A total alter-principle to my previous cardpaper and hand-made build, this 1/72 scale BELL UH-1 Iroquois or “Huey” is a re-visitation of the regular plastic kit building experience. Born by the brand “Italeri” and being my first time to use the mark I’ve notice that the parts are quite detailed but thin as paper compared to previous kits that I’ve worked with, I’ve even manage to break some parts while removing them from the spruce. Although model kit prices are generally factored by its demand, rarity, scale and complexity. Italeri being presumably European in origin are usually considered premium kits compared to Asian or Chinese manufactured sets, by necessity and at this time and age, its is preferred that I purchase this cheaper brands, but usually the choices are monotonous or the piece you are looking for so long is un-available.
Regular model kits by some degree
are easier to assemble since all parts are already in pre-made, difficulty
starts during painting and fabrication of decals if you have a more
personalized representation in mind and the necessary decals is not included
with the kit. Like most of the 1/72 plastic sets available today in the market,
the model doesn’t have a pilot figure included, I have to salvage a pilot from
my junked “Machbox” models. Two pilots would have been appropriate for this
UH-1 HUEY but I’m short of pilots so only one was mounted on the left seat. Regular
olive drab model paint was used which I think is suitable for the level of
thickness of the parts, there’s that chance that the plastic will melt or
paneling details will disappear if household
paint is applied for this kit.
In reality Helicopters as War
machines is not my primary subject of choice, specially when reminded of the
movie “Blackhawk Down”, but my solitude induced sentimental recollection of historically significant aircraft of a bygone youth will be less concise if I do
not the feature a real key player involved in many of this back glance text narrations.
For those; if any, who will be oblivious of
what this blog is all about, the scale aircraft feature here or one of
its many variants that at one point of their lives the same aircraft they
probably heard circling the cities suburbs where it’s slow, heavy “chopping”
sound is most noticeable. For some, Because of the “Huey’s” exposure and
involvement in many world events of past four decades it can be considered a
political pop-ideological icon for the West much like the Russian “AK-47” rifle
is for East bloc advocates.
Some aviation history books
claimed it was the Germans and the Japanese during World War II (WW2) that first experimented the possibility
of “Rotary Wing Aircrafts” use for war; primarily for Anti-Submarine and covert
commando operations; the Axis was defeated before suitable machines for their
purpose can be fully developed. After WW2 it was Jet propulsion and Rocketry
that took center stage with regards to civil or military aerospace transport
research; helicopters where side-staged primarily as crude flying ambulances
and observation platforms. During the Korean War the helicopter was used as a combat
support asset to air-ferry troops and supplies while most of the time avoiding frontline
battle zones. The Huey probably owe its historical famousity to the “Vietnam
War”, it was in this conflict that the Helicopter’s use as an offensive vehicle
was fully utilized and where the concept of “air cavalries” was organized in
large units, heavily armed Huey’s where also the first specialized “Helicopter
Gunships”, this metamorphosis prove to be grandiosely effective on the early stages of the war when
the Americans where battling Vietcong (VC) guerillas armed with small
antiquated WW2 arms, but when the North
Vietnamese Army (NVA) openly joined the foray against the “Capitalist Forces”
that sponsored "South Vietnam" the Helicopter prove to be venerable
targets for the NVA’s latest Russian designed Assault rifles and
shoulder fired Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) of the time.
During the 1986 Philippine “EDSA Revolution” it is noted that one of the highlight moments of the military mutiny attempt that mutated into popular peoples uprising is when helicopters (not all Hueys) sent to attack rebel faction barricaded inside Military-Police camp (camp Crame) opted to land on the camp’s stadium grounds instead; actionably declaring its occupants with its equipments support to the mutiny, well of course there are more socio-cultural ingredients that contributed to the what seemed to be back then a groundbreaking process of social change. The Philippines being a former United States colony technically for more than forty years and a host of two of its most biggest Military bases up to the early 90’s had been flooded with surplus supplies of Hueys. Usually a subject of local media’s critization for frequent operational mishaps the bad publicity of this helicopter is probably the doings of its success as a popular multi-purpose air transport rather than to design flaws, some operators tend to use too much of what they can maintain efficiently.
The Bell UH-1 IROQUOIS or
un-officially but more popularly called “HUEY”, is one of the earliest American
made cargo – utility Helicopter. First introduced in the early 1960’s, it is a
good example a versatile functional design. Although third world media associate
it with American “Junk Aid”, not all helicopters of this airframe are of
vintage make, it is used by both poor and rich nations of the world from when
it first flew over the Rice fields of Indochina as a Dragon
of death, to its more present humanitarian duty as an institutional workhorse.
The UH-1 Huey has undergone may upgrades and modification throughout its
operational history, notably in the area of air ambulance, search and rescue, fire fighting, disaster relief and recovery operations.
:-)
