Modelers, I have a few pictures that show a section of the floor on some Hueys to have some kind of black “mat” on it. At least, I think it’s a mat. What exactly is this and was this common on Vietnam era gunships?
Thanks.
Not sure of any black mat. Can you post some pics? Some have a black sand paint applied, either all over or in strips, to give a little more traction.
Here’s one:
Looks to me like the sand non-slip paint or just black paint. Still has same rivet details, etc. and is at the same level as the rest of the gray-painted floor.
Have to agree with Gino, non-skid black paint, unusal on early(Vietnam era) birds
Black paint. Later ones were all grey.
Bo Roberts
There is a great shot of a door gunner rockin and rollen in Vietnam. He is in a UH-1D that has the old high vis paint job. The floor on that D model has that black non skid pattern on the floor. This is what my research shows on Army Hueys:
Vietnam to early 80s. Cabin area is all grey (no grip paint) UH-1C/D/M?H
80s to now. The cockpit is black to the rear of the front seats. Then the rest either contiues to be black or is gray. UH-1M/H/V
I really didnt have many references to the post VN war to early 80s so I may have missed something. I do have a butt load of references to the stuff from 86 to now. As For the pic you showedI have seen have that on the floor. Hope that helps!
Dave
I have the painting TM from January 1971. The interior of the UH-1 was to be painted FS 36231 with the exception of the glareshield of the instrument panel. In my experience, the black paint on the floors did not begin until the TWX that covered NVG changes. All of the pilot area was then painted FS 37038. When the minimum crew for NVG operations was changed to three (crewchief required), the rear cabin areas started to show up in black too. I don’t know if this was TM or TWX authorization but in the units I continued to fly in only the units that had NVG requirements painted the rear area black. This also coincided with the start of the turn in of UH-1’s to AMARC. If the aircraft was due to be turned in soon, it never got the rear area painted.
Although the TM does not cover the subject, many UH-1A and B aircraft had a non skid black walkway area painted on the floor between the cabin bench seat and the forward edge of the cargo door opening. The UH-1C did not have the black band across the floor very often. Many UH-1D and H aircraft had a black anti-skid paint area that ran the length of the cargo door/ jump door opening that was the width of the outer floor panels, about 12". The most obvious conclusion for these noted areas to have that anti-skid paint in those high traffic areas was that the aircraft were being used in the troop transport role. If one takes the time to review interior photos of US owned UH-1’s it seems to be an as needed application and not one of strict compliance to a regulation.
Chief Snake
I think the Black vs. grey denoted that some panels were removable for inspection purpose.
The entire floor was all painted with the non-skid paint, be it grey or black.
Bo Roberts
Many of the ones in my unit still have the gray rear cabin. I think only 3 have all black. Even the ones that recently came off the paint rack had the gray rear. However, I remember in the late 802 and early 90s they were coming out with all black. I really think it depends on where it was painted. Here is another case in point. The area on top of the cabin that had the walkable surface area was painted black (and gritty) for along time. I have seen alot of planes with this area painted with the green CARC. I don’t get the reasons.
Floors were painted gray(not black) in the 60’s and 70’s, some A/C did have the the floors painted black until the back of the pilots seats. When I left the service in 1980 we had not yet gotten any NVG’s in our unit.
Some floor panels are removable for maintanence reasons.