"US Helicopters" Topic

I have two OH-6A Loach/Little Birds, two AH-1 Cobras and two UH-1 Iroquois to paint up for my Nam project.

However, I'd like to extend their usefulness for my Americans all the way up to Gothic Serpent, Iraq etc, so I was wondering what the best colour would be fit not only (64-73) but also (91+). Is it still just a mid-camo green?

Cheers.

Just doesn't work, sorry. The only AH-1s involved by Desert Storm were USMC Super Cobras, which are substantially different looking machines, before even considering the colour scheme (sand and brown camo….) Similarly the AH-6 Little Bird is a very different fit from a Vietnam era Loach, while by the early '90s the Huey was mainly gone, with the relatively few still in service being twin-engined types. (Again mainly USMC I think, and in sand and brown or a green and light grey camo.)

For Army machines, color scheme didn't change AFAIK. But Dom is right; you'd have real trouble with types for more modern stuff. IIRC the OH-6 was already being replaced by the OH-58 before the war ended. Also the AH-1s were evolving post-Vietnam as the focus returned to Central Europe -- TOW-toting choppers would be the more common variant rather than the all-rockets AH-1Gs of Vietnam. You could probably get away with the UH-1s for Post-Vietnam into '80s gaming, but I think most were the "stretched" UH-1Hs rather than the stubby UH-1Bs (though perhaps some gunships might persist post Vietnam)…

You would probably have to go fairly generic with markings too…

Damon.

Well, they're 1/300, so a lot of the differences won't be too obvious.

I think I'll just bite the bullet and 'Nam them up – it's not like modern replacements will cost the earth!

Green and Black were the little birds and other Helocopters during Gothic Serpent. Persian Gulf was also standard Army green. Some images I have seen post 9-11 are also Army green or blackish green.

VR
James Mattes

The Army Divisional Air Cav as well as the ACR Air Cav & Attack Troops were flying AH-1s Cobras in Desert Storm painted CARC IR Supressive OD Green. Model Master enamel #2024 is a pretty good match.

Maybe that is why Testors calls it US Army Helo Drab.