Charlie Still Don't Surf! AH-1G References

[Sharkmouth]

 

[Sharkmouth]

While I sent the table in a request for help, I feel honored that the Delta Company 227th AHB posted it:

Blog Delta Company 227 AHB

In the meantime, some more photos:

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

Great job Saul

 

[Duke Maddog]

LOL! Those crashed ones look just like all my models on the shelf!

 

[Sharkmouth]

Patience pays off...
#1 Du Me Mi which many modelers have seen and loved:

... and a new with (to me) with a Centaur! @centaur567

So, it is with Nixon's Hired Gun:

Bottom row corners

Regards,

 

[Sharkmouth]

@centaur567

Would you be able to order these photos so as to know how the markings changed over time for Wretched Mildred?

Here she is without Centaurs or Chinese characters but the tail color doesn't seem to be different:

Here the tail is replaced (different color) but no Centaurs or Chinese characters:

...during the tail boom repair, no Centaurs, Chinese characters under cockpit, and shark mouth still on:

Once the Chinese 蛇 appears for Snake, the shark mouth is not there.
Port:

Starboard:

Chinese characters and serial, no sharkmouth, Centaur is there and tail boom color is the same as the rest of the fuselage. Were the Centaurs on before this time (before tail boom repair) or only afterwards? Is this when the port one was female? Or was the port one always female?

I used the bullet hole repair to identify this as the same time frame:

Regards,

 

[centaur567]

The tailboom color changed happened when the tail rotors were change over to the rt. side. Don't know when the centaurs were painted on., but they were all male till I changed the one on the lt. side to female. I kinda did it as a throwback to WWII pinups. The missing teeth (you can see where the teethe used to be. I think we were getting ready to repaint the mouth. I have pics of in progress teeth painting when maintenance drop 189 while undergoing a skid change. At that time I had just 3 wks. left in country and discharge. Gary S. LGB XLV MMXXIV

 

[Sharkmouth]

It seems she is an actual Vietnam vet:

Regards,

 

[Sharkmouth]

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

I always loved to see the load out specs.

 

[Sharkmouth]

A camouflaged AH-1G with a Shark Mouth!
AH-1G 66-15273 AH-1G D Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment

It also looks like it has a replacement tail.

Regards,

 

[Outlaw42]

It seems she is an actual Vietnam vet:

View attachment 143811

Regards,

Hi,
I am new to this forum. I am searching for the serial no for a specific C/1/9 Snake that I found a photo of. It might be Bettie K before all teeth was painted on, only have fangs, or it is another Snake. Which book is the scan of 69-16437 Bettie K from?

Regards
Ronny Svendsen

 

[Sharkmouth]

Welcome Ronny,

I am almost certain that it is the same aircraft as each sharkmouth (my nickname by the way) was slightly different and this is an excellent match. The photo was taken from one of John Brennan's books and only has that one image. I'll need to find which as I have all of them!

Jon Bernstein has a book, Osprey Combat Aircraft 41 US Army AH-1 Cobra Units in Vietnam with a color profile of the same Cobra after it was renamed "Heather Dawn." I don't have the book but I can contact Jon directly.

 

[Outlaw42]

It looks like John Craig also repainted the sharkmouth.

 

[Sharkmouth]

It looks like John Craig also repainted the sharkmouth.

Or someone read the serial wrong and has the incorrect profile. I am sending an e-mail out to Jon as my curiosity is piqued. His book doesn't have a photo of Heather Dawn.

 

[moon puppy]

Welcome aboard Ronny. How about an introduction?

Introduction Forum

If you are new here, pop in here & introduce yourself to all the gang!

modelersalliance.org

 

[Sharkmouth]

Came across more information...

If you see a G model cobra that doesn’t have the blade UH-VHF antenna on the lower tailboom, then it’s located in the upper rotor pylon behind the pilot’s canopy. Those are configuration A, B, and C AH-1G Cobras which are;

AH-1G Config. A: s/n 66-15249 through 66-15257

AH-1G Config. B: s/n 66-15258 through 66-15357

AH-1G Config. C: s/n 67-15450 through 67-15869

That blade antenna mounted at approximately the 7 O’clock position on the tailboom, behind the aft skid cross tube, is the UHF-VHF Antenna AT-1108/ARC. It’s also just aft of ADF Sense Antenna which is that black bottom panel on all Cobras. The UHF-VHF antenna was installed in that position on certain G, Q and all S(Mod) Cobras below via Maintenance Work Order MWO 55-1520-221-30/17.

AH-1G Config. D: s/n 68-15000 through 68-17113 and 69-16410 through 69-16447.

AH-1G Config. E: s/n 70-15936 through 70-16105.


Also noticed this... Early with pusher tail, nose landing lights, and no ECS (Environmental Control System:

Here, we see that the nose is painted over, the tail boom was replaced with a plain green tractor rotor, and the ECS is added with the zinc chromate panel visible:

 

[Heavens Eagle]

I have the Special Hobby 1/32 scale AH-1G Cobra kit and it has a SEA camo scheme as one of the options. I already decided that was going to be the way it was going to be built.
Thanks for all the postings Saúl!

 

[Sharkmouth]

Is this the early tails kit? If so, the NETT scheme is nice but they (NETT) kept half a dozen and the rest went to combat units, the one I posted being the only one with a sharkmouth. Perhaps, you'll have some leftover decals when done?

In all seriousness, I found this early AH-1G, earlier build than the NETT scheme Cobras, with a sharkmouth but am considering it in 72nd scale. Note the earlier TAT-102 turret with a single weapon, pusher rotor, dual landing lights in the nose (headlights), and no blade antenna under the tailboom. AH-1G 67-15475 (click to visit the history of the airframe):

Note that the last three of the serial are still black:

She was rename after overhaul but I have no clue if the headlights were painted over, UHF/VHF blade added, tractor rotor tail update...

However, she did get the M-28 turret, with dual weapons, later prior to upgrade to AH-1F (yes, the designations officially went backwards) standard:

So thanks to you, @Heavens Eagle, I thought that I found a second 'Nam camouflaged Cobra with a sharkmouth!

AH-1G 67-15452 Pete's Pet Snake. Mark Peterson was the crew chef of this snake assigned to the 4th Squadron of the 7th Air Cavalry. Low resolution but cool nonetheless! Click to see a cool article on an helo mechanic in 'Nam:

Same aircraft BUT...

Be careful when doing research though as this one is after the Cobra was repainted for display; note the year and located in South Korea:

Some entertainment, in memory of a missed friend Laura, nicknamed @Kreighshoer, some music to go with the post:

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Is this the early tails kit? If so, the NETT scheme is nice but they (NETT) kept half a dozen and the rest went to combat units, the one I posted being the only one with a sharkmouth. Perhaps, you'll have some leftover decals when done?

View attachment 183971
In all seriousness, I found this early AH-1G, earlier build than the NETT scheme Cobras, with a sharkmouth but am considering it in 72nd scale. Note the earlier TAT-102 turret with a single weapon, pusher rotor, dual landing lights in the nose (headlights), and no blade antenna under the tailboom. AH-1G 67-15475 (click to visit the history of the airframe):
View attachment 183972View attachment 183973
Note early position light location, one on each side of the tail and that the last three of the serial are still black:
View attachment 183974View attachment 183975View attachment 183976

She was rename after overhaul but I have no clue if the headlights were painted over, UHF/VHF blade added, tractor rotor tail update...
View attachment 183977

However, she did get the M-28 turret, with dual weapons, later prior to upgrade to AH-1F (yes, the designations officially went backwards) standard:
View attachment 183978

So thanks to you, @Heavens Eagle, I found a second 'Nam camouflaged Cobra with a sharkmouth!

AH-1G 67-15452 Pete's Pet Snake. Mark Peterson was the crew chef of this snake assigned to the 4th Squadron of the 7th Air Cavalry. Low resolution but cool nonetheless! Click to see a cool article on an helo mechanic in 'Nam:
View attachment 183982
View attachment 183981


Be careful when doing research though as this one is an AH-1G but it is repainted for a display, note the year and located in South Korea:
View attachment 183979

Some entertainment, in memory of a missed friend Laura, nicknamed @Kreighshoer, some music to go with the post:

Saúl, they made the kit as 1/32 scale, not 1/35th so it is a little larger than most other Cobra kits. Not sure why, or what the reasoning was/is on it. Anyway, yeah there will be decals left over on it. "When" I get around to building it.

Now off to build on a large half-track.