense, here's something that I don't do all that often... A brief and totally ficticious backstory just to put the project in a geographical and historical context.

Right equipment, right place, wrong time !

Hughes Defender AH.1
In the mid 1980's an enlightened cadre of MoD staff, serving Army officers and defence 'specialists' submitted a report to the JCS in Whitehall. It outlined a perceived need for a fast response 'asset', based in and/or around Berlin, that could operate in an enclosed 'urban warfare environment' and blunt any initial WarPac armoured thrust over (through ?) 'the wall' ahead of the arrival of the Berlin Brigades' heavy armour.

The report recommended the acquisition of a small, fast, manoeuvrable and well armed 'aircraft' that could operate with the minimum of support from virtually any piece of ground that it could fit into.

Thought was given to a 'stripped-down' version of the Lynx, an 'up-armoured' version of the Gazelle, the Bo105 – already in service with Luftwaffe and Heer units, the Bell Kiowa and the Hughes 500MD. In 1988, in a rare display of giving the military precisely what it asked-for, twelve of the diminutive Hughes machines were ordered. Eight TOW armed Defender AH.1A's went to Germany, four unarmed AH.1's remained at Middle Wallop for training, all arriving in the spring of 1989.

It was the briefest of service lives for most of the twelve Defender's as in 1990 & 91 the Cold War effectively ended and the need for a small, light anti-tank helicopter, solely based in Berlin, ended virtually overnight.

All bar two AH.1A's were put into storage at RAF Shawbury in summer 1992. The two not placed into storage were passed to an 'undisclosed' defence contractor based in Herefordshire. Later the remaining ten airframes were donated to the fledgling Republic of South Africa Army Air Wing as a goodwill gesture following the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of the white apartheid government in 1994.

More soon.

Ian

[PR19_Kit]

The two not placed into storage were passed to an 'undisclosed' defence contractor based in Herefordshire.

Yeah right Ian, I'll believe that............ 

[Mossie]

I do like the flying egg, sound like angry insects when they get going.  Now which part of it's career are you covering, the Berlin machines, training airframes or the two in use with the Hereford Gun Club???

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Patience chums, patience 

Ian

[TallEng]

I like that Idea
There should be scope for some interesting Camouflage schemes.
Of course in real life, they would have tried to Anglicise the poor old Defender,
and it would have gone overweight and over Budget, get cancelled and then replaced
by good old British compromise.....  (5 Stripped out Wessex wiv SMG's ty-wrapped to their U/C)

Regards
  Keith

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I like that Idea Of course in real life,

Regards
 Keith

Good job we're not dealing with real life then... I don't have a Wessex in the stash !  

Interior sprayed today, nothing remarkable, so no need to post any pics. Will spend the evening hunting around for some appropriate leftover etched brass harnesses to bend into submission !!

Ian

[Mike Wren]

Berlin Brigade camo? please...    seem to remember one was trialled (by RAF? AAC?) at Boscombe Down at some point? EDIT: apparently we trialled on briefly in 1966 - the weather was bad so not much evaulation done!

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Some progress:







Just need to rub-down the tail-cone 'stopper', then can get an undercoat on it.

AFN

Ian

[Pablo1965]

This is going perfectly. The little Defender is turned in a big work. 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

No I haven't been neglecting this project !! 

Managed to finally get the first coat of paint on it last week - Friday to be honest, been on a course all week. Will start the first round of masking this evening and take some pics. Decided to go with the 'Berlin Brigade' scheme, but instead of the 'off-white' tone used on the Landies, APC's & Chieftains, I'll use Lt. Aircraft Grey.

Pics very, very soon. Stay tooned.

Ian

[Aircav]

Looking good Ian, I know when my father was on the weapons selection for the Lynx they preferred HOT after all the tests but the MoD went for TOW because it was cheaper at that time.
All the best
Steve

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Masking first Lt Aircraft Grey areas went well this evening. Used mainly 10mm x 10mm squares with a couple of 5mm x 10mm and 5mm x 20mm. Will keep this as consistant as possible throughout... not easy 
















Hopefully will get the next colour on it on Tuesday. As ever, thanks for taking the time to look.

Ian

[Pablo1965]

Wonderful, but I have a doubt. If you covered with a cone, the gas outlet of the turbine, where do we come out now? Are you  thinking, to compensate for the torque with the flow of gases?  !ingenious¡ 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

No Pablo, Hughes already sorted-that for me !!

The 500MD was marketed with a bi-furbricated (engineer speak for split-ino-two) exhaust system, which is included in the kit. The exhausts exit through two pipes on the rear fuselage above the weapons pylons and just below the start of the tail-boom. I'm certain this was done as an effort to beat heat-seeking missiles & 'MANPADS'

Ian

[Pablo1965]

No Pablo, Hughes already sorted-that for me !!

The 500MD was marketed with a bi-furbricated (engineer speak for split-ino-two) exhaust system, which is included in the kit. The exhausts exit through two pipes on the rear fuselage above the weapons pylons and just below the start of the tail-boom. I'm certain this was done as an effort to beat heat-seeking missiles & 'MANPADS'

Ian

I know, but I don´t know the kit included it. Really I was thinking in the substitution of the tail rotor with a new form, like the MD900 or another else.
But all this things  are irrelevant. The most important is you are making an exelent work, in a very nice kit. I like it.