My Old UH-1D

Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
11,365
Reaction score
28,175
Location
Atlanta area
The boys, Harmon and Coons, named her Major Malfunction but the CO (a major) had a fit and made them change it. The guy was a little over sensitive I think. Her new name then became Miss Carriage. I don't think he liked that either. Double meanings were every where.

FWIW, the main difference between the newer H model and the D is the Delta model sported the Lycoming L-11 engine while the Hotel had the L-13. It was sometimes fun getting out of a PZ loaded with troops with 200 less horse power than the other ships in the formation. The easiest way to spot the D at first glance is the D had a nose mounted pitot tube and the H had a roof mounted pitot tube.

Harmon, my gunner (left) and Coons, my crew chief (right) were the best.

The second photo is Harmon sitting in the wreckage of an Air America airplane (Helio Courier) that crashed in this SF compound near Tay Ninh. He always had the sun glasses on.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0887 (2).jpg
    IMG_0887 (2).jpg
    53 KB · Views: 235
  • IMG_0120 (2).jpg
    IMG_0120 (2).jpg
    91.2 KB · Views: 237
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
Good of you to remember your crew. Thanks. I hope they are still doing well.

HP in a hot LZ can not be over rated.

WR

i could never say enough about those guys and the overwhelming respect that I have for them. They worked long, hard hours to keep that machine and machine guns running at peak performance. They were all volunteers, as were the pilots. Note the combat patch (right shoulder) on my gunner. He spent a year running convoy cover in a gun jeep on Hwy 13, Thunder Road, with the 93 Eng Bde. before extending for 6 months to be a door gunner. I never saw his guns jam once. My crew chief kept that D model so tight it could out pull many of the H models in the company.

Another shot of my crew, as we wait for the radio call for extraction of the infantry. Brothers in arms that would always put a smile on your face.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0121 (3).jpg
    IMG_0121 (3).jpg
    96.7 KB · Views: 94
Coons and Harmon put those "shoot at me" racing stripes on their helmets. Yea, shoot at me at your own peril. The big ammo cans (mini-cans) were 1500 rounds of 7.62x51. It's surprising how quickly you can go through a couple of those. Co-pilot sitting in the cargo door. The guys in the back liked to cut up, but on final approach to a LZ/PZ they were all business. They were absolutely essential to our success in so many way.

I hope my grand daughter doesn't mind. The next generation (#4) of combat pilots.
 

Attachments

  • untitled_40.jpg
    untitled_40.jpg
    75.5 KB · Views: 72
I remember Tay Nihn. Here's a few pictures might be of familiar places. Holiday Inn, Main gate, Nui Ba Den among others.

Thanks. I had to look at the Black Virgin Mountain every time I walked out to the flight line. Looks like a willy pete round to mark a strike.

Old tanker, were you with the 25th mech?
 
Thanks. I had to look at the Black Virgin Mountain every time I walked out to the flight line. Looks like a willy pete round to mark a strike.

Old tanker, were you with the 25th mech?

2nd Bn, 34th Armor, 25th Infantry Division Cu Chi, Tay Ninh, Dau Tieng, Cambodia, HoBo Woods, War Zone C Bearcat among the here there and everywhere.

In most cases, canister was our primary round. We did shoot into caves on the mountain, sometimes to be rewarded by a nice secondary.
 

Attachments

  • dreadnaught.jpg
    dreadnaught.jpg
    74.1 KB · Views: 40
  • 90mmgunrvn.jpg
    90mmgunrvn.jpg
    125.5 KB · Views: 44
  • img044.jpg
    img044.jpg
    61.9 KB · Views: 40
Retired W4, great post!

Could you possibly help identify which model UH-I this window is from? I think the second photo shows a manufacture date?

Found it at a local auction a few years ago.

Thanks
 

Attachments

  • A35C318A-D0F5-48F4-950E-8FEEE5E0DF9A.jpg
    A35C318A-D0F5-48F4-950E-8FEEE5E0DF9A.jpg
    51.5 KB · Views: 43
  • C17EBF44-97D2-4060-8BA1-DE7610FDEE93.jpg
    C17EBF44-97D2-4060-8BA1-DE7610FDEE93.jpg
    26.6 KB · Views: 37
  • ED740917-87D6-42C3-9D09-B1EA8AD87167.jpg
    ED740917-87D6-42C3-9D09-B1EA8AD87167.jpg
    67.5 KB · Views: 43
Last edited:
Retired W4, great post!

Could you possibly help identify which model UH-I this window is from? I think the second photo shows a manufacture date?

Found it at a local auction a few years ago.

Thanks

Definitely not UH-1 A/B/C/M. They had one each in the cargo doors that were somewhat rectangular. Yours is from a D/H/N, etc. Two per door and square. The first D model was delivered August 1963 while the H showed up Sep 1967. So, I think that was originally installed on a D.
 
Definitely not UH-1 A/B/C/M. They had one each in the cargo doors that were somewhat rectangular. Yours is from a D/H/N, etc. Two per door and square. The first D model was delivered August 1963 while the H showed up Sep 1967. So, I think that was originally installed on a D.

Thanks.. it has a few coats of paint on it… under the existing od green paint is a coat of white paint… under that looks like the original factory od green.
 
Probably either a Skydrol or Desothane epoxy primer, to protect against hydraulic fluid damage…


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Linda, the handle for emergency removal should be yellow with black stripes and have a very small hole for light copper safety wire.

Here's a photo of the inside of the handle, complete with black stripes and wire. In one of the previous photos you can can see the wire. What is the purpose of the wire?
 

Attachments

  • AA78E01C-4EEC-4C53-A4DC-A272723C0E20.jpg
    AA78E01C-4EEC-4C53-A4DC-A272723C0E20.jpg
    37.4 KB · Views: 30
Last edited:
Definitely not UH-1 A/B/C/M. They had one each in the cargo doors that were somewhat rectangular. Yours is from a D/H/N, etc. Two per door and square. The first D model was delivered August 1963 while the H showed up Sep 1967. So, I think that was originally installed on a D.

I don't think an "N"; the door and cabinet windows were longer, rectangular and were vertical.
 

Attachments

  • A71ABFE9-A882-406C-9579-86E1CFFA674B.jpg
    A71ABFE9-A882-406C-9579-86E1CFFA674B.jpg
    31.7 KB · Views: 26
Here's a photo of the inside of the handle, complete with black stripes and wire. In one of the previous photos you can can see the wire. What is the purpose of the wire?

The wire is there to hold the handle in position. It is light enough to break in an emergency. The only visible difference is the location of the pitot tube. You can't tell the difference between an L-11 and anL-13 just by looking at it.

Fordson, I think the perspective on that photo gives a little bit of illusion. Here are a couple, more straight on shots of the N. As for the small door between the cockpit and cabin, they were pretty much the same. Most have plexiglas, some don't.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0890 (2).jpg
    IMG_0890 (2).jpg
    65 KB · Views: 17
  • IMG_0891 (2).jpg
    IMG_0891 (2).jpg
    158.9 KB · Views: 20
The wire is there to hold the handle in position. It is light enough to break in an emergency. The only visible difference is the location of the pitot tube. You can't tell the difference between an L-11 and anL-13 just by looking at it.

Fordson, I think the perspective on that photo gives a little bit of illusion. Here are a couple, more straight on shots of the N. As for the small door between the cockpit and cabin, they were pretty much the same. Most have plexiglas, some don't.

Yep, you'd think I would know better………..
 

Attachments

  • 64500A96-F922-49B4-ACFC-A4CA206C3616.jpeg
    64500A96-F922-49B4-ACFC-A4CA206C3616.jpeg
    38.4 KB · Views: 25
Here is the easiest way to tell a Delta from a Hotel, although most of the D models were later upgraded to the L-13 engines, but the pitot tube remained on the nose. This one is an early D model (1964).
 

Attachments

  • 190th Huey (4).jpg
    190th Huey (4).jpg
    8 KB · Views: 23
Back
Top