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Operation Gothic Serpent Aircraft references


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Through the help of a few crew chiefs who were there in 93, I've been given pics of all the "Super" MH-60's that were in the air on Oct. 3rd & 4th. I cropped these from the original pics which will remain private. Sorry!

Super 61:

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Artwork done in white lettering and tan/yellow lightning bolt

Super 62: 

37987478334_f6d5bbcb80.jpg

Artwork done in OD green

Here's some new info about 62. The Black Widow that was 62 that day, was not the original 62. The real 62 "Rude Dude" had just finished an engine change when the mission went down. So the crew jumped into the Black Widow.

Super 62 "Black Widow"

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Artwork done in black

Super 63 (C2 helo)

 

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Artwork done in OD green

Super 64:

 

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Artwork done in gray/silver

Super 65:

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Artwork done in tan/dull yellow

Super 66:

37987522634_0d84db13cc_z.jpg

Artwork done in tan/dull yellow

Super 67 is the unknown bird right now. No one knows the tail #, but I've got a crew chief looking into it and maybe a better pic of the artwork. I had a close up pic that I used to draw the master for the Night Stalker sheet, but it's disappeared now.

Super 68:

38705282971_95711ea789.jpg

Artwork done in tan/dull yellow

I know that WW already printed these decals, but I just wanted to include some up close pics along with some new ones.

Here's 2 helos that deployed to Somalia, but didn't fly on the mission.

Thrasher:

26929578409_9278e39b5b.jpg

Artwork done in OD green

Iron Maiden:

38705314991_217c77c3ce_c.jpgArtwork done in OD green

That's all until I get Super 67 done.

Tim

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This pic proves and was verified by both crew chiefs who crewed her in Somalia that this was the real Super 62 and not the Black Widow. The font on the 2 is different than the decal sheet for all you rivet-counters!

38677763572_20756861d7_z.jpg

 

Now I need to get her tail #!!!

Tim

Edited by hawkwrench
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I found this pic on FB

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This is Black Widow "Super 62" after the RPG hit. Interesting thing I noticed was she had no Nose Radar and FLIR. I'll have to ask about this and get back to you.

Edit: I asked about the FLIR and I was told they removed it for the C-5 loadout to take her home.

Tim

Edited by hawkwrench
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5 hours ago, hawkwrench said:

 

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Tim

Hey, not to go all techno-geek on you but in looking at these pics, I was searching for the elusive "sugar scoop" IR suppressor.   Unfortunately, every pic is either too dark or their are personnel blocking the view.   However, what I did notice are those strange boxes on the aft end of the horizontal stabs.   See above.  Never seen those before.   Almost looks like they are held on with 100 mile/hr tape, maybe they have something to do with the LB's being in transport configuration?    Any thoughts on what those are about?

 

On a related note, since over time this thread is going to be buried, I was wondering if you would be ok with those LB pics to be re-posted on the pinned Littlebird thread?   That way they will always be handy and it keeps that thread going as pretty much the best reference for Littlebirds on the internet. 

 

Looks like you found a great source Tim...  Any chance you can ask him/them if they have any more LB pictures, especially of the AH-6's and ideally, ones that might show that sugar scoop in detail?

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I could try. Go ahead and move them if you want. I wonder if we can get this topic pinned, it would be nice. Who does the pinning. Steve? As far as the things on the t-tail, I thought they might have been hinges for folding them up on loadout.

 

Tim

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9 minutes ago, hawkwrench said:

I could try. Go ahead and move them if you want. I wonder if we can get this topic pinned, it would be nice. Who does the pinning. Steve? As far as the things on the t-tail, I thought they might have been hinges for folding them up on loadout.

 

Tim

I sent Steve a PM and got the LB thread pinned.  This is turning out to be a pretty nice collection of never seen before pics of GS helos, would be nice to get this pinned as well.    Be curious about those things on the tail, hopefully some other folks will weigh in.   

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I asked for and got permission to post this pic of Super 63 (Grim Reaper), she was the C2 bird that flew Delta commander Harrell and 160th commander Matthews around in during the battle. It was also crewed by my friend Joe Pascetti.

38669286876_cb7ac62f73_c.jpg

She did not have "63" on her windows according to a 160th SOAR crew chief.

 

Tim

Edited by hawkwrench
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Nice. The elusive C&C bird!

 

Whatever those items are that are strapped onto the MH-6 Little Bird tail-planes, they aren't present on any of the LBs pictured in flight during Gothic Serpent. Perhaps they are something to do with the transport of the helicopters in transport aircraft.

 

Also, as far as I can tell, only the AH-6Gs had the IR exhaust system, the MH-6Hs had the regular exhaust system. 

 

LD.

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1 hour ago, hawkwrench said:

So what's all the hub-bub about a sugar scoop exhaust anyway?

 

Tim

Certain Littlebirds (primarily attack models) were fitted with a pretty strange looking inverted "sugar scoop" exhaust diffuser.   No one has been able to produce any decent pictures of this to date.  It appears to be part of an IR suppression kit that includes a large air intake on the port aft fuselage.     At one point the pinned LB thread had a few blurry pics but they have now been lost due to Photobucket.

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Just some additional info on the MH-60's that I learned from the pics I have.

Super 61-- 91-26324,  nose radar, FLIR, hoist

Super 62-- 89-26186, no nose radar, FLIR, hoist

Super 63-- 90-26257, nose radar. FLIR, no hoist, hoist mount installed

Super 64-- 89-26188, nose radar, FLIR, hoist

Super 65-- 83-23887, no nose radar, FLIR, no hoist, no mount

Super 66-- 91-26363, nose radar, FLIR, no hoist, no mount

Super 67--83-23924 (tail # unconfirmed), no nose radar, FLIR, no hoist, no mount

Super 68-- 90-26288, nose radar, FLIR, hoist

Super 62 "Black Widow"--83-23882, no nose radar, FLIR

All helos had the numbers painted on the front cargo door of each a/c except 63. I was told the commanders never left the bird, so their was no need for a chalk number.

63 had the internal aux tanks installed for longer loiter time. She also had the C2 radio console installed in between the crew chief seats. I was told 64 had a Life raft package in between the crew seats. All the birds had dirty, faded OD green floor armor on the floor.

All the helos had the standard antenna package including the towel bar.

63&64 had an additional antenna on the tailboom. Also 63 had commo antennas on her since she was C & C. Maybe I can get them to tell me what they were.

HOPEFULLY!

Tim

Edited by hawkwrench
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4 hours ago, 11bee said:

Certain Littlebirds (primarily attack models) were fitted with a pretty strange looking inverted "sugar scoop" exhaust diffuser.   No one has been able to produce any decent pictures of this to date.  It appears to be part of an IR suppression kit that includes a large air intake on the port aft fuselage.     At one point the pinned LB thread had a few blurry pics but they have now been lost due to Photobucket.

 

I wonder who would ever release that kind of exhaust?  Well I'm pretty sure Werner's Wings will.  OK I know Werner's Wings will.  The intake is in the kit already.  There is a video taken by a Somali that shows the AH-6Js with this exhaust fitted.  The MH-6s did not have it fitted in Somalia.  This was gonna be one of the OH shoot! items in the book that I can't do now.  They are known as Stage 4 SIRSS exhaust

 

 

No release date but soon and no pricing but probably around $10-12.  Look for the announcement on the Werner's Wings Facebook account.

 

 

You're welcome.  

Floyd

Edited by Floyd S. Werner, Jr.
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It looks like the exhaust flares out into a square or rectangular opening. I'd guess it was fitted with some kind of grill, similar to the appearance of the original AH-64A exhaust outlet. Great to hear that you are producing this exhaust. You can put me down for one!

 

LD.

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  • SBARC pinned this topic

I will see if my contact from the older Hughes/MDHC days might have some info on this exhaust, if it was a joint 160th/MDHC design. 

 

LD.

 

Edit: I had a further look at all of the available photos of the exhaust, and yes, Floyd, you are probably correct in that the exhaust opening is oval and it seems to taper to a sharp point at its rear-most point.

Edited by Loach Driver
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10 hours ago, Loach Driver said:

I will see if my contact from the older Hughes/MDHC days might have some info on this exhaust, if it was a joint 160th/MDHC design. 

 

LD.

 

Edit: I had a further look at all of the available photos of the exhaust, and yes, Floyd, you are probably correct in that the exhaust opening is oval and it seems to taper to a sharp point at its rear-most point.

I was incorrect.  I've come across some 'factory' photos of the real thing in high resolution that I cant' share but the exhaust is rectangular.  It will be correct for release.  It is not oval. 

 

21 hours ago, Loach Driver said:

It looks like the exhaust flares out into a square or rectangular opening. I'd guess it was fitted with some kind of grill, similar to the appearance of the original AH-64A exhaust outlet. Great to hear that you are producing this exhaust. You can put me down for one!

 

LD.

You are correct.  I have the pics I need to do this and the end is rectangular.  Take a little bit to do them up properly in CAD but Werner's Wings will have them exclusively.
Floyd

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