Loach Driver

Here is a video of Little Bird and 160th Blackhawk activity during Op Urgent Fury. The Little Birds appear at about 48:34. The start of the video also has footage of the crash of a Night Stalkers Blackhawk early in the video. Cpt Keith Lucas would loose his life in that crash, sadly. I wonder was GT one of the AH-6C pilots in this footage? LD.

Great work on a dated model kit. The paint is superb too. LD.

Roger that! Three of the USMC options don't even need external tanks. And the USAF HH-53Cs are also of interest, especially the 6594th Test Group HH-53s from Hawaii. LD.

It's not often the USAF calls in the Irish Air Corps for advice on operating a new aircraft type but that is what happened recently in relation to the MH-139. https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3139404/irish-air-corps-visits-20th-air-force/ https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-air-corps-us-air-force-visit-grey-wolf-5850550-Aug2022/ Hopefully, if the USAF ever base any of their MH-139s in the UK, they pay a visit to the Irish Air Corp's home base at Baldonnel. Meanwhile, the MH-139A is edging closer to service entry. ht

If anyone has another set of RH-53D parts and decals, please keep me in mind if you want to dispose of them. Thanks. LD.

I'd love to see the items you mentioned above for the 1/144 H-53. It's a lovely little kit but needs those extra bits to open up the possibilities for different versions of it. LD.

Nice work so far. Always liked that Airfix kit. LD.

Here are two recent articles on the Little Bird and its future. It looks like it will be around for another while yet. No surprise really. Nothing can replace a Little Bird! I'm looking forward to seeing what the Block III Little Bird looks like. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/little-bird-helicopters-future-laid-out-in-new-night-stalkers-aviation-plan Here is a piece on the plank-mounted machine gun. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/check-out-the-mh-6-little-birds-plank-mounted-machine-gun-setup LD.

No is the answer in relation to the OH-6A airframe. It was retained as a trainer airframe for quite a few years by the 160th after they were removed from front-line duty. I think the last MH-6C (the designation given to the OH-6A-based training airframe) was retired by the 160th in October 2009. LD.

Nice work so far. LD.

What is the story behind the green CH-53E? Is it a machine held in reserve for test work or is it an active duty airframe? Would make an interesting model. LD.

Great model and a really nice level of weathering! LD.

👍 LD.

If anyone can assist with this query, I'd be obliged. Were any of the early-production TAT-102 Cobras fitted with a right-side tail rotor instead of a left-side one? I am considering entering a Group Build over on Britmodeller for Matchbox kits and they have an early TAT-102 Cobra in their range that I'd like to build. I am interested in building it as a Stateside test ship similar to Bearcat 15. I found a photo of the actual BuNu that features in the Matchbox kit but it has a left-side TR while in Army service (according to that photo) and then, when it is transferred to NASA, it is seen with

The transmission looks pretty impressive. LD.