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I'm back:) A few years I started a crazy big 1/35 scale Huey diorama. Unfortunately progress on the Hueys stalled and about a year ago I packed them up as I was moving to a new place. Shortly after moving a friend showed me a big board game called Flames of War. Flames of War uses 1/100 scale models, to have infantry, tank, and air battles. Well this got me thinking about my models and how much fun I could have using Hueys, M16s, AK-47s and so much more. A few months I started making this happen and it's been somewhat slow going as I've had to back track a few times on the way I'm building. Like I should of left everything on the sprues then primed and then painted but it's coming along. I also have epic plans on making a giant game board as the scenery plays a big part in the game.  The game board size I've used so far was 4' x 8' and fit snuggly in the living room but the max size is only dependant on imagination and money lol. I've had two battles with the semi complete models and it was quite fun.

 

Having a big basement allowed me to see what a 12' x 24' game board would look like and it's big and cool. One side is US troops being dropped off and the other is the NVA coming out of tunnels with the middle being a high hill and a CH-47 dropping off a howitzer.

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It does feel a bit overwhelming lol but when it's completed there's countless hours of fun to be had. 

Tim

 

Edited by HUEYHOG
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1 minute ago, HUEYHOG said:

I've got question about the doors on Hueys. I've seen some with none and some with just the pilot doors. What would determine having all or some of the doors detached/attached to a helicopter.

 

Tim

Numerous factors, including weather,mission, unit SOP and crew preference 

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Some times it was more expedient to remove the large sliding doors rather than have them pinned open. This was true especially when seeking to save a few pounds of weight. Also, when lift missions were high tempo, the fuel port on the right side would be blocked by the open door and it would have to be closed to reach the port. Unless the window was removed from the door. Both happened. Pilot doors were often removed to allow for quicker egress, something needed if ground fire damaged the helicopter while landed or an inflight fire demanded getting out fast once on the ground.

 

Chris M

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Thank for that information. I'm going to set it up as a trade off with doors for extra protection but less troops or remove doors for more troops but less protection. I'd think the doors would add a little protection. 

 

Question about the OH-6 crew. Did it have a crew chief and a door gunner?

 

Tim

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There was often a back-seat observer/gunner w/a free M60A MG usually hung by a piece of strap, surgical tubing, or a bungee cord in the starboard side rear doorway.  I don't think he was usually the crew chief though.

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Edited by HeavyArty
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  • 6 months later...

Accomplished a big hurdle today with this project by being able to hang a Huey from a clear sheet, have it so I can move it along the sheet and still have the main rotor turn. So excited!!!

I used a 1/8 aluminum tube to replace the rotor mast, 3/32 metal rod to go through the rotor mast and a nut with some washers to secure the Huey. I used a 5/16 wood dowel to connect the 3/32 rod to a magnetic ball. I used wood to keep the weight down. I'm using two neodymium magnet balls to glide along the plastic sheet and the dowel for now is connected by rubber bands screwed to the dowel. I didn't take any wip picture's but there's several more rotors to be done.:rolleyes:

Rotating mast.

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The rod connection at the bottom of the Huey and the magnetic ball.

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I used the full dowel just so if I made a mistake I had lots left to work with.

hyowyWwl.jpg AWgt1Orl.jpg

 

Tim

 

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On 11/3/2016 at 7:57 AM, HeavyArty said:

There was often a back-seat observer/gunner w/a free M60A MG usually hung by a piece of strap, surgical tubing, or a bungee cord in the starboard side rear doorway.  I don't think he was usually the crew chief though.

 

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Actually, one gunner was pretty much always the crew chief.  If the aircraft wasn't carrying the M27 minigun system on the left side, a third observer/gunner could also be carried.  If the M27 system was used, there was only space for a single crewchief/gunner up front.  The M60s they used were often modified by either shortening the barrel or by removing the bulky buttstock on the M60A.  While many did use some sort of bungee cord, many gunners used a free gun as well since it was less restrictive in the tight confines of the loach.  I highly recommend Wayne Mutza's fantastic books LOACH! and Aeroscouts in Vietnam about the development and operational history of the OH-6.  Wayne was a OH-6 crewchief/gunner in Vietnam.

   Ray

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29 minutes ago, rotorwash said:

 

Actually, one gunner was pretty much always the crew chief.  If the aircraft wasn't carrying the M27 minigun system on the left side, a third observer/gunner could also be carried.  If the M27 system was used, there was only space for a single crewchief/gunner up front.  The M60s they used were often modified by either shortening the barrel or by removing the bulky buttstock on the M60A.  While many did use some sort of bungee cord, many gunners used a free gun as well since it was less restrictive in the tight confines of the loach.  I highly recommend Wayne Mutza's fantastic books LOACH! and Aeroscouts in Vietnam about the development and operational history of the OH-6.  Wayne was a OH-6 crewchief/gunner in Vietnam.

   Ray

OH-6's only had one pilot?

 

Tim

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On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 9:14 PM, HUEYHOG said:

, but you didn't do a lot of insertionsI've got question about the doors on Hueys. I've seen some with none and some with just the pilot doors. What would determine having all or some of the doors detached/attached to a helicopter.

 

Tim

keep in mind a few things about an insertion. If the pilot knows his business, the chopper never stops moving forward. Just slows to a crawl. Maybe four or five mph. But some folks never get that right, and will simply stop; creating a pile up on the ground. Then there's the guy why panics and goes thru the LZ at ten or fifteen mph. Your off loading with the door gunner and the post right in your way. You go out to his left and about tear your arm off on the door (or worse). The good crews flew without the doors, and of course slowed down without stopping. Of course the doors were often reinstalled during the monsoon, but you didn't do a lot of insertions anyway. Medvacs or dust offs didn't like doors because they often had seconds to get outta dodge, and the quicker you got him aboard the better his chances.

 

Another issue with slicks, was resupply. The quicker you pushed everything off the floor the better your chances on both ends. A chopper on the ground was an automatic death count. You could count the chunk of the rounds being dropped in the mortar tubes. When you heard the first one, you knew you had thirty to forty five seconds to get outta there. And believe me they have the DZ pre-registered long before you dropped by for brunch.

 

I danged near separated my shoulder once on an insertion when my left arm got caught on the door when  the bipod on the sixty hung up on it. Another time The pilot panicked and kicked the speed up a bunch. I hit the post and broke a rib or two. From then on I went out the opposite side the door gunner was at. A good pilot and crew were worth their weight in gold.

gary 

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On 10/28/2016 at 8:14 PM, HUEYHOG said:

I've got question about the doors on Hueys. I've seen some with none and some with just the pilot doors. What would determine having all or some of the doors detached/attached to a helicopter.

 

Tim

This was ultimately up to unit SOP.  Further different units had different SOPs at different times depending on the commander.  In my father's unit, the 190th AHC, both slicks and guns flew without pilot doors, but with the cabin doors pinned back.  While some units certainly flew without doors, especially the Navy's HAL-3 Seawolves, most units did fly with both the pilot and main cabin doors.  However, since the cabin doors were usually pinned back, virtually no one flew with the little jump doors.  There are exceptions though and you can find a bird that flew somewhere in Vietnam with virtually any configuration of missing doors you can think of.  If I were building a generic Vietnam slick though, it would have the pilot doors, no jump doors and the main cabin doors pinned back.  Look at a 1,000 random photos of slicks in Vietnam and probably 750 at least will be set up that way.

    Ray

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  • 3 weeks later...

Since it's for this project I'll continue posting my progress here:rolleyes: I've decided to go with 6 six Hueys instead of the 20+ and leave the rest for way later down the road. It was way easier to purchase these dragon Hueys than it's to make them somewhat looking right lol. I'm going to have a platoon of an AHC and two as Medevac. Once these are done I'm hoping the UH-1Cs are fairly straight forward and can be done in weeks not months like the dragon Hueys.... Same goes for the OH-6A. The CH-47A cabin does look like challenge though but I'll git er done. I did have all my dragon Hueys packed up ready to sell for cheap but then KH decided not go 1/35 and well it was back to the bench with them. That 1/35 KH Huey would've saved me hundreds of hours of trying to make a decent looking 205... I would dare to say thousands of hours after I'm done with all of them.... but it's worth it:rolleyes:

 

Progress continues on the UH-1H seats, it's time consuming but the time fly's by right fast. I've decided to use brass for both of the armor plate holders, I just had to get more creative on how to bend the brass. I've also changed how I'm making the slit for the seat belt. Instead of drilling I just cut out a piece and replace it to have the slit. To make this repeatable for the brass and the slit I made a master copy, scanned it to my PC, printed it, then glued it to the brass and styrene. I was originally using the sides of the stock seat but it was more work compared to using blank styrene. Sanded down the back of all the seats so I can fit a custom frame. The one frame I've got in all my pictures is my master and I'm going to measure, cut and repeat.....:rolleyes: The one stock piece I'm keeping is the small side armor of the seat, one less thing to cut and glue.

 

Seat sanded down. The master seat frame.

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Used a really good pair of scissors to cut all these out. 

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Replaced the cut out with an oversized piece then trimmed it down.

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Sides all glued on. All the armor plate holders were done but I accidently made one too many for side and one two little for the other lol. That lone flat piece of brass is me switching it to the right side.

oVampIKl.jpg

 

Tim

 

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  • 2 months later...
Busy summer not much time on the bench, but progress continues did about 4 hours today working on the Hueys.. I've also been working on my 1/35 infantry for my game which is new to me too but my painting is getting better. 
Built the pilot seat frames from scratch and modified the original pilot seats. I used 1mmx1mm magnets on the bottom of the pilot seat frame and the cyclic. Using bigger magnets I got the pilot doors to be in the open and closed position.
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My First Platoon gets ever closer to being completed. The cabin ceiling, roof and transmission/cover are one piece. The engine cover is glued the helicopter body. The covers make good grab points. Making fictitious army units but using 101st Airborne as the start. I read or watched something and the NVA/VC feared the 101st just by the sight of the eagle patch so much they were allowed to leave it colored instead of going green.
101st AIRBORNE
1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade
101st AHC, Wings of mercy
Blue Platoon
                        UH-1H  1st Lt                                                               UH-1H  Cpt
1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade
101st AHC, Eagle Assault
Red Platoon
UH-1H WO4                                  UH-1H 1st Lt  UH-1H WO5                                          UH-1H Cpt
t8Rjmmxl.jpgljwvT3Bl.jpg
101St AIRBORNE
1st Battalion, 420th Infantry Regiment                                                                         
Alpha Company                                                                                                           
FT Gray                                                                                                                                                        FT Red                                        FT Silver   
Pvt M16            Pvt M16 Law                                                                                                                       Pvt M16 Law     Pvt M16             Cpl M16 Law    Pvt M16
Spc M16 Exp    Cpl M16                                                                                                                              Spc M16 Exp    Cpl M16              Spc M76          Sgt M4
                                                      Bravo Squad                                                                                                                                              First Platoon
FT Yellow                                      FT Gold                                                                                                  FT Green                                     FT Broze
Pvt M16 Ammo Pvt M16 Ammo   Cpl M16 Law Pvt M16                                                                             Pvt M16 Ammo Pvt M16 Ammo  Sgt M4            Spc Radio 
SPC M60          Cpl M16               Spc M76       Ssgt M4                                                                             SPC M60          Cpl M16             Cpl M16 Medic 2nd Lt
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This is just Alpha Company, patient permitting the rest of the battalion  lol feel free to comment or ask questions good or bad ;)
I had fun just writing up my games pieces. Hopefully it looks right :D
Tim
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After writing that last post I got ambitious and assembled 24 Pilots and modified them to switch legs, arms. I'm using diorama glue on the connection points. The glue dries to a tacky coating and holds parts together. For my game helicopter crews can fight. Easy switch between legs.
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The side m23 / m60 is setup with magnets too :D
frgT7RCl.jpg

 

Tim

Edited by HUEYHOG
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  • 11 months later...
On ‎11‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 2:02 PM, Hajo L. said:

Huh? Didn´t Hugh Mills always referred to them as Crew Chiefs in his book?

 

 

HAJO

True statement for 1969.  In Darkhorse in 1972 some of the guys flying with us wee gunners and not trained OH-6 crew chiefs.  MY chief Jimmie Christy was a Cobra Crew chief and learned the OH-6 OJT.  He wanted to fly and Cobra chiefs did not fly.  Generally the term Crew chief and gunner is synonymous  for the OH-6.  Some units flew with observers in the front left seat as we sometimes did when training a new pilot but they were generally useless in my opinion as they could see in a right hand turn and I was always in a right hand turn.  and it always made the Observer sick.

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