midnightprowler Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 (edited) Been researching this chopper. I have confirmed with someone who was in the 121 AHC, she was a D model, but some things in the markings in the kitty hawk kit are wrong. Tiger on right door, light blue flash, no flash on tiger left door. Tail number is 59777 all in white. Top of elevators are light blue, but trying to confirm how they were painted, it wasn't completely covered. Tips of skids light blue. No red tail rotor warning, it was Nguy Heim in white letters. Edited September 28, 2019 by midnightprowler Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DenisV Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 (edited) Hello Lee, I found a picture or this machine on this address : http://ourairports.biz/?p=6189 It probably comes from one of the Squadron/Signal publications and is copyrighted (I will remove it if required). The right hand cockpit door is open and there is no tiger marking to be seen at the time the photo was taken. Denis. edit : Correction : I just discovered that the picture above depicts a gunship. The unit might not be the same. Denis. Edited September 29, 2019 by DenisV info corrected Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chief Snake Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 The unit is the same. The design was transferred from one of the aircraft to another. I seem to recall it was on the D first and when that aircraft was damaged the PI moved over to the guns section. The was a risque component in the first depiction, in order to satisfy some issues with it the art was altered by adding panties to the depiction of the girl. The second picture is in more than one book, I have a color photo of it from the crewchief in the picture. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 14 hours ago, midnightprowler said: Is she painted black (or gloss OD)? Did the crew chief just wipe her down with fuel-soaked rags or is this just a poor color picture? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 (edited) She is to the best of my knowledge OD green. The above pics are from a 8mm movie. I will ask the pilot about it. Here is a pic of a lineup of Tiger birds. These pics are quite old so I'm sure colors are not correct. Also here is my crude drawing of the area on the stabilizer that should be light blue. The pics of her above were taken after she had been picked up by a Chinook and returned to base after she had been shot down. From what the pilot says she is now flying in South Africa. Edited September 29, 2019 by midnightprowler Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 (edited) Here is the nose art found on the above listed site. Edited September 29, 2019 by midnightprowler Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snake36bravo Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 (edited) The photograph of UH-1B 63-8733 with 'The Good Widow Mrs Jones' painted on the panel shows Mike Cusick who was a DG/CE with the 121st AHC. The gunship sadly also went down and where the panel ended up is anyone's guess. Widowed once too many times but she still got around 😃 Torn between two lovers UH-1D 65-9777 and UH-1B 63-8733 . The true story about the gunship version being altered to have panties on is one of those zapped out headspace in Vietnam things. You can kill em with firepower but any showing of the bush is just crossing a line '6' can't tolerate. If you've got a sharp eye you'll also note the font was modified on the gunship version in addition to putting some panties on her. I provided that image of Mike Cusick to the restoration team and it's from "Vietnam: The Helicopter War' by Philip D. Chimnery, Naval Institute Press, 1991 UH-1B 63-8733 is being fully restored by Light Horse Legacy, a 501(c)3 educational Non-Profit UH-1D 65-9777 nose art version, Edited September 29, 2019 by snake36bravo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share Posted September 29, 2019 Great pics. The pilot told me standard OD green. Here are a couple more. Close up is a sister ship and the correct blue. He told me top of rotor was black with a 3 foot white stripe visible in second pic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Whiskey Posted September 29, 2019 Share Posted September 29, 2019 So cool. Was the UH-1D on Floyd's 1/48 sheet? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chief Snake Posted September 30, 2019 Share Posted September 30, 2019 12 hours ago, Whiskey said: So cool. Was the UH-1D on Floyd's 1/48 sheet? No, the UH-1D artwork is on the KittyHawk sheet. Chris M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 It was also on aDragon's 1/35 sheet but don't know if the balance was as off as the kitty hawk sheet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted September 30, 2019 Author Share Posted September 30, 2019 I need to correct myself. Both top and bottom of main rotor is od green with the 3 foot white stripe on top. My apologies to her pilot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 Here is a shot of her as she sits on the tarmac. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 4, 2019 Author Share Posted October 4, 2019 In case anyone else is building this bird the boots on the collectives and cyclic were dark gull gray Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snake36bravo Posted October 4, 2019 Share Posted October 4, 2019 (edited) On 9/30/2019 at 7:37 AM, Chief Snake said: No, the UH-1D artwork is on the KittyHawk sheet. Chris M Check fire Yes, WW 48-15 has decal options for 'The Good Widow Mrs Jones' although as you can see the artist profile is not correct. Not that far off but incorrect tail number, tail markings just based off the in-country images for the D model markings. The Kitty Hawk pilots door markings are also borked. Really that is not unusual given the lack of interest over the decades and kudos to KH as well as Floyd & Team for at least putting options out there. Easily corrected. Here is the profile from WW 48-15 which I bought for the KH kit. and here is it after I corrected it in Photoshop. You can clearly see in post 2 and post 5 both starboard and port sync elevators are blue diagonally marked and without the geometric tail marking. The KH decal matches the nose art correctly in terms of those nether regions and she's lucky number 7 on the decal sheet. What a hoot! Thanks for the posts MP, Tiger Surprise is the Kitty of my dreams but always had eyes for the Good Widow. Edited October 4, 2019 by snake36bravo Bartertown embargo ON! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) Glad to help. More vintage pics tomorrow. Door slashes behind tiger are light blue. Edited October 5, 2019 by midnightprowler Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 5, 2019 Author Share Posted October 5, 2019 OK. First two are birds in Ft. Rucker but pilot said in country birds were identical. Clearly the cyclic boot is dark gull gray, and the pilot said the collective boot is the same. From what I understand the paint looks dark because the birds had been wiped down with JP4. Next 3 are pics of Good Widow being recovered. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 Will post the pic later, my contact has given me photo evidence that a B model Huey could have the C engine filter without engine, rotor and tail changes if the C model. That will make it much easier to model a correct B. Just need to fill the port fuel inlet and get a D model rotor and shorten it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 Here is the B he was talking about Here is a C he flew at Fort Rucker And here is a D doing open door refuelling Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snake36bravo Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Wish that screen grab was clearer. Correct as the improved particle separator appeared before the UH-1C and was an improvement over the standard Bell mouth intake. Here is a 35mm slide in my collection showing a UH-1B with the improved particle separator only. This example also has the early FM antennae on the nose still but is in the subdued paint scheme versus the high visibility markings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.