David,
No, the indent on the trigger was for intercom or talking outside the aircraft. The mini-gun was basically fired from the front seat using the hand held sight which had triggers for the mini-gun and 40mm. There was a select switch for rate of fire on the mini-gun if I remember right, but that switch was located on the hand held sight. In the event the pilot was inop the front seat could fire rockets but normally this function was the job of the pilot in the back seat. The 20mm had one rate of fire 750 rounds per min. Any more than that had a tendency to shake the aircraft apart so that was the max rate of fire, unlike the 20mm on a F-4 or other fast mover that had a selection rate much higher and could fire at two different rates. As we made our 20mm run the gun would start at 750 rounds per min but by the time we broke it was down to around 200 rounds per minute due to the gun being powered by the battery and the drain on the battery was tremendous. The pilot in the back seat could fire all systems in the stowed mode should the front seat become inop.
Terry
Dug out a few more pic, don't mean to Hi-jack the thread, but thought you might like to see a couple more pic.
Terry
Thank you for digging up these photos they are great. Its neat to see new photos that have never been relesed to the media. I realy like the picture of the panel. I look forward to more photos when you have time to dig them up.
Thanks,
David
I've always loved the Cobra since I built models of it in junior high- I still very distinctly remember seeing one hovering when I was at Camp Pendleton in California visiting my Uncle who was stationed there and thinking that in person it was even sleeker and scarier looking (to be on the wrong side of)- that super-narrow forward view is just so unique...
Ohhhhh- pillage then burn...
Guys ,
i need to see the rockets and i have a doubt : 2 cannons of 20 mm or 2 grenade launchers of 30 mm :
Fletcher6
Not sure what your question is or doubts. But will throw this out. The AH-1G could be configured in any number of ways but when it came to the 20mm cannon they could only carry one which was mounted on the left side of the aircraft and held 750 rounds of 20mm ammo. The turret could contain two 40mm grenade launchers or two 7.62 mini-guns. However the most common was one mini-gun and one 40mm grenade launcher. A "Hog" was a AH-1G which sported four 19 shot 2.75" FFAR Rocket pods. These could be loaded with 10 lb warheads or 17 lb warheads. We usually couldn't carry a full load of 17 lb rockets because of the heat and power problems. The "Hog" was used basically by ARA (Aeral Rocket Artillery) units. On the 20 mm ship we had two 19 shot pods and one 7 shot pod. The standard configuration normally found on the AH-1G was 40mm and 7.62 mini-gun in the turret, two 19 shot pods and two 7 shot pods. Depending on where we were hunting and what we were hunting for I usually loaded my 19 shot pods with 17 lb warheads and nails or CS rockets in the 7 shot pod. I had the standard 40mm and 7.62 mini-gun and 20mm cannon. The marines came along towards the end of the war with a twin engine cobra (I believe it was called a J model) which had a three barrel 20 mm cannon in the turret. The picture of the two rockets that I posted previously shows a 10 lb and a 17 lb warhead mounted on the 2.75" rocket motor, as you can see the 17 lb is almost twice the size of the 10 lb warhead and packed about the same punch as a 105 mm round. So you can imagine being in your little bunker in the jungle when a Cobra dumped 38 17 pounders on your head then followed up with a few CS rockets to force the survivors out in the open so you could blow them away with your 20mm and turret guns. As for what they carry now I couldn't comment on, have been away from my cobra for 38 years now.
crazy question prehaps hawk, but what happened to the aircraft that where 'damaged' where they stripped of spares and left or hauled out and rebuilt?
regards Mad.ideas
Mad.ideas,
Depending upon the amount of damage they were repaired or in extreme cases stripped for useable parts and the rest junked. Most aircraft that were not basket cases were sent back to a rebuild facility where they were refurbished. During Lam Son 719 we were instructed that if we went down, try to bring back any piece of the aircraft so they could be claimed as combat salvageable. By that way they could do a paperwork drill to please the critics about the number of aircraft lost in Laos.
Terry
I was going to start a new thread, but instead decided to post this photograph here. The following Huey Gunship is for sale.
Bell TH-1L/UH-1M “Huey Gunship” Helicopter
N816HF s/n 69-157816
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