Tank Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 What other versions can be made from the kit, i.e. civilian, another government agency, etc? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 The model in the kit can be converted back into a 500D or if you have bits from the Dragon OH-6A kit, a 500C or OH-6A. The biggest issue is the surface detail on the KH kit, It has the reinforcing plates on the skin that isn't present on the standard-production versions of the 500/OH-6. Sand those plates off and add new rivets and you can convert the KH kit into another version of the 500. LD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tank Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Thanks LD. Do you know of any A/MH-6 birds that would have been retired from service and used by another agency/third party? Those plates would not have removed then, correct? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Loach Driver Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 No, I haven't heard of any being retired. All the original 500Ds from 1981 , that haven't been written-off on operations, are still in service. When the Little Bird is retired, I doubt it'll be flown by any other operator. LD. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hooker169 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 21 hours ago, Loach Driver said: No, I haven't heard of any being retired. All the original 500Ds from 1981 , that haven't been written-off on operations, are still in service. When the Little Bird is retired, I doubt it'll be flown by any other operator. LD. The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation in Hampton Ga has a Little Bird hull flown by the 160th during Panama. The foundation’s maintenance director told me it’ll never fly again since DOD won’t let them get it FAA certified regardless of its airworthiness. Apparently former SpecOps aircraft are “restricted” property meanwhile they let them fly around AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters, go figure... Government bureaucracy at its finest I guess. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I wonder if that "hull" would be the Muse bird??? Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hooker169 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 1 hour ago, hawkwrench said: I wonder if that "hull" would be the Muse bird??? Tim Possibly. It’s sitting next the remains of 197 out back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 What is 197? Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hooker169 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 56 minutes ago, hawkwrench said: What is 197? Tim Ship 197 and crew were contracted to film a Korean episode of Top Gear. Flight controls locked up in a roll and couldn’t recover. The good news is both crew members walked away shaken but unscathed. The bad is 197 now resides next to that Little Bird hull in the back of their hanger. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FM-Whip Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 8 hours ago, Hooker169 said: The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation in Hampton Ga has a Little Bird hull flown by the 160th during Panama. The foundation’s maintenance director told me it’ll never fly again since DOD won’t let them get it FAA certified regardless of its airworthiness. Apparently former SpecOps aircraft are “restricted” property meanwhile they let them fly around AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters, go figure... Government bureaucracy at its finest I guess. I wonder if some of the 160th airframes don't have a full history, and DOD doesn't want to take a chance legally. I know some of the LB airframes originated on the civilian market and were modified. The FAA might not let them fly in the civilian arena because of this. What you've got is an aircraft that was originally certified only for civilian use and which has subsequently probably been through multiple rounds of non-civilian standard, non-FAA-sanctioned modifications and which may have a damage history due to operations. Also I wouldn't put it past the Army to have put together airframes that in the civilian world would be considered "parts" aircraft. I could not find a manufacturer tag anywhere on the one J model I looked at in detail. Some LBs are now in civilian hands, but those are the V-tailed OH-6A-based training birds which went to various police agencies. BTW, the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, PA has an LB airframe that the museum says is made from parts to resemble the Kurt Muse rescue aircraft, and is marked 23655. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hooker169 Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 5 hours ago, FM-Whip said: I wonder if some of the 160th airframes don't have a full history, and DOD doesn't want to take a chance legally. I know some of the LB airframes originated on the civilian market and were modified. The FAA might not let them fly in the civilian arena because of this. What you've got is an aircraft that was originally certified only for civilian use and which has subsequently probably been through multiple rounds of non-civilian standard, non-FAA-sanctioned modifications and which may have a damage history due to operations. Also I wouldn't put it past the Army to have put together airframes that in the civilian world would be considered "parts" aircraft. I could not find a manufacturer tag anywhere on the one J model I looked at in detail. Some LBs are now in civilian hands, but those are the V-tailed OH-6A-based training birds which went to various police agencies. BTW, the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, PA has an LB airframe that the museum says is made from parts to resemble the Kurt Muse rescue aircraft, and is marked 23655. FM, now that you mention it, that is pretty much the way it was explained to me also. Although I didn’t look for a data plate on the hull next time I’m over there I’ll check it out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Floyd S. Werner, Jr. Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 22 hours ago, FM-Whip said: BTW, the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, PA has an LB airframe that the museum says is made from parts to resemble the Kurt Muse rescue aircraft, and is marked 23655. Actually it isn't really an operational airframe. The story goes, the NASM requested a Little Bird from the 160th when they retired one. They took it as they had to, so they built one up from a maintenance trainer and spare parts and presented it to the NASM. NASM only takes real airframes and not mock ups which this one really is. So the NASM contacted the American Helicopter Museum to see if they wanted it for their collection and of course they did. The aircraft has no engine, no logbook and no real tail number. Still it is fairly close to the real thing. Floyd Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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