Any good AH-1G Walkarounds out there?

[11bee]

Title says it all.   I've been Googling for a while but have found next to nothing for detailed walkarounds of a standard AH-1G, especially of the cockpit.    Plenty of resources for later versions but nothing much out there on the G.   Anyone come across a good reference site?

[HeavyArty]

Pretty nice walk-around here:  http://www.grubbyfingersshop.com/walkaround_galleries/Bell_AH-1G_6715574_US_Army_Palm_Springs_Walkaround/content/index.html

 

This one has the same aircraft, but with some partial cockpit shots:  https://www.ipms.nl/walkarounds/walkaround-helicopters/2040-walkaround-bell-ah1

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by HeavyArty

[11bee]

Thank you!   They will be useful.  Still hoping to find some detail shots of the entire cockpit. I’m surprised how few pics are out there but I guess unlike Hueys, the G’s quickly got retired or upgraded by the late 70’s / early 80’s.  

[ChesshireCat]

On 2/7/2021 at 6:26 PM, 11bee said:

Thank you!   They will be useful.  Still hoping to find some detail shots of the entire cockpit. I’m surprised how few pics are out there but I guess unlike Hueys, the G’s quickly got retired or upgraded by the late 70’s / early 80’s.  

I can tell you this. If your looking at a post RVN Cobra, but was used in RVN. Most still had the bullet hole patches as late as 1980! Samething for the Huey too. Didn't know this till I run into a mechanic that worked on the Cobras in the states as well as the Huey. Some had so many patches that they were almost afraid to fly in them.

gary

[rotorwash]

John,

  You know I got you covered, buddy.  This is AH-1G  71-15090 at FT. Rucker.  One of the last original G models.  That grubby Fingers walkaround is a chimera so i wouldn't rely to heavily on it for accuracy.

   Ray

[rotorwash]

More of the same aircraft.

 

 

[rotorwash]

External shots.

[rotorwash]

[rotorwash]

Let me know if you need anything else specific, John.  I should be able to help you out.

   Ray

[11bee]

20 hours ago, rotorwash said:

Let me know if you need anything else specific, John.  I should be able to help you out.

   Ray

Ray, you are The Man!  Thanks for posting. If you have any of the area behind the pilot’s seat or the aft cockpit bulkhead, I’d love to see ‘em.   Starting to do some preliminary research for when that ICM kit gets released.   Might take a crack at one of GT’s helos if I can figure out the markings.  BTW, that’s a beautifully preserved G-model.  Not too many of them around apparently.    On a related note - ever thought about publishing a book (or two) on Hueys and Snakes?   

[rotorwash]

27 minutes ago, 11bee said:

Ray, you are The Man!  Thanks for posting. If you have any of the area behind the pilot’s seat or the aft cockpit bulkhead, I’d love to see ‘em.   Starting to do some preliminary research for when that ICM kit gets released.   Might take a crack at one of GT’s helos if I can figure out the markings.  BTW, that’s a beautifully preserved G-model.  Not too many of them around apparently.    On a related note - ever thought about publishing a book (or two) on Hueys and Snakes?   

John,

  I have thought about doing a Huey book.  Mike Verier and Alexander Ludeke have very nice recent books on the Cobra.  This is a backdated G model made from a Mod S.  However, the cockpit looks very good.  The orange hose should be black though.  Also, I think the gray is a bit too bright. HTH

   Ray  

[hawkwrench]

Ray, got any Huey pics???

 

Lol

Tim

[Mr.Happy]

Wow 😳 awesome pictures rotorwash

 

11bee,

If it has not been mentioned already you might try the Squadron Walk Around AH-1 Cobra Walk Around Number 29.

By. Wayne Mutza, Color by. Don Greer & Richard S. Dann. (ISBN: 0-89747-438-4) 

 

I hope this will be of some usefulness to your project. Your a great modeler and we enjoy your updates on your subjects you bring to this plastic web-zine.

 

As I’m certain your aware that ICM is coming out with a 1/32 AH-1G Cobra this year. 
 

Best of luck on your progress.

 

Take care,

 

Mr.Happy 

[PeepingBear]

Thank you so much for these HQ pics!

 

W. Mutza's Sqn WA is nice, but your pictures are priceless! With ICM's new big AH-1G coming and Special Hobby's 72nd scale 'Nam Cobra on the market, it's just great to have such comparisons available.

 

Personally I plan to convert Fujimi's AH-1S (already started hacking away) and your photos will help me very much. Is there any chance you could give us some more pics of the left side and underside? E. g. the tail, because the AH-1S/F's much bigger blister over the 90deg gear needs to be shaved off and replaced with a quite smaller cover and it would be nice to detail the underside witth som drain tubes etc.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian

[rotorwash]

6 minutes ago, PeepingBear said:

Thank you so much for these HQ pics!

 

W. Mutza's Sqn WA is nice, but your pictures are priceless! With ICM's new big AH-1G coming and Special Hobby's 72nd scale 'Nam Cobra on the market, it's just great to have such comparisons available.

 

Personally I plan to convert Fujimi's AH-1S (already started hacking away) and your photos will help me very much. Is there any chance you could give us some more pics of the left side and underside? E. g. the tail, because the AH-1S/F's much bigger blister over the 90deg gear needs to be shaved off and replaced with a quite smaller cover and it would be nice to detail the underside witth som drain tubes etc.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian

Ian,

  As you can see here, the AH-1G has a pretty clean belly.  This is the only pic I have the really shows much of the belly.  It's the G model at the US Army Aviation Museum back when she was displayed on the front fo the Museum.  I hope the pics of the tail give you the detail you need.

   Ray

[hawkwrench]

They really should take that cobra down and replace it with a UH-60!!! 

LOL

Tim

[midnightprowler]

Hah! I've heard when the last 60 hits the boneyard a Huey will fly the crew home.😉

[PeepingBear]

@ Hawkwrench/Tim: You are a heretic! 😉

@Rotoreash/Ray: Thanks for the additional pics, really helpful.

[Rob Mignard]

Here's a detail most modelers are unaware of. One of the problems Bell ran into when designing the Cobra was that ordnance jettisoned from the inner pylons would hit the skids. To solve this issue, Bell put a "pusher" on the inboard pylons to push the ordnance away from the fuselage so it would miss the skids. The inner pylons on Army cobras, and Marine G models, used this system to jettison ordnance on the inboard pylons safely. Later Marine Cobras used a pylon that was bent outwards to accomplish the same thing. I could be wrong, but I don't think any manufacturer has captured the inboard pylons correctly. 

 

Here's a couple of photos and a diagram.

 

Mig

[PeepingBear]

This thread is getting better and better!

[Grissom]

Hi everyone,

 

I've pulled the trigger on ICM's early version of the AH-1G and will also be buying one of their latter versions.   In the meantime, I've dragged out my ancient Revell 1/32 kit and decided to build her.   I've been looking out for good references, particularly of the cockpit, but until this thread appeared, nothing much seemed to be out there.   

 

I've sent numerous emails to the museum at Fort Rucker and haven't even received acknowledgement of their receipt.   I've also sent emails to a couple of other museums and the consistent reply I receive is something along these lines..  "The Department of Defence has requested that all aviation exhibits on loan from the DOD must have sealed cockpits.  Sadly we were required to weld our Cobra canopy shut."    Are they serious?

 

Anyway, thanks to the generous people who contribute to this forum, I've got some decent images that have allowed me to make a start.   The one thing I'm missing, however, are good images showing what I assume to be air conditioning ducting fitted to (entering) the seats.   Is anyone able to assist me, please?   Thanks in advance.

[rotorwash]

23 minutes ago, Grissom said:

Hi everyone,

 

I've pulled the trigger on ICM's early version of the AH-1G and will also be buying one of their latter versions.   In the meantime, I've dragged out my ancient Revell 1/32 kit and decided to build her.   I've been looking out for good references, particularly of the cockpit, but until this thread appeared, nothing much seemed to be out there.   

 

I've sent numerous emails to the museum at Fort Rucker and haven't even received acknowledgement of their receipt.   I've also sent emails to a couple of other museums and the consistent reply I receive is something along these lines..  "The Department of Defence has requested that all aviation exhibits on loan from the DOD must have sealed cockpits.  Sadly we were required to weld our Cobra canopy shut."    Are they serious?

 

Anyway, thanks to the generous people who contribute to this forum, I've got some decent images that have allowed me to make a start.   The one thing I'm missing, however, are good images showing what I assume to be air conditioning ducting fitted to (entering) the seats.   Is anyone able to assist me, please?   Thanks in advance.

Grissom,

  I am a volunteer archivist for the US Army Aviation Museum, and I have access to the entire archives as well as all their aircraft.  The pics I posted here of the AH-1G in restoration are from the Museum.  If you had gotten through, I would have probably been asked to provide the pics anyway.  No idea why a Museum would claim they had to weld the cockpits shut.  I've never heard or seen that before except on a few outside exhibits and even then there is usually a lock.  I have had some non governmental museums tell me they have aircraft on loan form the Navy and I'm not allowed to shoot the cockpits.  Which is ridiculous since both types of aircraft I wanted to photograph are out of service now.  Certainly the USAAM birds have accessible cockpits, and I have posted pics of them above.  I think if you look again at the above pics, especially of the backdated G model, I have multiple shots showing the ECU (environmental control unit) hose entering the rear top of the seat.  The system literally blows cold air down your back.  It is blissful to sit in in the summer.  If you still don't see what you are after, let me know and I will see if I have a better pic but for the most part, these are the best of what I have.

   Ray

[11bee]

Ray, in the pictures you posted of the aft cockpit area, are they pretty representative of a Nam-era Cobra?  Just a first aid kit, avionics box of some sort and a fire extinguisher?      Also, any chance you might have some pics of the seatbelts?    I was thinking they might be identical to the belts used on US WW2 aircraft and if so, that gives me plenty of aftermarket options. 
 

Thanks again for all the time spent posting these pics. 
 

John   

[rotorwash]

33 minutes ago, 11bee said:

Ray, in the pictures you posted of the aft cockpit area, are they pretty representative of a Nam-era Cobra?  Just a first aid kit, avionics box of some sort and a fire extinguisher?      Also, any chance you might have some pics of the seatbelts?    I was thinking they might be identical to the belts used on US WW2 aircraft and if so, that gives me plenty of aftermarket options. 
 

Thanks again for all the time spent posting these pics. 
 

John   

John,

  yes, the aft cockpit shots should be very close to a Nam era bird, except the hoses should be black.  understand that since there is space back there, some pilots would put things like log books back there and I'm sure other things as well.  Regarding the seatbelts, not a lot of good Nam era pics.  This shot shows a Bell test aircraft (thus all the gauges and boxes not seen in other Cobras) but the seatbelts are accurate.

   Ray

 

 

 

[11bee]

Thanks Ray.   Think the belts would be the same as those on Hueys of the same time period?