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CH-54 Skycrane w/BLU-82


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It was actually dropped from the CH-54A (S-64A is the civilian designation) and called a "Daisy Cutter".  ICM has announced it in model form in 1/35. 

 

1.jpg.236bc4a70687ef737960644eb7a32bad.jpg

 

It should be coming sometime soon as their plain CH-54A kit is scheduled to come out next month.

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  • ST0RM changed the title to CH-54 Skycrane w/BLU-82
20 hours ago, HeavyArty said:

It was actually dropped from the CH-54A (S-64A is the civilian designation) and called a "Daisy Cutter".  ICM has announced it in model form in 1/35. 

 

 

It should be coming sometime soon as their plain CH-54A kit is scheduled to come out next month.

Fixed my typo. Initially was going to type S-64, but changed it to the CH-54 and didnt catch it. And yes, a 1/35 Skycrane will be huge!

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Was there more than one helo used for this type of mission?


I say that as the text says 18418 but at least one photo clearly shows 18416 being loaded, simple textual error or more then one helo had the mission? Both numbers are listed as being in the same company in Vietnam. 

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7 hours ago, Tank said:

Was there more than one helo used for this type of mission?


I say that as the text says 18418 but at least one photo clearly shows 18416 being loaded, simple textual error or more then one helo had the mission? Both numbers are listed as being in the same company in Vietnam. 

I'd suggest a simple error - the text above specifies "first and only", and a reference (below) to a VHPA newletter article indicates that only four bombs were ever dropped 'in anger', whilst the photos show preparation for at least two, if not three, of those missions, and show 18416. Note the quote from the VHPA website repeats the serial as being 18418, but it's also highly unlikely that two aircraft would have had the 'Big Mother' name applied identically on the nose.

 

"Big Mother
CH-54A #67-18418 from the 478th Heavy Helicopter Company at Da Nang - October 1968. VHPA member Jim Oden provided these photos that describe one of the most interesting helicopter stories from Vietnam. The full story appeared in the Nov/Dec, 1996 VHPA Newsletter. Jim deployed with the 478th as part of the 1st Cav in 1965 and served one year with them. Prior to his second tour, again with the 478th, he went to Ft. Rucker as part of a joint Army/Air Force effort to use surplus 10,000-lb. bombs to blow instant LZs. They developed the drop tactics and techniques. In Sep 1968 we joined the 478th HHC, the UPTIGHT HURRICANES, based at Red Beach, north of Da Nang. Though they continued to support the 1st Air Cav Division, they were controlled by III MAF. Their first drop was west of Hue where the ground commanders wanted it placed on top of a tree covered hill. What a blast! The concussion shook the helicopter as if all the blades were out of track! Accuracy again left something to be desired as he believes they missed the hilltop by 120 meters. Eventually they dropped three more bombs, all near the western side of the DMZ in late September or early October. Only one, and it fell on a hillside, was, after a little clearing, used as an LZ. It was still was about 90 meters from where they wanted it. There were five people in the Skycrane: Jim was the AC, CWO Merle Handley the other pilot, CWO Marc Wilson the bombardier, SP5 Johnson the C.E., plus an Air Force observer name not recorded. The Air Force man took many of the pictures and gave copies to Jim."

 

Note too, that the ground shots were apparently taken prior to at least two, possibly three, different missions - judging by the surfaces and theiir conditions, and the backgrounds - whilst the inflight photo has mission symbols on the nose, as does this one:

86615bd7d7a9c6172bf387dd9eb775a3.jpg

Meanwhile, a photo of a test flight in the States:

c08_40.jpg

It's captioned as being flown from Fort Benning - which is again confusing, as the VHPA text (above) says the training was at Fort Rucker!

 

BTW: Has anyone noticed what's wrong with the Kiselewsky-attributed photo?

Edited by andyf117
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Even more confusing is the bit about carrying a 10k bomb. The BLU-82 was 15k. 
Plus the nose is more round on the helo bomb, than the bomb I remember dropping from our MC-130s. 

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  • 11 months later...

LZ Rita in War Zone C, of western III Corps was nearly overrun the night of 22-23 February 1969.
Chapter 20 of "Gypsies" by Bob Hutton [Charlie Company], has a description of a 'Crane' dropping a daisy cutter on LZ Rita shortly after a fleet of Hueys and Hooks evacuated the 2nd of the 5th Cav, 1st Cav on the afternoon of the 24th or 25th of February 1969.
"Our CP (company) was among the last to lift off when we saw a Sikorsky Sky Crane heading toward Rita with some kind of huge device suspended beneath it by a long cable. The crane hovered directly over the center of the base, the cable released the object, and it plummeted to the ground. A massive mushroom cloud of pure white smoke rose several thousand feet in the air, entirely hiding the LZ from view, for quite some time, until it slowly dispersed." ~Bob Hutton

Richard Magner
Tiger 38, D/229th (Smiling Tigers 38), 1st Cav, 68/69

Edited by Richard W Magner
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  • 4 weeks later...

The Crane was an interesting bird.  Had the same external load capacity of the CH-47D, but the hook could go down 125'.

 

These cockpit shots are from an AL NG bird I shoot at Birmingham.  I was going through the CH-47D transition and decided to go to Birmingham to shoot the RE-4C's of the ALANG.  

 

In Viet Nam only the most experienced pilots were allowed to fly the Carne.  That might have been its downfall.  In the 70's the bird was retired from Active service, but it was specified that while the NG got the aircraft all spares were to be sent to the scrap yards.  It was retired with extreme prejudice.  Possibly a 2nd LT that got shown the door and ended up as pissed off Full Bull.... 

 

The only difference for the modeler between when I took the shot and Viet Nam would be the cockpit is Dark gull Grey.. 

 

The 105 Kt VNE is interesting.... 

 

So much power, so little speed....

 

 

 

CH-54A_18471_AL_Nat_Guard_8-91_RH_Panel_Sm.thumb.jpg.d0423f664cb5d79b4d0dd284679cedea.jpgt CH-54A_18471_AL_Nat_Guard_8-91_LH_Panel_sm.thumb.jpg.73895434bf65748d49270ac8c3c8ab50.jpgCH-54A_18471_AL_Nat_Guard_8-91_LH_cockpit_door_Sm.thumb.jpg.7d0f664554e71e689cc89c696cf1da91.jpg

CH-54A_18471_AL_Nat_Guard_8-91_center_con_Sm.jpg

Edited by BWDenver
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