hello fellows, dont venture over into this neck of the woods very often as i’m a fixed wing junkie. but, i like egg beaters too and have several military helo’s buzzin’ around my hometown. the chopper i need identified is a coast guard type painted the classic orange and white. the tail rotor is enclosed in the “vertical stabilizer” (dont know if thats what its called on a chopper) and the engine has a very distictive whine that i think is way cool. i guess the landing gear is retractable as i dont see any pertruding from the bottom of the bird. the chopper is so cool and i would like to assemble one if i only knew the name of it. please help. is the coast quard the only military that uses this chopper? thanks guys. later.
Sounds like the HH-65 Dolphin. It is available in 1/48 scale by Trumpeter. I hear it is really a good kit.
Box art:
Model:
YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD GINO!!! thanks my friend. now that you said dolphin, that rings a bell. that is a way cool chopper in my opinion. BTW, your not linked to the mafia with a name like Gino are ya?[:P][:-,][;)] just teasin’. thanks again. later.
Ay, yo, Don’t ask too many questions or you may get into an unfortunate accident. I would hate to see that happen, Capice?
Salty,
The whine is caused by the “fan in fin”, the Aerospatiale way to make a tail rotor do something other than provide counter torque. Above a certain speed that is what the assembly of horizontal and vertical tail planes do, keep the helo going straight. Provided of course you have a button pusher in the cockpit that can accomplish that mean aerodynamic feat as well.
When brought into USCG use in the mid 1980’s, the HH65A Dolphin was the most advanced helicopter in the US inventory, no kidding! (How the Coast Guard managed that I will never know).
BTW, the cowling on the Trumpeter model is not accurate for the HH65A. The engines were Avco-Lycoming, not the Turbo-Mecca included int he SA365N model. The HH65C will have the newer model of the Turbo-Mecca, and thus the smoother looking cowling.
Don
[wow]thanks for the technical support there dk!! very informative.
ah…no problem. no need for unfortunate “accidents”! ah…just forget i ask OK? thanks. later.
[;)]
It is the Dolphim…if you’re in Ala go to Mobile and check out the Coast Guard base there. They have their flight school there that teachs mud duck pilots how to fly the Falcon jet and the Dolphin…plus they have a search and rescue detachment there…just ask, they will show you around…
Anyone built this kit? I like the orange/white color scheme. It would make a nice diversion from all the olive drab on my shelf…
The kit isn’t the greatest, but it is okay.
Mobile Alabama is the place for USCG Aviation, pilots go there to learn how to fly SAR the right way, after the navy has tried for a year.
Mud Duck? sardwag you are dating yourself, haven’t heard that one in many years.
Don
dkmacin,
I retired form the Navy 5 years ago…after 28 years…I was a rescue swimmer and a helo crew chief and jet mechanic for 22 of those years. Flew UH-1N for 9 years, H-46s for 8 years and H-3s for 4 years. Anything you want to know about them just give me a shout…colors, configurations whatever…
Rick
Hey Rick,
I retired Seven years ago, I was a Flight Mechanic on the HH52A and then the Dolphin. Mandatory US Navy Rescue Swimmer school came next (Class 89-12). Ahh those were fun times! Sadly after becoming a RS people thought I forgot everything about being a Mech, so I sat in the back and kept my mouth shut. No really, I did![}:)]
Now I hear the 65’s go over head at 2330 and smile to myself. . .
Don