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AH-6C, MH-6 photos from AH6C-SIP-PICS ARE BACK!


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  • 4 weeks later...

This 4 year old thread just got resurrected.   Before it gets lost forever, figured I'd post the link so that (hopefully) it stays accessible.  This is truly the best Littlebird reference site on the web!     

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

It looks like I'm a bit late to this thread, but glad I found it! I had the opportunity to ride on the pods of an MH-6M last summer and it was the most amazing thing I've ever done. I wanted to build a model of the bird I flew on, so I looked around and ended up getting the 1/35 Dragon AH-6J kit and the Black Ops Models MH-6M conversion kit. I wanted to get a set of Mr. Floyd Werner's Nightstalker Decals 35-04 but they are sold out, and will not be reproduced... Would anyone in this group happen to have some spare Little Bird decals they would be willing to part with? (with compensation, of course....) Thanks for your consideration, and this amazing reference!

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  • 2 weeks later...

More photos from Operation Gothic Serpent featuring AH-6s. This photo has a rear view of an AH-6 with the IR Exhaust. It seems to show that the upper part of the exhaust and the curve as it sweeps down to the exhaust port maintains the width or diameter of the original exhaust pipe as it emerges from the rear fuselage (if that makes sense). Both photos found on the US Militaria Forum.

 

index.php?app=core&module=attach&section

 

index.php?app=core&module=attach&section

 

LD.

Edited by Loach Driver
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8 minutes ago, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said:

That exhaust is typical when the tail cone is installed.  I think it is the same as the inlet on the downward turned exhausts except turned around.
Floyd

From the pics posted a few years back, that inlet looks bigger and is installed forward and higher.  

 

The IR suppression exhaust shown above goes all the way back to the Vietnam war.   

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Folks,

 

Please forgive the question, I'm really not too familiar with the early Littlebirds, but could someone please advise on the wires and antennas on the photo in Hawkwrench's photo above.

 

Was there a second white aerial on the starboard side?

 

What is the under fuselage cable/wire?

 

Is this an EH-6?

 

Hope you can help

littlebird query.jpg

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53 minutes ago, Sky Dancer said:

Folks,

 

Please forgive the question, I'm really not too familiar with the early Littlebirds, but could someone please advise on the wires and antennas on the photo in Hawkwrench's photo above.

 

Was there a second white aerial on the starboard side?

 

What is the under fuselage cable/wire?

 

Is this an EH-6?

 

Hope you can help

littlebird query.jpg

Sky Dancer, I'm not familiar with the purpose of those various antennas but I believe the AH-6C shown above was in the later stages of it's life and was used as a trainer with the 160th at the time this pic was taken.  It's not the mythical EH-6.   The white antenna wasn't present when it was an attack helo (at least not in pics I've seen) but the lower wire antenna was present on some of these ships.  Just note that they went through multiple avionics upgrades during their lives. 

 

Hope this helps a bit.   There are a few 160th pilots who occasionally visit this forum, maybe they can add some info for you. 

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2 hours ago, Sky Dancer said:

Folks,

 

Please forgive the question, I'm really not too familiar with the early Littlebirds, but could someone please advise on the wires and antennas on the photo in Hawkwrench's photo above.

 

Was there a second white aerial on the starboard side?

 

What is the under fuselage cable/wire?

 

Is this an EH-6?

 

Hope you can help

littlebird query.jpg

 

11Bee is pretty much spot-on with his information, as far as I know.

 

  • This is an MH-6C 160th SOAR trainer, formerly an AH-6C from the unit's early Honey Badger period (1980-81), as brilliantly illustrated in GT's numerous photos.
  • The white aerial is present on this side only and might be an addition to assist with comms in the civilian general aviation/airport environment. It is fitted to many civilian light helicopters and fixed-wing types.
  • The wire antenna under the belly is literally that, a wire strung between two metal mounts on the belly for improved radio comms. I think this was introduced on the Series III version of the OH-6A and I believe all initial AH-6Cs and MH-6Bs were Series III airframes. 
  • The modified engine exhaust system is the production-standard Hughes Helicopters "Blackhole Infra-Red Suppression" exhaust system. It was first tested by Hughes in 1977 on a prototype 500D and was offered as an option on the 500M-D Defender series of helicopters. It isn't a modification unique to the 160th SOAR but they used it on the OH-6A-based Little Birds and the AH-6F/MH-6E. 
  • The EH-6B (based on the OH-6A) was, according to GT, a standard OH-6A with a SATCOM aerial (Bat-wing) and no FLIR. It was in standard Army Olive Drab overall. It seems it was later that the EH-6E was fitted with FLIR and it sounds like Bob Fladry's MH-6E (from Op Prime Chance/Iran Ijr incident) with FLIR and people-planks removed  was basically an EH-6E too. 

LD.

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On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 10:43 AM, Loach Driver said:

 

11Bee is pretty much spot-on with his information, as far as I know.

 

  • This is an MH-6C 160th SOAR trainer, formerly an AH-6C from the unit's early Honey Badger period (1980-81), as brilliantly illustrated in GT's numerous photos.
  • The white aerial is present on this side only and might be an addition to assist with comms in the civilian general aviation/airport environment. It is fitted to many civilian light helicopters and fixed-wing types.
  • The wire antenna under the belly is literally that, a wire strung between two metal mounts on the belly for improved radio comms. I think this was introduced on the Series III version of the OH-6A and I believe all initial AH-6Cs and MH-6Bs were Series III airframes. 
  • The modified engine exhaust system is the production-standard Hughes Helicopters "Blackhole Infra-Red Suppression" exhaust system. It was first tested by Hughes in 1977 on a prototype 500D and was offered as an option on the 500M-D Defender series of helicopters. It isn't a modification unique to the 160th SOAR but they used it on the OH-6A-based Little Birds and the AH-6F/MH-6E. 
  • The EH-6B (based on the OH-6A) was, according to GT, a standard OH-6A with a SATCOM aerial (Bat-wing) and no FLIR. It was in standard Army Olive Drab overall. It seems it was later that the EH-6E was fitted with FLIR and it sounds like Bob Fladry's MH-6E (from Op Prime Chance/Iran Ijr incident) with FLIR and people-planks removed  was basically an EH-6E too. 

LD.

I think I have one picture of an EH-6E. 

Floyd

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On 12/17/2017 at 10:43 AM, Loach Driver said:

 

11Bee is pretty much spot-on with his information, as far as I know.

 

  • This is an MH-6C 160th SOAR trainer, formerly an AH-6C from the unit's early Honey Badger period (1980-81), as brilliantly illustrated in GT's numerous photos.
  • The white aerial is present on this side only and might be an addition to assist with comms in the civilian general aviation/airport environment. It is fitted to many civilian light helicopters and fixed-wing types.
  • The wire antenna under the belly is literally that, a wire strung between two metal mounts on the belly for improved radio comms. I think this was introduced on the Series III version of the OH-6A and I believe all initial AH-6Cs and MH-6Bs were Series III airframes. 
  • The modified engine exhaust system is the production-standard Hughes Helicopters "Blackhole Infra-Red Suppression" exhaust system. It was first tested by Hughes in 1977 on a prototype 500D and was offered as an option on the 500M-D Defender series of helicopters. It isn't a modification unique to the 160th SOAR but they used it on the OH-6A-based Little Birds and the AH-6F/MH-6E. 
  • The EH-6B (based on the OH-6A) was, according to GT, a standard OH-6A with a SATCOM aerial (Bat-wing) and no FLIR. It was in standard Army Olive Drab overall. It seems it was later that the EH-6E was fitted with FLIR and it sounds like Bob Fladry's MH-6E (from Op Prime Chance/Iran Ijr incident) with FLIR and people-planks removed  was basically an EH-6E too. 

LD.

 

Other thing to add: this bird has had the Doppler gear mounted underneath the fuselage.  It also has the IR button and slime lights.  Tail rotor is the later metal (vs earlier Fiberglas) type.  Always wondered if the upper rear window opening was faired in with new metal or plastic and then the VHF whip was mounted to it.  The wirestrike gear being left on this a/c is also interesting.   

 

Supposedly this photo was taken on a visit to Rucker.

 

 

John Hairell (tpn18@yahoo.com)

 

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I found this on the net tonight over on Twitter. It's Bob Fladry in a MH-6. Don't know what model or year it was taken. Just figured you guys might like to see it.

38485244914_157f0f55a6_c.jpgthe tail # is 23635.

Tim

Edited by hawkwrench
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4 hours ago, hawkwrench said:

I found this on the net tonight over on Twitter. It's Bob Fladry in a MH-6. Don't know what model or year it was taken. Just figured you guys might like to see it.

38485244914_157f0f55a6_c.jpgthe tail # is 23635.

Tim

 

I think that photo is one of GT's photos from August 1981, according to the original caption. Never knew that was Bob Fladry in the hot seat. This is the MH-6E, the first version of the Little Bird based on the Hughes 500D airframe. Thanks.

 

LD.

Edited by Loach Driver
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