±Recent Visitors

Recent Visitors to Com-Central!

±User Info-big


Welcome Anonymous

Nickname
Password

Membership:
Latest: HighestAce
New Today: 0
New Yesterday: 0
Overall: 6648

People Online:
Members: 0
Visitors: 225
Total: 225
Who Is Where:
 Visitors:
01: Downloads
02: Home
03: Downloads
04: Community Forums
05: Home
06: Downloads
07: Member Screenshots
08: Downloads
09: Home
10: Community Forums
11: Home
12: Downloads
13: Downloads
14: Home
15: Photo Gallery
16: Downloads
17: Downloads
18: News Archive
19: Downloads
20: Community Forums
21: Downloads
22: Home
23: Home
24: Downloads
25: Community Forums
26: Downloads
27: Home
28: Community Forums
29: Community Forums
30: Home
31: Home
32: Community Forums
33: Community Forums
34: Photo Gallery
35: Community Forums
36: Downloads
37: Community Forums
38: Community Forums
39: Downloads
40: Community Forums
41: Home
42: Downloads
43: Community Forums
44: Community Forums
45: Downloads
46: Community Forums
47: Home
48: Downloads
49: Home
50: Photo Gallery
51: Community Forums
52: Photo Gallery
53: Community Forums
54: Home
55: News
56: Community Forums
57: News Archive
58: Home
59: Community Forums
60: Community Forums
61: Downloads
62: Downloads
63: Home
64: Community Forums
65: Home
66: Home
67: Community Forums
68: Community Forums
69: Photo Gallery
70: Home
71: Community Forums
72: Member Screenshots
73: Community Forums
74: Community Forums
75: Community Forums
76: Member Screenshots
77: Community Forums
78: Community Forums
79: Home
80: Community Forums
81: Community Forums
82: Downloads
83: Community Forums
84: News Archive
85: Home
86: Home
87: Community Forums
88: Home
89: Home
90: Home
91: Photo Gallery
92: Home
93: News Archive
94: Home
95: Community Forums
96: Downloads
97: Home
98: Home
99: Photo Gallery
100: Community Forums
101: Home
102: Home
103: Community Forums
104: Home
105: Home
106: Home
107: Community Forums
108: Downloads
109: Photo Gallery
110: Community Forums
111: Photo Gallery
112: Downloads
113: Downloads
114: Downloads
115: Community Forums
116: Home
117: Downloads
118: Community Forums
119: Downloads
120: News Archive
121: Home
122: Home
123: Community Forums
124: Community Forums
125: Statistics
126: Downloads
127: Home
128: Photo Gallery
129: Home
130: Community Forums
131: Home
132: Downloads
133: Home
134: Home
135: Community Forums
136: Downloads
137: Community Forums
138: Downloads
139: Downloads
140: Community Forums
141: Community Forums
142: Downloads
143: Community Forums
144: Community Forums
145: Community Forums
146: Downloads
147: Community Forums
148: Photo Gallery
149: Community Forums
150: Home
151: Downloads
152: Community Forums
153: Home
154: Home
155: Photo Gallery
156: Downloads
157: Home
158: Downloads
159: Home
160: Downloads
161: Community Forums
162: Community Forums
163: Home
164: Community Forums
165: Community Forums
166: Downloads
167: Community Forums
168: Community Forums
169: Community Forums
170: Community Forums
171: Home
172: Statistics
173: Home
174: Your Account
175: Community Forums
176: Community Forums
177: Community Forums
178: Community Forums
179: Home
180: Community Forums
181: Community Forums
182: Photo Gallery
183: Community Forums
184: Home
185: Downloads
186: Community Forums
187: Community Forums
188: Statistics
189: Photo Gallery
190: Community Forums
191: Home
192: Home
193: Downloads
194: Home
195: Community Forums
196: Community Forums
197: News
198: Downloads
199: Community Forums
200: Photo Gallery
201: Community Forums
202: Photo Gallery
203: Downloads
204: Downloads
205: Community Forums
206: Community Forums
207: Community Forums
208: Community Forums
209: Home
210: Home
211: Home
212: Community Forums
213: Home
214: Home
215: Community Forums
216: Home
217: Home
218: Community Forums
219: Home
220: Home
221: Home
222: Community Forums
223: Community Forums
224: Community Forums
225: Home

Staff Online:

No staff members are online!
History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...
The AFV ASSOCIATION was formed in 1964 to support the thoughts and research of all those interested in Armored Fighting Vehicles and related topics, such as AFV drawings. The emphasis has always been on sharing information and communicating with other members of similar interests; e.g. German armor, Japanese AFVs, or whatever.
Go to page Previous  1, 2
Post new topic    Reply to topic    Printer Friendly Page     Forum Index ›  AFV News Discussion Board

View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Doug_Kibbey
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 4678
Location: The Great Satan
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:32 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

and from Baughers site, here is your baby:

67-15450/15869 Bell AH-1G-BF Cobra
c/n 20114/20533
15471,15498,15499,15623,15661 built as
TH-1G (all except 15623 redesignated
AH-1S)
15462,15505,15513,15537,15567,15570,15595,
15599,15627,15684,85759,15809,15824
converted to TAH-1F. All redesignated
AH-1F. 15681 to JAH-1G.
Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website Photo Gallery
SFC_Jeff_Button
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Ft Hood, TX
PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 9:41 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

Doug,
Joe Baughers site has helped me immensely in the past. I made it a favorite on Neils computer as well as this wonderful site. I will keep you informed as to this helo's fate, hopefully I'll know tomorrow what the chances are of the museum getting this bird. SGT Bilyeu contacted me this morning about flying next week in an OH-58 Kiowa. If all goes well, I'll have some awesome pictures to post real soon from that flight. I wish you could go, it'd be a hoot, (and a great view!).

_________________
SFC Jeff Button "High Angle Hell"
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Photo Gallery
Roy_A_Lingle
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1997
Location: El Paso & Ft Bliss, Texas
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:11 am
Post subject: Re: The canopy, I AM RESPONSIBLE for that type of canopy!

- Doug_Kibbey

I believe that will turn to be a post-war modded airframe...that canopy was not seen in Vietnam...nor the gun that was mostly missing from this aircraft.

Doug


Hi Folks!

That canopy is a few years passed Vietnam. In fact that shape came about because of ME! And a hole bunch of other troopers in my unit, along with an aviation company in the our command (CDEC = Combat Development Experimentation Command) and some artillery FOs out of Ft. Sill.

I was stationed at Hunter Liggett MR after my last tour in Vietnam in a unit that conducted tests on different equipment, weapons, tactics and other things.

During one of the test, the Army wanted to see if a FO with a moving armored colume could spot a Cobra with a FO in the front of it. Which one could call for fire, adjust fire, and hit the other one first.

About half the time, the Cobra FO would get the AFV colume first. It was learned that the troops on the AFVs (M-60 tanks and M-113 APCs) could spot sunlight relfecting of the round, Vietnam era, type canopies and our FO could call for support artillery fire fast enough to take out the Cobra more often that the test director though he would be able to.

During one weekend of down time, Bell Helicopter installed a flat panel type canopy on one of the Cobras. The number of times the AFV crews spotted that chopper went down to almost 0.

Sometime after that, the Army and the Marines started installing that flat panel type canopy on all the Cobras. The aviation company ever tested a OH-58 with a flat panel type canopy, but I don't ever remember seeing it after that test.

So in a VERY SMALL WAY, I am responsible for the type of canopy on the Cobras.

Some of my very old history.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

_________________
"You can never have too much reconnaissance."
General G.S. Patton Jr.
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail
Dontos
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 3436
Location: Vine Grove, KY
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:29 am
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

Hey..... So that is the ...'LINGLE CANOPY !!"?

Don
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger Photo Gallery
Roy_A_Lingle
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1997
Location: El Paso & Ft Bliss, Texas
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:07 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

- Dontos
Hey..... So that is the ...'LINGLE CANOPY !!"?

Don


Hi Don!

With follow up post like yours, I am going to get a swelled head!

I would say if it was going to have a name, it should be either CDEC or maybe the Hunter Liggett canopy. The army found something that they did not know could be a problem for Cobra crews. Smile

Sgt, Scouts Out!

_________________
"You can never have too much reconnaissance."
General G.S. Patton Jr.
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail
SFC_Jeff_Button
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Ft Hood, TX
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 8:56 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

[img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img][img][/img]
These pictures were taken this morning. The museum director, Neil Morrison (in white sweater) and I went to the airfield and met with the crew chiefs and CWO4 McCutcheon to see about getting this Cobra into the museums collection. They had no problem with getting rid of the bird. Now the posts chief of staff and Neil have to transfer it over to the posts books after a little further investigating, but it looks promising. The pictures are of the outside being inspected, the pilots cockpit, and two of the gunners cockpit. The crew chiefs even opened up the ammo storage areas and they were complete with bins and chutes. Obviously many gauges are missing, but the only real noticable items missing are the barrels for the chain gun (easy mock-up can be done) and one of the tail rotor blades appears to be missing, (one was in the pilots cockpit). Neil was very happy with the discovery and thanked me repeatedly for telling him about it. Now, if Doug had never visited, I would never have gone to the airfield, the bird would still be sitting there awaiting god only knows what fate. So actually it was Doug's visit that caused the bird to be found. Maybe it will be named the "Kibbey Cobra", has a nice ring to it. May even rival the M114 Lingle APC! haha
With the canopy open I was able to take better pictures of the inside. I've never seen a sight unit like that. The crew chiefs said it was still hooked up and could be operational, therefore, it may have to be removed. No matter what happens, its better than becoming a target at the NTC, Edwards AFB, or China Lake!

_________________
SFC Jeff Button "High Angle Hell"
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Photo Gallery
Doug_Kibbey
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 4678
Location: The Great Satan
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:31 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

Notice that the "gunners" auxiliary controls have been removed..and it appears to have once been fitted with a regular joystick, which is now missing (as you'd find on a TAH-1F). Furthermore, it seems the pilot's joystick handle has been sawed off and removed....very likely a souvenir on someone's desk or "I love me" wall....(maybe the same fate for the gunner's "armrest" joystick...or the between-the-legs one as well).
This may have been a Cobra flight trainer, that was reverted to being a gunnery-rigged bird...or maybe it was just stripped for these goodies...late one night.

Kinda' makes you wonder about the gun, huh? Wink

The "Kibbey Cobra"....you mean as in old, decrepit, and without all of it's original parts?
Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website Photo Gallery
SFC_Jeff_Button
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Ft Hood, TX
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:52 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

[img][/img][img][/img]
Doug, Doug, Doug, how wrong you are. Cobras are fast, heavily armed, highly manuverable, and proved itself a powerful combatant throughout the war, much like your self! When looking at the bird from the side, yes, it looks a little "portly", but looking head on you see the sleek, menecing, "I mean business" looks of a killer. Now thats a "Kibbey Cobra" (KC for short) if I ever heard the definition. Everything looses parts and fades with age, but with age comes wisdom, stealth and cunning. Yes, "Kibbey Cobra" is quite fitting.
I imagine "our" Cobra to look like this one someday, once the TOW launchers are re-attched and rocket pods installed.

_________________
SFC Jeff Button "High Angle Hell"
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Photo Gallery
Doug_Kibbey
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 4678
Location: The Great Satan
PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:01 pm
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

Sleek? I'll give you "sleek"...here is one of my Sqdn's in Vietnam...either an "A" or "B" troop bird...can't really tell without seeing the tail. I still think VN Cobras are the best looking...curvy lines in the body around the engine and the canopy (even if it "glinted").

Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website Photo Gallery
SFC_Jeff_Button
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Ft Hood, TX
PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:42 am
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

Has anyone seen or know about the sight unit in this Cobra for the gunner? I haven't been able to find any pictures of it on line anywhere. I would like to know for the birds history/write up I will be doing.

_________________
SFC Jeff Button "High Angle Hell"
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Photo Gallery
Doug_Kibbey
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 4678
Location: The Great Satan
PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:00 am
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

- SFC_Jeff_Button
Has anyone seen or know about the sight unit in this Cobra for the gunner? I haven't been able to find any pictures of it on line anywhere. I would like to know for the birds history/write up I will be doing.


Jeff,
I think that is what is known as a TSU (Tow Sight Unit), but let me do some more research and get back to you...

Yes...or "Telescopic Sight Unit". You can see it here. If you want more info, just "Google" for AH-1F and TSU.
Good website here:
incolor.inebraska.com/...n/ah1f.htm

www.aircav.com/cobra/systems.html

and everything you want to know about the "foxtrot":

www.aeronautics.ru/new...air014.htm

Also, I can now deduce that if this ever was a "flight trainer" for the AH-1F (a TAH-1F) the center joystick was removed and this aircraft was brought back to AH-1F standards because that thing on the floor is the pedal adjuster.



Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website Photo Gallery
Doug_Kibbey
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 23, 2006
Posts: 4678
Location: The Great Satan
PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:19 am
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

...and again. Just Google for "Telescopic sight unit"

Back to top
View user's profile Visit poster's website Photo Gallery
SFC_Jeff_Button
Power User

Offline Offline
Joined: Jan 24, 2006
Posts: 1311
Location: Ft Hood, TX
PostPosted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 4:31 am
Post subject: Re: History of Cobra Doug and I found at Ft Irwin...

And Doug comes through yet again... The only thing I notice that was different about the sight, was that the eye pieces are flip-flopped from what they are in the Cobra here. I will bet that the eye piece on the left, in the picture you posted, can rotate, so that the gunner can use what ever dominate eye he has comfortably. Or even just flip it over to give an eye a rest for a while. I didn't touch the site unit or anything else, (except for the rear rotar blade in the pilots cockpit). I wish I could be here to see this Bird go thru restoration and eventual display. To me, it will always be the "Kibbey Cobra", with a capital K of course!

_________________
SFC Jeff Button "High Angle Hell"
Back to top
View user's profile Send e-mail Photo Gallery
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    Reply to topic    Printer Friendly Page    Forum Index ›  AFV News Discussion Board
Page 2 of 2
All times are GMT - 6 Hours
Go to page Previous  1, 2



Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum