Abacus AH-1G repaints

[snake36bravo]

Hi everyone. My first post here. I have a deep passion for Army Aviation during the Vietnam War as well as early rotary aviation, especially if it was experimental or just plain crazier than three eyebrows. I've got lots in the works and thought I'd show some of the stuff I'm typically up to. Most of it involves researching the various markings of individual units and duplicating those but I've also been working on my own models and took on some abandoned OSDs.

While I'm cutting all my baby teeth on FSDS and scenery creation I've been working on many repaints. I decided to do some of the Abacus AH-1G from the 11th ACR AVN. After my UH-1C is out I'll more than likely either do my own AH-1G or the Bell XV-3.

BORN FREE flew with the 11th ACR Aviation Troop out of Camp Blackhorse RVN.



TRICK OR TREAT 11th ACR Aviation Troop


VOODOO LADY ( There were model kits of this one) 11th ACR Aviation Troop



SQUATTER SWATTER was flown by Hugh Mills of 'Low Level Hell' Fame during his last few months in-country. D Troop, 4th CAV, 1st Infantry Division 1969



If anyone is interested in the repaints I have permission from Abacus to upload them.

[Motormouse]

Hi everyone. My first post here.....

If anyone is interested in the repaints I have permission from Abacus to upload them.

Do bears roam in the woods? Welcome to the forum, of course we're interested in the paints and would welcome an upload.

Just got finished reading 'Chickenhawk' myself..


ttfn

Pete

[SSI01]

Yes, very much interested!! Squadron-Signal publications has complete books on the AH-1 and UH-1 that might give you additional ideas for textures.

Possible subject for your efforts - we don't have an FS9 Cheyenne (three-rotor) helicopter. One sharp-looking aircraft. I think Lockheed was the builder of this experimental machine; I would sure like to see one to fly in FS9.

[snake36bravo]

Do bears roam in the woods? Welcome to the forum, of course we're interested in the paints and would welcome an upload.

Just got finished reading 'Chickenhawk' myself..


ttfn

Pete

I read 'Chickenhawk' back in the 80s. Definitely a good read as was 'Low Level Hell' by Hugh Mills.

As the resident FNG I'll figure out the upload process to put these out there along with the air file to make them selectable.

[snake36bravo]

Yes, very much interested!! Squadron-Signal publications has complete books on the AH-1 and UH-1 that might give you additional ideas for textures.

Possible subject for your efforts - we don't have an FS9 Cheyenne (three-rotor) helicopter. One sharp-looking aircraft. I think Lockheed was the builder of this experimental machine; I would sure like to see one to fly in FS9.

Really glad to see the interest.

The CAV gods would have my nards for leaving those sabers off so I corrected the bmp in Photoshop last night when I posted the image and the light bulb went off that something was FARB about BORN FREE. I used an original photograph for the details. How could I have missed that? Still need to add the small hull, tail, pod markings. I have the Army TM on painting and use that to place the stencils.

Squadron Signal is a must. I'm missing a few of the Wayne Mutza books but I've got the majority of the AH-1G and UH-1 walk around/profile series. I've got over 26GB of in-country photos with the vast majority being Air Cav, decal sheets, color profiles and a library of original Bell Helicopter 8x10s.

I'll take the challenge to put out a Cheyenne. I need a break from the UH-1B/C/D/M I've been working. I've got a 3-view of it plus photos.

Here is the update to Born Free.




Thanks for the replies and the welcome.

[snake36bravo]

I also do lots of OH-6A repaints based off Tim 'Piglet' Conrad's excellent OH-6A. There is folder dedicated to the OH-6A in my archives.

I corrected one of Tim's textures 16208 using the color profile I have with the correct 'skunk tail' as it was called, the bright green skids and doghouse. For the pilots I used photo real APH-5 flight helmet textures.

Did I mention Vietnam Army Aviation is my be all? I started with WW2 Army aviation but grew up around the Air Cav so it's in my blood.

[SSI01]

Glad to hear it. When I was in the AF most of my flying was done with the KS ARNG on UH-1s and CH-54s - yes, that's right, Tarhes. They were the only ARNG unit flying that bird at the time and I thoroughly enjoyed my rides in the jump seat between the pilots.

Also glad to see you'll be tackling the Cheyenne. For my money it's a sharper looking bird than the Comanche. That would be nice, too. Watching the Cheyenne flying was sort of like watching an old-fashioned steam locomotive at speed - there was so much mechanical movement it was fascinating.

What would be REALLY nice would be a FS9 version of the stealth UH-60 that was used to get OBL. I can't believe no one's done one of those yet - there are some really well-researched artists' conceptions on the internet. If you want to go the other route, just be patient and some Chinese model manufacturer will have one out shortly, guaranteed to be absolutely accurate because they bought the wreckage from the Pakistanis!

I have a number of OH-6s and Hughes 500s in my sim, and they all have the same problem - the tail rotor doesn't turn.

[snake36bravo]

Wow! The Skycrane. Only got to see a few of those in my lifetime but I never met anyone that didn't have anything but respect for those work beasts.

The AH-56 Cheyenne. I got so excited about starting this one that I didn't sleep tonight. Just did a rough WIP but the base is there now to smooth out, tweak, and punch rivets on =) The rotor-head is interesting on this thing and I downloaded the audio for it as well. Hopefully folks will like it.

The RAH66 and OBL MH-60K are on the list after my gunships leave me alone.

The Cheyenne is a welcome break.

Running on vapors Another day supporting the warfighter.

[SSI01]

Holy Cats, you work fast!! The Cheyenne should have a somewhat different sound from other helicopters, it had a rigid rotor system IIRC. This is looking very interesting indeed. You're off to a "flying" start (no pun intended - hah!) and we look forward very much to the progress you will make on these projects.

When stationed in HI in my previous life, my wife and I were in downtown Honolulu at the Hale Koa for an engagement one night when we got into the parking garage elevator behind a couple of young Army officers in dress blues, with the dress blue cavalry hat, yellow trouser stripes - and SPURS on their shoes. A closer look disclosed a set of wings on each of their breasts. That was interesting. Captain Brittles from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" would have been proud.

Also - late one Friday afternoon I had finished a run from Pearl Harbor to Schofield Barracks to look into something for a friend who was stationed at our office at Kaneohe Bay. The way back to Pearl led directly through Wheeler Army Airfield. Federal Fridays result in not many people being at any Federal installation (I was the apparent exception - but then those of us in LE were used to this) but this was different, there were numerous people, Army people, in fatigues on the apron near the runway, so I stopped the car and climbed out to see what was going on. I found that 25th Division Aviation was saying goodbye to its last UH-1s and AH-1s that day and a massed fly-past was scheduled, every flyable aircraft of those types was to "pass in review." I saw them come down the side of the mountains to the west of Wheeler - the sound preceded them, believe me - and when the herd had just about reached the bottom of the mountains someone started "The Ride of the Valkyries" over the PA. There wasn't much on the flight line, they had launched the HI ARNG CH-47s as well plus their '60s - there were dozens of helicopters in the air and every pane of glass in Mililani and at Schofield and Wheeler must have vibrated. Everything flew right by where we were standing, maybe 50 feet off the ground - something like that will stay with you forever.

[snake36bravo]

Holy Cats, you work fast!! The Cheyenne should have a somewhat different sound from other helicopters, it had a rigid rotor system IIRC. This is looking very interesting indeed. You're off to a "flying" start (no pun intended - hah!) and we look forward very much to the progress you will make on these projects.

The model is the easy part. All the various animations, a very nice VC, good panel, fixing the little things that came up in-sim testing is were the gray hairs come into play.

I sampled all the interior and exterior sounds today then refined them all. Taken from original footage so all accurate to the Cheyenne's signature. Now have a very fat image folder for the AH56 as well. Thanks for suggesting this build.

Small world. I was stationed at Schofield Barracks 93-95 A 3/21 and C 5/14 - Task Force 27 MFO Egypt. Pulled duty at Wheeler many times as well as Fort DeRussy down in the Keys. Hueys were still flying out of Wheeler at that time. I also worked for 6 years for PEO Aviation on the OH-58D and supported CH47 PMO.

[SSI01]

I was there 95-99, at Pearl Harbor. Living in Mililani, we went by Wheeler and Schofield all the time. Do you remember the P-40 by Wheeler's front gate? Fort DeRussy is still in downtown Honolulu, there's a nifty coast artillery museum there, and it sits barely noticeable right in the center of Honolulu. There was a building downtown that had a waterfall running down the front.

Something tells me that fly-past was in 1998.

[snake36bravo]

I was there 95-99, at Pearl Harbor. Living in Mililani, we went by Wheeler and Schofield all the time. Do you remember the P-40 by Wheeler's front gate? Fort DeRussy is still in downtown Honolulu, there's a nifty coast artillery museum there, and it sits barely noticeable right in the center of Honolulu. There was a building downtown that had a waterfall running down the front.

Something tells me that fly-past was in 1998.

I lived in Pearl City for a bit. There was also a large flyby during the 50th Anniversary of WW2. There were B-25s and other WW2 aircraft for that flyby. I do remember the P-40 which was used for Tora! Tora! Tora!

I'll be uploading my repaints tomorrow. Time ran out of me tonight to get the files all ready.

[SSI01]

Looking forward to the repaints!

Another possible subject for you that came to mind is the HH-43 Pedro; I don't know if anyone makes one for FS9. It would be worthy for inclusion if for no other reason than it was the first SAR helicopter used by USAF in N. VietNam, well before the H-3s and HH-53s showed up. They were short on door gunners and some AF Security Forces people volunteered themselves to fly as gunners during these early rescue attempts; not all returned.