UH-1D(?), Huey, 7th Air Cavalry, Vietnam, 1970

[russ c]

Howdy Everyone, Thought I`d post some pic`s of a recent completion photographed in much sunnier times. Well...... last week actually 🙂

My attempt at Italeri`s 1/48 UH-1D/H `Slick` kit

I originally intended to do it as an RAAF Bushranger but after some research found that the decals provided in the kit bore no resemblance to the actual aircraft.

So I waited and searched on Ebay now and again but nothing and eventually thought I might as well do a US Army one using the other kit decals. 

I couldn`t find any photo`s of the actual aircraft so what the hell I`ll just follow the kit instructions. This is where it got a bit muddled........

I`ve a feeling the actual subject should be an `H` but the instructions had me fit the engine cowl bits for a `D`.

I had some Reskit door guns and thought I`d put them on as the kit has no armament provided but the guns were warped and would not straighten no matter what I tried so ended up using some from the spares box and attached some of the etched bits from the other set.

I did cut out the grills on the cowlings and fit some mesh to improve it a bit.

So I call this my UH-1D(?)

Hope you enjoy it anyway, thanks for looking

Cheers Russ

 

[Pete in a shed]

Really captured the look Russ, spot on as usual. . 

Pete

[Toryu]

Excellent Russ! Looks like it just touched down to recover some stranded pilot from the jungle.

 

Cheers, Michael

 

[BerndM]

Superb build !

You really nailed the look of it.

[RMCS]

Superb 

[F-32]

The Huey slick is a classic aircraft, hands down one of the most iconic ever - you've captured it really really well

[Gary Brantley]

Very nice Russ!    Great looking model..."Get to tha choppa!"  😄

[MickE]

Well done Russ it certainly looks the business!

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Well done, and captures the looks dead on!  I'd say your "attempt" is successful.  For a 1970 aircraft, I'd say there's a 90 percent chance that it's a D, not an H.

 

During the early-mid 70s I remember going to an Army airfield as a kid and seeing these all lined up in a nice row, along with Cobras.  Really impressive.

 

Alex

[stevej60]

Great looking Huey Russ,fine work as usual.

[CMSCHLOM]

A good build, love to see Hueys on Britmodeller.  A few comments, FYI.  This is actually an H model, which began entering Vietnam in 1967/1968.  The roof mounted pitot system usually gives it away.  The cat whiskers are FM radio antennas which were not used on H models, there were two FM antennas, one above the cabin, the other on the tail.  The stabilizer bar, scissors and sleeve assembly, pitch link tubes, control tubes, rotating and non-rotating swash plate, and mast assembly were covered in a grey enamel paint.  Sometimes the sta-bar was left bare metal.  The blade roots were covered in black epoxy coating.  Also the side mounted antennas were usually found on OH-58s.  I believe those were FM antennas.  After the war, the mast assembly could be black, grey and a combination of both.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by CMSCHLOM

[busnproplinerfan]

Even if a few details aren't exact, it's still a nicely done model. Good notes of the H and D models, they do get confusing.

[Luiz]

Very nice!

 

Luiz.

[ForestFan]

Excellent job Russ

[pacificmustang]

lovely work Russ.  let me look around my stash and ask a few local  friends to see if I get my hands on a set of those decals

 

Regards

Bruce

[IGKent]

Great!  Russel what are the seams on the main rotor?

Cheers!

Igor

[russ c]

2 hours ago, IGKent said:

Great!  Russel what are the seams on the main rotor?

Cheers!

Igor

Whatever you want them to be 😉

[russ c]

11 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

A good build, love to see Hueys on Britmodeller.  A few comments, FYI.  This is actually an H model, which began entering Vietnam in 1967/1968.  The roof mounted pitot system usually gives it away.  The cat whiskers are FM radio antennas which were not used on H models, there were two FM antennas, one above the cabin, the other on the tail.  The stabilizer bar, scissors and sleeve assembly, pitch link tubes, control tubes, rotating and non-rotating swash plate, and mast assembly were covered in a grey enamel paint.  Sometimes the sta-bar was left bare metal.  The blade roots were covered in black epoxy coating.  Also the side mounted antennas were usually found on OH-58s.  I believe those were FM antennas.  After the war, the mast assembly could be black, grey and a combination of both.

 

 

Thanks for the info`, this one`ll do until I get the Kittyhawk one. Then I`ll get it right ( famous last words 🤔 )

Cheers Russ 

[bigbadbadge]

A lovely model,  great work,  I did the 72 Italeri kit as an Australian machine .

I Like this one .

Chris

[replicant]

On 08/05/2021 at 12:29, russ c said:

Howdy Everyone, Thought I`d post some pic`s of a recent completion photographed in much sunnier times. Well...... last week actually 🙂

 

Hope you enjoy it anyway, thanks for looking

Cheers Russ

 

Wow Russ,

 

I enjoy every single rivet of that "Teppichklopfer" aka carpet beater as we say in Germany to all foreign and our own classic, now retired 2 blade Hueys!

 

Cheers,

Tom

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Thanks, @CMSCHLOM! Did the D's and H's have an HF wire antenna strung along the side of the rear fuselage, or was this only on some foreign aircraft?  

[CMSCHLOM]

49 minutes ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Thanks, @CMSCHLOM! Did the D's and H's have an HF wire antenna strung along the side of the rear fuselage, or was this only on some foreign aircraft?  

HF antennas were on Command and Control birds.  My old flight instructor, was able to talk to his wife from Vietnam!  He was able to raise a HAM radio operator who called his wife and connected the two.

[TheyJammedKenny!]

4 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

He was able to raise a HAM radio operator who called his wife and connected the two.

LOL!  (static) "I love you--over." (static/solar noise)  Seriously, this was how it was done, back in the day.   The system was called MARS, IIRC.

 

Sorry to go slightly OT.

Edited May 12, 2021 by TheyJammedKenny!
clarification

[junglierating]

20 hours ago, CMSCHLOM said:

HF antennas were on Command and Control birds.  My old flight instructor, was able to talk to his wife from Vietnam!  He was able to raise a HAM radio operator who called his wife and connected the two.

Reminds me of demonstrating the HF to newbies on the Line. Used to call up the Falklands or Akrotiri to show how useful HF was ....Using iridium sat phone from the back of a cab in Afghanistan was useful but somehow the Collins 618T was to use the phrase more 'organic'.Clearly it depended on the atmospherics at the time....if in doubt blame atmospherics....pinkie eh?

Useful for letting  Yeovilton know where you had 'decided' 😆😆😆to land on whilst on air party up to Bardufoss