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A few from my recent visit to China.....

Mi-6 at Xiaotangshan.....

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Harbin Z-5 (licence built Mil Mi-4) in ambulance colours....

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Ministry of Ugly Planes - Chinese attempt to make a turbine-powered Mi-4, the Harbin Z-6...

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Carrier- based Mi-8....... :D :D

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Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma SAR helicopter at Zhuhai....

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Changhe Z-8K (licence-built Super Frelon)....

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Harbin Z-9W (licence built SA 365 Dauphin).....

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Avicopter AC313 - ultimate development of the Super Frelon family......

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Ken

Edited by Flankerman
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Caught this Longbow (08-05553) yesterday...

Question for the Apache Specialists here: The dutch AH-64D have a cylindrical can on top of the rotor mast, which I have also seen on pictures of US Longbows. This one does not have that "can"? Is that can the mount for the radar?

08-05553_ARC.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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Some more from last year:

AH-1F of the Red Bull Flying Team. Yes, we got some free beverages!

N11FX_17-Sep-2010_2rel.jpg

As requested, a picture of the Cobra flying:

N11FX_17-Sep-2010_4rel.jpg

CH-53G

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This CH-53G came in for a short fuel stop

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Let's count the rivets! It almost blew me over...

8495_ARC2.jpg

Edited by Lancer512
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Caught this Longbow (08-05553) yesterday...

Question for the Apache Specialists here: The dutch AH-64D have a cylindrical can on top of the rotor mast, which I have also seen on pictures of US Longbows. This one does not have that "can"? Is that can the mount for the radar?

got your answer Lancer! I work with Apaches and their crew daily out here in Afghanistan and so ive done some research and asking around myself, and so i happen to have the info ready to answer your question.

The AH-64D Longbow is most well known with the Longbow radar installed on top of the rotor mast. However, due to the types of ops we do in Afghanistan, the Longbow radar isnt really necessary. As a result, esp at higher altitudes to save weight, the radar is removed. Now, there are 2 options here. 1 is to just remove the radar itself and leave the de-rotation unit on top of the mast. 2 is to take both off and leave the top of the rotor head looking clean, as your picture shows.

Now to ADD to this, there is a new feature for the AH-64Ds that basically allows them to receive direct views from UAVs in the air. That has a whole different mast on top. It looks like this:

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Picture%252520201.jpg

Is it common to have some of the pylons removed when not needed? I don't know if I have seen this on an Apache before. I assume this deletion, along with the light warload, is in part due to hot/high conditions in the area of operation.

Another weird thing to put on a model and get people to scratch their heads. ;)

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Is it common to have some of the pylons removed when not needed? I don't know if I have seen this on an Apache before. I assume this deletion, along with the light warload, is in part due to hot/high conditions in the area of operation.

Another weird thing to put on a model and get people to scratch their heads. ;)

Actually, it isnt in PART due to H/H, but 100% due to H/H. Out here, at 7500 ft where we are at, yeah we only fly with the 2 outboard pylons, and only 2 hellfires. But when flying in pairs you still have 4 hellfires. Considering how very little chance there is of actually using one, having only 2 isnt a big risk. a full slate of 30mm rounds and a full rocket pod can take care of pretty much anything out there. the hellfires are great when you wanna just pound a large area, but precisely.

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Those are some really interesting Apache pics, thanks very much for posting them and providing some background info. Lots of mods out there (the new IR exhausts, self-defense equip, the UAV antenna, etc), really wish we'd get some coversion kits for these parts in 1/35th.

Regards,

John

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Those are some really interesting Apache pics, thanks very much for posting them and providing some background info. Lots of mods out there (the new IR exhausts, self-defense equip, the UAV antenna, etc), really wish we'd get some coversion kits for these parts in 1/35th.

Regards,

John

John,

Those airframes you see are just 2 of very few in country, but from what I am being told, most, if not all, US Apaches are moving to that setup. The upward facing exhausts are pretty much already standard, while the UAV mods are newer. word on the street is that eventually they will give the pilot/weapons operator the ability to actually take control of the UAV. not sure how far out that is though.

the self-defense equip hasnt changed for a while. what specifically were you referring to?

i have many more pics of the helo, but i couldnt find a thread for it in the research helos. maybe i missed it. should i add the pics here or start a new thread for the AH-64

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John,

the self-defense equip hasnt changed for a while. what specifically were you referring to?

I believe that the 1/32 scale AH-64 kits out there are all pre OIF / OEF birds. No missile warning sensors, extra flare buckets, etc.

If one was to model a current-spec Apache, I think we would need the following:

- Upward facing exhausts

- Missile warning sensors

- Extra flare buckets

- UAV antenna

- Satcom antenna

- Misc smaller antennas

- Blanking plate for removed ALQ-144 disco light

I'm sure I missed a few things but the above would make for a nice resin update set.

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I believe that the 1/32 scale AH-64 kits out there are all pre OIF / OEF birds. No missile warning sensors, extra flare buckets, etc.

If one was to model a current-spec Apache, I think we would need the following:

- Upward facing exhausts

- Missile warning sensors

- Extra flare buckets

- UAV antenna

- Satcom antenna

- Misc smaller antennas

- Blanking plate for removed ALQ-144 disco light

I'm sure I missed a few things but the above would make for a nice resin update set.

along with the antenna on top of the rotor head, there is also what i believe is a receiver antenna on the underside of the fuselage, fwd of the other antenna, you can see it in the first pic i posted before.

the missile warning sensors have been standard for years. when back in the states they are removed and those mounting points are covered. not sure why they wouldnt be on models.

yeah def dont use the disco light anymore, but im not sure where the equivalent sensor has been placed.

SATCOM antenna is now standard on all aircraft we have out here. some of them have the computer nicely installed on the inside, like the chinook and apache, but the blackhawk has it in a separate box that sits just behind and between the pilot and copilot. they say its a pain in the ***.

not sure what you mean by extra flare buckets. they fly with 2, one on each side, and they have just the red and green ones. (the chinooks, hawks, and apaches all fly with a different flare setup). the have slots for 2 more, but they face up for whatever reason when installed, so they arent ever installed. chinooks have the same thing, upward facing flare bucket mounts, and also are never installed. maybe it has something to do with chaff which isnt used at all over here.

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along with the antenna on top of the rotor head, there is also what i believe is a receiver antenna on the underside of the fuselage, fwd of the other antenna, you can see it in the first pic i posted before.

the missile warning sensors have been standard for years. when back in the states they are removed and those mounting points are covered. not sure why they wouldnt be on models.

yeah def dont use the disco light anymore, but im not sure where the equivalent sensor has been placed.

SATCOM antenna is now standard on all aircraft we have out here. some of them have the computer nicely installed on the inside, like the chinook and apache, but the blackhawk has it in a separate box that sits just behind and between the pilot and copilot. they say its a pain in the ***.

not sure what you mean by extra flare buckets. they fly with 2, one on each side, and they have just the red and green ones. (the chinooks, hawks, and apaches all fly with a different flare setup). the have slots for 2 more, but they face up for whatever reason when installed, so they arent ever installed. chinooks have the same thing, upward facing flare bucket mounts, and also are never installed. maybe it has something to do with chaff which isnt used at all over here.

My point was that the current range of 1/35 (and I believe 1/48) scale Apaches are all based upon early vintage examples, circa late 80's or possibly Desert Storm. As such, they would have none of the newer gear referenced above. I think those earlier birds would have had the disco light, radar warning receivers and a single flare dispenser. That was it.

All the rest of the doodads discussed above came around the 2006-2008 time frame, after a spate of shoot downs of US helos in Iraq by badguys using modern SA-14 (or newer) IR SAMs. The one fact I find to be interesting is that these SAM's don't seem to have made their way over to Afghanistan in any significant numbers (thank goodness).

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How about a nice original slide? Can you guess the model?

lockheedhelo.jpg

Well, seeing as it takes about 20 seconds on Google... Lockheed model 286 rigid rotor helo. No flapping blades somehow. Two built. Never put into production.

Rick L.

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Here are some new photos from the last couple of weeks-

Robinson R44 of EasyRotor.com offering rides at the Wings Over Gaylord airshow-

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MI ArNG UH-60 on display at the same show-

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Edited by Albert Moore
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Las Vegas Metro PD Aero Bureau Bell 407 & McDD 369 @ Nellis AFB

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This reminds ME of our Forces last Helo..it was a Bell too ...Now they have a MD 902 EXPLORER...

This is a lovely shot of the BELL... :thumbsup:

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Here are some pictures from the 2011 Helifest at Hiller Museum in San Carlos, CA. There wasn't an airshow component to the occasion this year, but there were a number of military helicopters. I took over 300 photos, and feel like I didn't take enough.

MH-60S Block 1 #166330. This is the one that they let the kids crawl inside.

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MH-60S Block 3 #166370. This is the one they kept behind the fence. Probably didn't want little fingerprints on the FLIR.

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UH-72 #72158. I've never seen one of these before. It was new and immaculate.

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UH-1Y #166756. They took off at the end of the day and they all did a flyby.

uh1y166756helifest2011.jpg

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