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Black AH-1G Cobras in Vietnam?


Plastic Hacker

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2 hours ago, Plastic Hacker said:

Guys, I seem to recall reading somewhere that a few AH-1Gs were painted (gloss?) black in Vietnam - can anyone provide confirmation or is old age catching up with me?

 

PH

Hi PH,

I`ve looked through all my `nam books and I can`t find one or a mention even, but there may have been, nothing seems to be hard and fast in Vietnam.

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I do recall Fujimi releasing AH-1G and UH-1B Black Bunny helicopter kits.  Don't know if they're based on real schemes and assume they are painted overall black.  As from the description they have the Playboy bunny logos.  Could even have been based on the helo's featured in the "Apocalypse Now" film.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have read and heard about them before, however I do not recall the source material. Some speculation as to them was that the CIA had a pair and where running them up and down near the Laos border.

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24 minutes ago, whiskey said:

I have read and heard about them before, however I do not recall the source material. Some speculation as to them was that the CIA had a pair and where running them up and down near the Laos border.

 

Why would the CIA go to the trouble of painting them black and making them more conspicuous? The AH-1 was probably the most distinctive looking helicopter in the world as it was at the time. I don't think painting it black would have made it very deniable.

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There is a published image of an all-black USMC F-4 with sharkmouth and weapons taken  at Da Nang if my memory serves me right which eventually turned out to be of an aircraft in black primer during a re-spray upon which the squadron involved had decided to do a little bit of full-size 'what-iffery' before the standard grey and white top coat were re-applied.

 

No idea what the specific US Army procedures were for re-painting in-theatre but is  it possible that the AH-1G images you recall reading about may have been of aircraft during a similar process?

Edited by Des
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