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Big Bad Bird
- Thread starter Rusty
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Got interested in heraldry as a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Prior to coming over I had a good friend sew my family coat of arms (in a field argent, a chevron sable, between three fountains proper) into a medieval battle banner. Got it hanging in my tent beside my small American flag. Both serve to remind me of those who have gone before.Sarge
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Hanging in the test -- home away from home. I like it.
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Umm, does the enemy even HAVE helicopters?!?
I don't think they do. So basically just flying in the sky means you're the enemy. Paint job is somewhat irrelevant in this case ainnit?
Maybe you guys should paint it like a giant camel
Then you can just fly REALLY low and they'll think its a "super Camel"!! 
I don't think they do. So basically just flying in the sky means you're the enemy. Paint job is somewhat irrelevant in this case ainnit?
Maybe you guys should paint it like a giant camel
Then you can just fly REALLY low and they'll think its a "super Camel"!! 
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Originally posted by MauiRob
KICK ASS!!!
I'd imagine that mottled-brown-feather look would actually blend nicely with Afghan terrain. Besides doesn't ANY plane silhouette against the sky, making it a possible target?
The downside of plinking away at birds like this one is they are likely to turn and run you into the ground in a hail of depleted uranium and fire
YEAH BABY!!! Firepower!!
The Russians never used Depleted Uranium (DU) Armour Piercing (AP) rounds. The best they would have is Tungsten Carbide, which is infinately less effective, especially against the M1A1 Abrams Composite Chobham-Alloy armour with DU reenforcing plates!
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Originally posted by ghorka
hey munk
i mean just that the aussies couldant afford to do a paint job like that, but on the serious side i do fear for there safety ridin around in that helo, it makes one easy target to identify. rather them than me.an as for the plinkin,thats ok with aks, but what if they decide to use a few of there favourites the good old shoulder rocket.
oooouch
I heard the Afghans have a healthy supply of FIM-92A Stingers, man-portable, shoulder-launched, anti-aircraft rockets, given by none other than the Yanks to shoot down Russian MIL MI-24 HIND helicopters back in the '70s...
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Re: stingers
They never actually had a lot of them. Of what they did have, most have been either expended or "recovered". If they had as many as some folks like to speculate, they would have surely been tempted to use them before now.
Sarge
They never actually had a lot of them. Of what they did have, most have been either expended or "recovered". If they had as many as some folks like to speculate, they would have surely been tempted to use them before now.
Sarge
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I know its a Russian Helo, but since we are using it I thought we might be using OUR guns, or at least our projectiles, and not the original gear? And I don't believe that the enemy have M1A1 Abrams Composite Chobham-Alloy armor do they?
I still don't think paint job is the issue. You can say that we shouldn't be using helos or THAT one in particular, but why does the bird paint job make it more of a target than other helos? Aren't all helos probably ours and therefore targets?
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Re: Helos
You'd be surprised how many different types of helos are being operated here, and who they're being operated by (all friends). Found that out myself by making a fairly spooky road trip in humvees down to Kabul. There we bumped into Spaniards, Germans, Dutchmen, Turks, and Frenchmen. Sorry Sharri, I didn't get to meet any of your countrymen, but they're here somewhere, and I'll keep looking when I'm out and about.
Regarding the tricked out MI-24, I'm pretty sure there's more to it than just a fancy paint job. Who would lavish that much attention on an aircraft and not upgrade it's weapon systems?
An acknowledgement to Pen, and the other guys that carry their khuks in their rucks. That's about the only way you can carry it when wearing body armor. My BAS made the trip lashed to my CamelBak "Hawg".
Had my JKM hanging on my belt for more casual cutting chores. And, as always, my trusty KK was close to hand. Made a flat neck sheath for it, so it now hangs from my dog tag chain.
Time to hike back to my tent and check my eyelids for pinholes
:yawn:
Sarge
You'd be surprised how many different types of helos are being operated here, and who they're being operated by (all friends). Found that out myself by making a fairly spooky road trip in humvees down to Kabul. There we bumped into Spaniards, Germans, Dutchmen, Turks, and Frenchmen. Sorry Sharri, I didn't get to meet any of your countrymen, but they're here somewhere, and I'll keep looking when I'm out and about.
Regarding the tricked out MI-24, I'm pretty sure there's more to it than just a fancy paint job. Who would lavish that much attention on an aircraft and not upgrade it's weapon systems?
An acknowledgement to Pen, and the other guys that carry their khuks in their rucks. That's about the only way you can carry it when wearing body armor. My BAS made the trip lashed to my CamelBak "Hawg".
Had my JKM hanging on my belt for more casual cutting chores. And, as always, my trusty KK was close to hand. Made a flat neck sheath for it, so it now hangs from my dog tag chain.
Time to hike back to my tent and check my eyelids for pinholes
:yawn:
Sarge
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Gotta love the hands on reports from the field.
I dont think those boys have to worry too much about getting shot down. In addition to being the worlds fastest attack helo, the Hind is also the most heavily armored. Think of it as a flying army tank. It is so heavily armored, in fact, that it is incapable of hovering in place. It will gradually drift toward the ground. When I was stationed at Ft. Bliss, Texas, they had two or three of them over at Biggs airfield.
I spent about 75% of my time there out in the field supporting tankers. There were four squadrons of M1A1s and M3A2s (thats a LOT of armor) and only five M9 ACE operators (of which I was one) for the entire 3rd ACR! Now that I do the math, if you were a tanker at Ft. Bliss from February 1991 to April 1992, I probably dug a fighting position for you.
Anyway, they used to fly those Hinds out for training exercises and let me tell you, those things are waaaaay SCARY. On approach, the sound alone just sets your hair on end. Up close to one, you can feel your teeth vibrate in your skull. Then you factor in the size and speed. Out in the distance, its just a speck on the horizon. Rocketing towards you. Next thing you know, BOOM! Its right on top of you. Youre sucking up sand, and the wash almost knocks you off your track. You pull on your goggles, and theres the pilot, training his gun on you. All you see of him is teeth, because hes grinning his @$$ off. And just like that, he turns and is gone. Its a very unnerving experience. Whats worse is when one explodes over a ridgeline and then rockets down the slope directly at you! Thats when its time to change your shorts! It's amazing that something that big can move that fast.
You know, it's funny, because you know theyre our guys, and you know those cannons arent armed, but your heart still speeds up. And you still have this uncontrollable urge to dive under something. All and all, a very intimidating piece of machinery, even without the feathery paint job!
I spent about 75% of my time there out in the field supporting tankers. There were four squadrons of M1A1s and M3A2s (thats a LOT of armor) and only five M9 ACE operators (of which I was one) for the entire 3rd ACR! Now that I do the math, if you were a tanker at Ft. Bliss from February 1991 to April 1992, I probably dug a fighting position for you.
Anyway, they used to fly those Hinds out for training exercises and let me tell you, those things are waaaaay SCARY. On approach, the sound alone just sets your hair on end. Up close to one, you can feel your teeth vibrate in your skull. Then you factor in the size and speed. Out in the distance, its just a speck on the horizon. Rocketing towards you. Next thing you know, BOOM! Its right on top of you. Youre sucking up sand, and the wash almost knocks you off your track. You pull on your goggles, and theres the pilot, training his gun on you. All you see of him is teeth, because hes grinning his @$$ off. And just like that, he turns and is gone. Its a very unnerving experience. Whats worse is when one explodes over a ridgeline and then rockets down the slope directly at you!
Thats when its time to change your shorts! It's amazing that something that big can move that fast.You know, it's funny, because you know theyre our guys, and you know those cannons arent armed, but your heart still speeds up. And you still have this uncontrollable urge to dive under something. All and all, a very intimidating piece of machinery, even without the feathery paint job!
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The flying tank analogy reminds me of a story from my youth. When I was working at Cessna 40 years ago a young designer was working on a new landing gear design for some Cessna twin, can't recall exactly which one. Dwayne Wallace, CEO, of Cessna was walking by and glanced at the design. He stopped and asked the designer, "Do you know why an airplane flies?"
The kid started spouting off about lift, drag, thrust and reciting flight dynamics forumulas.
Dwayne listened and when the kid was finished he said, "NO. An airplane flies because it's LIGHT! He grabbed the drawing off the board and tossed it into the trash. "Remember that when you're at this drawing board."
The kid started spouting off about lift, drag, thrust and reciting flight dynamics forumulas.
Dwayne listened and when the kid was finished he said, "NO. An airplane flies because it's LIGHT! He grabbed the drawing off the board and tossed it into the trash. "Remember that when you're at this drawing board."