1/35 MRC UH1C Gunship 

1/32 Revell UH1D

174th AHC Vietnam

by Charles Johnson

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Here are 4 MRC UH1C Guships I started back in Jan 08 and finished may 08 in between a break when I broke my wrist and had surgery on it.  I was out of action for 7 weeks.  The MRC UH1C are done in the usual way with gull grey interiors and olive drab on the outside with Model Masters also sprayed with a  flat spray of dull coat varnish to tone down the paint shine.

Decals came from fireball model works.  Revell UH1D is the old Huey kit from a long time ago.  Inside I gutted and rebuilt the interior using Cobra company  pilot seats and M-60 machine guns with mounts.  Painting was the usual grey interiors but the overall camo of olive drab and black for effect (decals again came from fireball model works).  Paint was Model Masters and Floquil flat black and dull spray varnish. Models in the flying position were suspended by fishing wire.

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The 174th used the UH1C as Gunships from 1965-71 named Sharks with the logo on the nose of the flying tigers permission granted by the late Gen Robert Scott when they asked to paint the  a/c  that way.

The UH1D camo was the only one in the unit with that paint scheme as it was used to support Special Forces. All the rest of the units UH1D where Olive drab and named the Dolphins Unit served in country from 1965 till 1971 and lost 59 unit members KIA they all served with HONOR during that time.

These models were received well when they were taken to the unit reunion in May 2008 and given as gifts.

My special thanks goes to the following people who help me with this project,

  • Mr Ed ?  MRC  For  the shark decal bit late in coming.  It will be used at a later date.

  • Joe Osborn  Fireball model workshop for making the shark decals for the helos without his help would never have got done in time.

  • Cobra Company for the pilot seats and M-60 Door mounts. UH1D

  • And Special Thanks to Wally Nunn Original door gunner on UH1D camo helo. Dolphins and Jim McDaniel  Original Shark Pilot.  

Thank You All

Charles

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Photos and text © by Charles Johnson