USFS Firewatch Cobra

[foresterab]

To quote:

The U.S. Forest Service has two helicopters they call Firewatch Cobras which are retrofitted Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. The USFS has them outfitted with infrared sensors so that they can be used for close in intelligence support for ground troops, GIS mapping, real time color video, geo-referenced infrared, and infrared downlink. In addition to intelligence gathering, they are also used as a platform for an Air Attack Group Supervisor (ATGS) or a Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO).

Sadly, no water cannon.

basically the front cannon has been replaced by a FLIR unit that can be used in early morning flights to map heat signatures/hot spots. As each spot is tagged a set of GPS co-ordinates is recorded which in turn can be turned over to ground crews for mop-up on the ground. There are numerous systems out there with different set ups...some use a pintail style set up in the nose similar to military systems while others are manual spotting scopes and the pilot tags the site (much more error prone).

A good scan with the right conditions has been known to pick up squirrels in the forest (which is also a failed marker point in a test). map co-ordinates are usually within about 10 feet of the point which makes vectoring crews into locations a huge costs savings on helicopter access only portions of the fire. Agencies will also use satellite (very coarse), high altitude scans from fixed wing machines (more precise and cost effective but not detailed enough to confirm perimeter containment) and the lower elevation scans from usually helicopters.

Birddog aircraft which I guess contain what the USFS calls a Air Attack Group Supervisor (we know them as Air Attack Officers) may use the FLIR for initial detection follow-up if they are being vectored into a reported smoke. Lightning strikes especially may hit a tree, burn briefly sparking the fire call, and then smoulder in the ground for days before taking off in a forest fire.

The HELCO role is basically organizing aircraft in the air...may be stacking bucket machines/transport ships in a controlled airspace; may be directing bucketing operations especially if heavy lift helicopters are being used etc. Role is also dependent upon jurisdiction and number/type of machine used.

A few other examples from last year:

Cessna 310 operated by Buffalo Airways

AeroCommander 690 operated by Air Spray on behalf of Alberta

[foresterab]

and some helicopters:

Bell 206 with front mount like the FireWatch

and yes...he does control it with an X-box controller.

or a different set up where the observer sits in the back (sans door) to spot the hotspots:

Keep it up with the build Natter, really interested in seeing how the FireHawk turns out as it's on the "to build" list.

Cheers for now,

foresterab

[johnny_7713]

Thanks for the informative posts foresterab. As for the Xbox controller, I'm not that surpised, I've heard of a satellite design that used a (hacked) Kinect as a sensor!

[Natter]

This is still fighting. I remember the news footage of the ladies (?) at Greenham Common in the eighties singing (?) 'we shall over come'. Well, they didn't; and I shall.

The canopy has been fitted a total of four times now. Bits getting in through somewhwere, shavings dust, whatever. While it was off I took sme pics of the cockpit but only this one came out acceptably. I have represented the flat screens and the dials as best I can without going all out for accuracy; one screen in the front cockpit and two in the rear:

It was not mentioned anywhere but I wasn't quite sure where the balance point was for this model, so I have added some nose weight which you can see through the turret mount hole in the pic below. This is definitely not going to be a tail sitter now. I concentrated on getting the upper seam as well aligned as possible but that left the underside with something of a step, which would need some work to remove. The Mr Surfacer is plastered on to help work out what still needs to be removed during the filing and sanding:

The gun turret has been removed and the mount faired over on the Firewatch Cobras, so it was out with the plasticard:

The sight is fitted to provide a space filler for the re-shaping of the nose. On the real cab the sight is removed and the nose faired over the mount for the new IR sensor. To represent this I tried Perfect Plastic Putty for the first time, filling in the space around the model sight. Then came the rubbing down. I am impressed so far. Having had very mixed experiences with Vallejo putty I was expecting the Perfect Plastic Putty to come away in chinks. Far from it. It seems to have adhered really well to the plastic and to have sanded down really nicely. Small gaps have been filled with the PPP as well, and wiped over with IPA on a cotton bud to remove the excess. You should be able to do this with water, but the IPA has worked really well:

Work is manic at the moment and my dad is back in hospital two hours drive away after yet another collapse, so work on this may be slow, but I think that the first primer coat is getting quite close.

[Nigel Heath]

Nice work with the plasticard construction and Perfect Plastic Putty is great stuff isn't it? I find the Vallejo filler is good for very small gaps but shrinks too much on anything substantial.

[foresterab]

Very nice work on the clean up and modifications on the front end. Despite the plastic issues in the first stages of the build it's looking really good.

foresterab

[Natter]

I'm back. Work has been manic this year and my (much) better half and I have had a break away for a short while, but this weekend I have set about this after doing garden stuff for the first couple of days. Layer upon layer of white primer hid the dark green plastic and the top coat of white was added using Lifecolor white acrylic.:

The tail skid has been broken twice and is pinned with a piece of fine wire. The pitot head, well that has been broken three or four times, and the last time it disappeared. Much crawling around the carpet failed to find it, so I had to make another. It is two pieces of Albion Alloys nickel tube, carefully bent to shape and fixed in to a 0.7mmm drilled hole. It is far more robust and should withstand further handling during the build.

Much masking later the red was added and then more masking was done for the black:

The white, as mentioned, is Lifecolor. The red is Tamiya Flat Red XF7 and the black is Game Colour. As shown the skids, the main rotor mast and both rotors are just dry assembled. Everything now has a couple of coats of Klear drying overnight ready for the decals to be added tomorrow:

[Nigel Heath]

Outstanding work, looks the business. And of course welcome back Natter.

[CliffB]

Quite an eye-catcher . I've never seen XF7 look so bright - maybe I should start using a white undercoat!

Cliff

[Smudge]

Looking good.

[Natter]

Firstly a thank you for watching and your encouragement.

Ooooh, see the errors! Never mind, I'm over it already. What you see here is the coat of Windsor and Newton satin varnish sealing in the decals. Fail. It didn't give the finish I wanted.

The IR sensor is shaped plastic rod with plastic tube and a piece of thinner rod to mount it to the fuselage. The original has several (five?) IR lenses but this is just representative as my skills don't extent to making those in 72nd. They are only obvious in the close up photos, so it is what it is on the model. It needs the addition of a scratch built sensor on the cabin roof, cable cutters and a couple of aerials and that should be it.

Since the photos above it has had a coat of Klear which has given it just the right sheen, now it just needs those other bits I mentioned.....

Oh, and it needs the tail skid fixing - again.

[Mr B]

Very nice paint job

Lovely subject matter

Rgds

Mr b

[johnny_7713]

Very striking colour scheme. It's coming together nicely.

[Strangeways]

That's looking really nice Dave, I'm impressed that you persevered after those initial setbacks

[Natter]

Well here it is. Every now and then I suppose each of us modellers starts a model that they just don't get on with. A model they either condem to the shelf of doom or fight with until it is done. This is my model, and the GB meant my conscience would not allow it to be left incomplete. It is the model think I like the least of all the models I have built in the last couple of years. I am not at all happy with it but it is done and now lives in the display cabinet with it's more enjoyable companions.

The sensor on the cabin roof is scratched as are the cable cutters. The aerial on the engine cowling is a piece of wire with a tiny plasticard sliver for the support at its base. The aerial on the upper forward gearbox cowling and the aerial on the forward of the port tail boom are plasticard.

There are some more in the Gallery, and a big thanks to everyone who has watched, commented and encouraged. Without you I may well have given up on this one.

[AndyC]

That's a stunner - beautiful paint job!

[ForestFan]

That looks very snazzy! Well done

[CliffB]

I'm really glad that you did persevere with this one Dave. It's a real eye-catcher

Cliff

[Nigel Heath]

Looks great, well done on persevering and finishing it.

[Smudge]

Well done, that looks very smart and will certainly stand out on the shelf.

GB's are a great motivator, I find

[Natter]

GB's are a great motivator, I find

Most of the models I have built in the last couple of years have been for GBs on this forum; they certainly get and keep me building.

Thank you again to everyone for your kind comments and for watching.

[foresterab]

Nice job on that one...there's a poster of one of the firewatch Cobras up in the fire center at work but everyone ignores it. A great match to the real thing.

foresterab

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Pretty Cobra!