Starwood Scale UH-1C RC Huey Helicopter

This is a RC Heli Video of a Starwood Scale Model's Bell UH-1C Huey RC Helicopter painted in California Department of Forestry colors.  The RC Helicopter is owned by Al Wert. His model is a reproduction of the Bell UH-1C Helicopter. Its reproduction includes details molded into the fiberglass fuselage, five operational doors, a dashboard and console, aluminum landing gear, windows, a wood components kit. The Huey Helicopter sounds, smell and looks like the full-size UH-1C and even has the familiar Huey main blade 'whoop' of the rotor blades turning in flight.

Bell AH-1 Assault Helicopter

The Bell AH-1W SuperCobra twin-engined attack helicopter, delivered to the USMC from 1986, was developed from the ubiquitous AH-1, versions of which served the Army (AH-1G) and Marines (AH-1T SeaCobra). They all have their roots in the Bell company’s 1950s studieds related to armed helicopters that led to the OH-13X modified version of the Bell 47/AH-47 Sious and the UH-1/AH-1 Huey/Model 209 HueyCobra. The later entered Army service as the AH-1G in the 1960’s, and were deployed to Vietnam as gunships from September 1967. The AH-1G performed well in Southeast Asia. It’s small size made it difficult to hit, while the Army found that it could reach the the target in about half the time taken by a Huey Helicopter.

The AH-1Q, armed with eight TOW anti-tank missiles, followed for the Army, while the AH-1R featured a more powerful engine, gearbox and transmission. For the AH-1S the engines were further uprated and became a standard model.

The Marines had ordered the AH-1J SeaCobara, and 67 were delivered from February 1971, and these were shipped to Vietnam, joining the Corps’ interim order of 38 AH-1Gs. The Marines preferred the Pratt & Whitney twinpac engine that gave not only increased power but also safety while flying over the sea. The AH-1T featured additional armaments including TOW, which required increased power. The improved engine and transmission resulted in increased sized tailboom and fuselage. Design improvements were also made to improve reliability.

In 1985 the AH-1W entered service with the Marines as the SuperCobra, with full night fighting capability using the Night Targeting System (NTS). Further power improvements enabled the helicopter to be the first to carry air-to-air missles, including Sidewinders, as well as Sidearm anti-radiation missles. Armed with a three-barrel 20mm Gatling gun, the SuperCobra can also launch a range of rockets and rocket bombs.

An AH-1W remanufacture upgrade program is currently being implemented to produce the AH-1Z. Among the many enhancements will be replacement of the two-bladed rotor head, which produces a distinctive sound, by a new hingeless and bearingless four-bladed main rotor head, with semi-automatic folding to keep the footprint to a minimum, reductions in rotor vibration, and significant increases in the flight envelope, payload, maximum speed, and vertical rate of climb, as well as advanced targeting and electronic warfare systems. The first batch of AH-1Zs are in the process of being delivered. A similar program is being conducted with the Corps’ UH-1N utility helicopters.

While the Army retird their Cobras in 1999, deliveries of the Bell AH-1Z SuperCobra are planned out to 2013, enabling the Marine Corps to have a capable attack and escort helicopter to operate well into the future.

History of the AH-64 Apache Assault Helicopter

Found this cool article on the AH-64 Apache Helicopter.  Here is an excerpt: 

The AH-64 Apache Helicopter was originally designed by Hughes in the 1970s to meet an Army requirement for an advanced attack helicopter. Production was not authorized until 1982. The first Apache helicopter deployed in 1986. The AH-64A became the Army’s primary attack helicopter and a total of 824 were put into Army service.

The Apache helicopter can react quickly to engage in close combat to destroy, disrupt or hold up enemy forces. The primary weapon on the helicopter is the AGM-114A Hellfire anti-armor laser-guided missile of which 16 can be carried. The Apache can also carry unguided 2.75 inch rockets for use against softer targets and is equipeed with a 30mm M230 Chain Gun for self-protection. Some versions can launch air-to-air missiles. The helicopter can be transported in the C-5, C-141, and C-17 airplanes.

The Apache Helicopter was deployed in substantial numbers during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Critics claimed that the performance of the helicopter would be unacceptably low were proven wrong. Instead, it achieved a readiness rate about 90 percent. Such was the effectiveness of the Apache that, as soon as the Iraqis realized that they were being targeted, most of them hurriedly exited their tanks and armored personnel carriers and surrendered. The Iraqis named the Apaches the “Black Death.”

 

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RC Heli Video | RC Heli Video of a Scale Apache AH-64A Helicopter

RC Heli Video | RC Heli Video of a Scale Apache AH-64A Helicopter

Found this RC Heli Video of a 1/7 Scale Apache AH-64A RC Helicopter. The video is cool because it has some slow motion captures that really make the RC Heli look real. I'm always amazed at the amount of detail the builders add to the Scale Models.

news | Mincraft Jumps to XBox 360

Mincraft Jumps to XBox 360

Minecraft is one of those oh-so-rare success stories in which a guy with an idea took on his own marketing and created a sandbox title that people genuinely wanted to play. Minecraft has gotten to the point where it is being ported to XBox 360.

Welcome to my HoveringHelicopter Blog

This is my first Blog Post. I'll add more later.