11bee Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) Folks, Another site, Foxtrot Alpha, has posted a thread concerning a Littlebird landing on a "tiny concrete barrier." It's the first time I have seen this (maybe you have already!) I found it interesting because- 1. Great piece of flying 2. Crew wearing SPH helmet rather than HGU-55 - is this common, or an indication of the age of the footage? 3. Just how much duct tape and you wrap around a fast rope!!! 4. One of the operators is British, wearing desert DPM - again, this may be an indication of it being old footage! All the best, Michael. duplicate post.... Edited November 25, 2015 by 11bee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sky Dancer Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Hi LD, I agree that most SF insertions or extractions are more "dynamic" than these, depending on the op. Like when, back in the day, an R.A.F. crew (ever the stickler for regulations) took a bit of time to get into a stable hover over the target building (the 'operators' were a certain UK SF regiment, the target house was probably the 'Killing House'). Apparently the intercom transmissions went something like this - Pilot to crewman - "Now stable in the hover, they can throw their ropes out now" Crewman to pilot - "They've already left. They've blown the door and are now going inside the building." Pilot & crewman - long silence..........! 11bee - He's is definitely British, rather than OPFor. Regards, Michael. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 A little more information has emerged from the book "Relentless Strike" that may concern this image. A Little Bird was shot-down on the 26th of February 2004 near Fallujah. An SA-14 may have been the missile involved and the pilots were injured but survived. Photo; Gregory Coker. LD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Didn't notice the SPH helmet, very interesting. I believe that is a late model MH-6 so I don't think it's an old video. HGU-55's have been standard issue for a few decades now. Just remembered reading something about the 160th hiring retired aviators as instructors. The pilot in the video with the SPH looks to be an older gentleman, wonder if he's a trainer who just happened to have a preference for wearing his old helmet vrs the new HGU-55? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AH6C-SIP Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Just remembered reading something about the 160th hiring retired aviators as instructors. The pilot in the video with the SPH looks to be an older gentleman, wonder if he's a trainer who just happened to have a preference for wearing his old helmet vrs the new HGU-55? Correct John, I believe that they use retired NS for the Green Platoon training for all three types of aircraft. I ran into an old friend from when we were TF160 at Gen Doug Brown's retirement at SOCOM about five years ago. They had flown down for the COC and were then off to another trying event. He had been flying with Mike Grimm's the night he and Mike hit a electric line tower, and Mike was killed. I was four ships back.. terrible to watch. NSDQ Happy Thanksgiving, GT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 (edited) This trio of photos appeared on Facebook recently and I thought they would add a little further information on the 160th SOAR Prime Chance/Earnest Will mission (see page 28/29 of this thread). The photos come from the US Army Aviation Museum and feature the boat hit during the first Little Bird engagement on that mission, the "Iran Ajr". Some of the marks on the side of the hull are the impact points of the rockets, apparently. Next up is Steve Chilton, one of the AH-6 pilots involved in that engagement that night, and his AH-6F. I'm not sure where this photo was taken but it certainly has a "Middle Eastern" look to it. I can't make out all of the serial but the last two digits appear to be "62". I will go back through my list of known or suspected LB serials and see if anything matches that. Also of interest is the lack of a nose landing light. Finally, here is a photo of the helmet worn by Steve on that mission. LD. Edit; The serial number is very difficult to read on this AH-6F but it might possibly be 84-24682. Edited December 20, 2015 by Loach Driver Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 With regard to the discussion 10 pages back or so on the "inverted sugar scoop exhaust diffuser": Floyd Werner posted some very interesting comments on another thread. Since this is the repository of Littlebird info, I figured I'd add his info. Per Floyd, there are two separate IR diffuser systems available, Stage 3 and Stage 4 (no idea if there are Stage 1-2). Stage 3 consists of the fuselage mounted intake that directs cooling air into the exhaust. The intake is shown here: Stage 4 is utilized for higher threat areas and (I believe) consists of the air intake and the inverted sugar scoop. The best pic I've seen is this thumbnail (the pic on the right): Thank you Floyd for this info! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DarkKnight Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 ^^^ wow fascinating about the sugar scoop, I hope these parts will be in the new kit, I need multiples of this kit it seems for Gothic Serpent and Prime Chance. Is the Steve Chilton helmet posted above in a museum? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FM-Whip Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Here's a somewhat better one of the "sugar scoop" exhaust that I've posted before: John Hairell (tpn18@yahoo.com) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Here's a somewhat better one of the "sugar scoop" exhaust that I've posted before: John Hairell (tpn18@yahoo.com) Thanks for the pic John. Just an observation but if you squint hard enough, doesn't it look like there is some lighter colored fairing on the aft fuselage, almost in line with the rocket pod? It actually blocks some of the view of the diffuser. Also looks like there is a lightish green conduit of some sort just above it. Also, your pic seems to confirm what is shown on the thumbnail pic I posted. When the "sugar scoop" (maybe we should just refer to it as the Stage 4 suppressor?) is fitted, it appears that the aft portion of the fuselage is a dark green color. It seems pretty apparent in both pics. Aside from whether there is some extra equip installed as I noted above, it seems that from between your pic and that thumbnail, there should be enough info out there for someone to do this device in resin. Obviously it won't be accurate down to the millimeter and the interior will just be a guess (my vote is that it's empty, no baffles, etc) but it should be close enough for 99% of us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 This sugar scoop is almost as elusive as the stealth hawk. I'd love to see more of that Blackhawk in your pic. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NightStalker191 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 It looks like some of the 245th's OH-6As were outfitted with a similar antenna fit to the standard AH-6Cs that GT flew. It is also interesting that they used OH-6As as lift-ships. I think one or two of the 245th's OH-6As went on to serve with a couple of US Sheriff's departments. I hope this is of use. LD. Hey LD, I've got a guy here at work, who is our Safety Officer, and flew with the 245th. Can you send me the article you posted to: gstevens@iomax.net. thanks, GT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Hi GT. Sent as requested. Hope it arrived OK. Thanks. LD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FM-Whip Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 (edited) Hi GT. Sent as requested. Hope it arrived OK. Thanks. LD. Two other written resources on the 45th/245th: Lords of Darkness: A History of the 45th Avn Bn (Sp Ops) and OKARNG Aviation - Col. Billy R. Wood, US Army (retired) https://books.google.com/books/about/Lords_of_Darkness.html?id=JSvIIjIl4XMC and a magazine article with basically the same title in the March 1992 issue of "Special Warfare" magazine by Gregg Bond, which I think is the first place I ever saw a photo of an MH-6 sitting crossways across a house roof ridge. Author: Bond, Gregg Title: The Lords of Darkness: Oklahoma's 1/245th Aviation Battalion Source: Special Warfare Date: March, 1992 Pages: 32-35 John Hairell (tpn18@yahoo.com) Edited September 4, 2016 by FM-Whip Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Pretty OT - but out of curiosity, are there any current Guard / Reserve aviation units that have a Special Operations support role like that OK-NG did back in the 80's? Or is this now done solely by the active component? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thatguy96 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 2-135th Aviation of the Colorado Army National Guard has SOF support among its missions, though its officially classed as a "general support" battalion. Extortion 17, the CH-47D that crashed in 2011 in Afghanistan while transporting a SOF QRF, was from 2-135th. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 This thread was up to 666 posts so I thought I had better move it up to 667 fairly quickly! Â LD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marcinko Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 This thread it`s the best in Helicopter modeling by a long shot ! Â I love Ah & Mh-6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AH6C-SIP Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Hi LD, I received the 245th article, thanks so much!  I and a colleague of mine gave there LBG guys their transitions and gun qualifications back in June 83. hope all is well with you. I got to fly with our companies owner, also a retired Night Stalker, in his Oh-58A. First time I had flown one in 20 years. some things you just don't forget. No doors, it was awesome! GT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AH6C-SIP Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 HEY Marcinko, any relation to the first Seal Team 6 CO? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marcinko Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 36 minutes ago, AH6C-SIP said: HEY Marcinko, any relation to the first Seal Team 6 CO? Â No, besides huge respect for Commander Marcinko and where he pushed the naval special warfare community - Red Cell, Team 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AH6C-SIP Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 He was a character! Bombay Gin and all. Having worked with ST6 from '80 till '85, and working with a Red Team guy at my work today, I have tremendous respect for them all. While doing Urgent Fury, I flew my AH6C with my wingman, out over the water at Point Salinas, flying cap around one of our  Black Hawks that was recovering a team that had E and E'd from the island, with wounded. A SEAL in the water is something to see! This Team grabbed a boat and called for extraction. It was midnight. It was dark, and we were under NVG's. I watched one SEAL with a wounded buddy, over his shoulder, climb a scaling ladder up onto the hovering Black Hawk. If you've never been on a ladder under a BH's rotor wash, you can understand what a heroic event that was.  NSDQ/SGDM....GT  Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marcinko Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Thanks for sharing this with us, but why not write a book about your time in the army ?  Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Floyd S. Werner, Jr. Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 On ‎5‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 4:56 PM, DarkKnight said: ^^^ wow fascinating about the sugar scoop, I hope these parts will be in the new kit, I need multiples of this kit it seems for Gothic Serpent and Prime Chance. Is the Steve Chilton helmet posted above in a museum? No they will not. I could not find enough information about them to include them. I may attempt them in resin but they won't be in the kit.  While I'm here, I'm looking for the type MH-6J (? may have been too early for that version) and tail number of the aircraft that attempted to pull Kurt Muse out of Panama. Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Floyd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted November 13, 2016 Share Posted November 13, 2016 15 hours ago, Floyd S. Werner, Jr. said: No they will not. I could not find enough information about them to include them. I may attempt them in resin but they won't be in the kit.  While I'm here, I'm looking for the type MH-6J (? may have been too early for that version) and tail number of the aircraft that attempted to pull Kurt Muse out of Panama. Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Floyd  Hope you will release the IR supression kit in resin, would make for a pretty unique LB.  Fairly certain (can't recall where I read it) that it was an earlier version MH-6 that was used in Just Cause.  I'm sure you've seen this but this appears to be the only picture of the actual helo involved.  One thing I've always wondered about is that rectangular structure and associated gear sticking out of the right side of the helo.  Doesn't look like any part of an MH-6 that I've ever seen.  Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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