Not much helicopter action on here

[James_4870]

Maybe we can change that. This is my Bell 47 located in FNQ. Such an iconic aircraft but no entry in the showcase section, maybe we can change that too.

[Thruster88]

Welcome James, is that the runway in front of the hangar?

[ericg]

Go ahead, make my day!

[James_4870]

sure is, am lucky enough to have a very short walk from home to hangar.

[Flightrite]

That should be illegal teasing us like that?

[James_4870]

That should be illegal teasing us like that?

Ok, I promise not too many, perhaps just a quick video of a departure ??

[old man emu]

To me, the Bell 47 is the epitome of what a helicopter should be: vertical take-off; hover/very low ground speed, and, of course, superb visability. I first fell in love with the Bell 47 back in the late 50's early 60's when I watched the TV show Whirlybirds, which featured the 47G and 47J models.

 

An interesting aside. Whirlybirds was produced by Desilu Studios, which was the producer of I Love Lucy. One particular episode of I Love Lucy became pivotal to the Bell 47's public image as the definitive light helicopter of the 1950s. In the episode "Bon Voyage" Lucy Ricardo misses the sailing of her trans-Atlantic ocean liner and commandeers a friendly pilot of a Bell 47G to fly her to the ship. Desilu Studios, intrigued by the Bell 47 and its manufacturer, began discussions with Bell Aircraft about how the entertainment potential of the Bell 47 might be further developed for a television audience. The result of this collaboration became The Whirlybirds.

Edited May 2, 2020 by old man emu

[red750]

Hi James_4870, I have done all the Showcase entries. This forum was previously on another software platform where I had just under 400 profiles, including the 47J, as I had a number of photos of my own, taken years ago when Ansett and TAA used them for a taxi service between Essendon and the heliport on the Yarra in the centre of Melbourne. I flew on that service so many times, that one of the pilots said I should be able to fly it myself. Somewhere I had an old 8mm home movie of the trip. When the site changed to the current software, the profiles could not be automatically batch transferred, and the site owner has to manually copy them one by one. He has managed 53 so far. The extra profiles have been done since the software change. I'll put together one for the 47G, and with your permission, use your second photo above.

[James_4870]

Hi James_4870, I have done all the Showcase entries. This forum was previously on another software platform where I had just under 400 profiles, including the 47J, as I had a number of photos of my own, taken years ago when Ansett and TAA used them for a taxi service between Essendon and the heliport on the Yarra in the centre of Melbourne. I flew on that service so many times, that one of the pilots said I should be able to fly it myself. Somewhere I had an old 8mm home movie of the trip. When the site changed to the current software, the profiles could not be automatically batch transferred, and the site owner has to manually copy them one by one. He has managed 53 so far. The extra profiles have been done since the software change. I'll put together one for the 47G, and with your permission, use your second photo above.

Hey, I did notice your name was on them, a mammoth effort, well done sir!

I believe someone has just put together a J in Bankstown (vh-utz), not sure of it’s history but maybe one of the TAA or Ansett ones.

Yes feel free to use any of the photos and let me know if you need a bigger file size and I can whizz it through by some other means. I look forward to reading it.

Cheers

[Flightrite]

This ought to get you whirlygig guys excited ( no not the cute kid) but this was taken at Essendon Airport around 1960?

[red750]

Until such time as the 47J profile is transferred, here are my photos, and an extra of a much more neglected 47J. This aircraft was decommissioned and installed in a childrens theme park alongside the TAA Vickers Viscount now located at Moorabbin Air Museum. When the theme park closed the helicopter was moved to a farm on the Dandenong-Frankston Road, where it sits forlornly in the front yard.

 

[red750]

Yes feel free to use any of the photos and let me know if you need a bigger file size

 

Thanks James. All photos in the Showcase are 16:9 aspect ratio, 750x422 pixels in size, which creates a file size of generally less than 200kb, good for storage and bandwidth, unless the original cannot be cropped and resized (up or down) to that aspect ratio. Depending on colours and complexity, files can be as small as 35kb, such as the one below at 34.2 kb.

 

[ericg]

Hi James, my profile picture is of Barry D. doing his thing, slinging a broken 206L with a 412 on the west coast of Cape York. I am assuming you know Barry. Cheers, Eric.

[James_4870]

Hi James, my profile picture is of Barry D. doing his thing, slinging a broken 206L with a 412 on the west coast of Cape York. I am assuming you know Barry. Cheers, Eric.

Hi Eric, What a great shot!

Barry is PIC for the first entry in my logbook, 10 Dec 1990. Learnt to fly with him in YMBA over the following 8 months finishing my CPL in August 91. Great bloke and I loved every minute of his instructing.

[onetrack]

The RAAF operated Bell 47G's in South Vietnam, under the auspices of 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight. Specifically Bell 47G3B1 Sioux, in the RAAF description.

They were primarily used as forward observation for artillery spotting, but their uses were extended to multiple other roles.

 

Here is one shot I took in October 1970, when I was in the Land Clearing Team in SVN, specifically at Night Defensive Position (NDP Helen). NDP Helen later became Fire Support Base (FSB) Helen.

I have never posted this photo anywhere on the 'net before, because I am very protective of my photo privacy. I would appreciate if members ask me before reposting this photo anywhere.

 

I was with 17 Construction Squadron, and we built the NDP from scratch in the Jungle. We had 4 x Cat D8H dozers in the team, and we would clear a sizeable patch of the Jungle each day to deny the VC and NVA a place to hide.

The clearing was also designed to assist local farmers to acquire extra land for farming purposes. We had good protection in the form of Centurion tanks, M113 APC's, and the infantry patrolled regularly.

 

Despite the protection, it was dangerous work, the VC and NVA targeted us continually, M16 mines were common, being mortared was common, and RPG's were a major threat.

The dozers were fitted with rudimentary 16mm armour plate on 3 sides, designed to resist rifle fire only. The VC got one of the dozers with a buried 200 litre drum of explosive, they blew the motor right out of the chassis.

 

Then there was the weather. In the photo below, you see the results of the tail end of a Hurricane, where we got a staggering amount of rain overnight. The landing pad is Marsden matting.

We had duckboards made from used pallets to get out to the landing pad. You sank to above your knees, if you tried to walk anywhere off the duckboards!

 

U.S. Army Chinooks would deliver our fuel in huge rubber bladders, and the Hueys would deliver daily, with resupplies of parts and consumables - and dinner in hot boxes at tea time!!

 

I believe the photo is of A1-641 - which was lost in a crash at Lanefield QLD, in September the following year. It's not clear in my photo, but an M60 MG is fitted to a pintle mounting on the right forward landing skid, support tube.

There is a much clearer shot of the M60 mounting in the ADF serials page of A1-641. Interestingly, Bell did not recommend the mounting of any armaments to the Sioux!

 

Below is the link to the RAAF, ADF Serials page on the Bell choppers. Below that, is a link to a very good outline, by Sgt Tom Jobling, of "Chopper life" in a Sioux in SVN.

 

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/3a1.htm

 

https://mhhv.org.au/wp-content/uploads/A-Tour-of-Duty-with-161-Independent-Reconnaissance-Flight.pdf

 

 

[old man emu]

I believe someone has just put together a J in Bankstown (vh-utz)

 

I think that I saw VH-UTZ at Rotorflight, Bankstown in February. I'll be at Bankstown tomorrow, so I'll make some enquiries.

 

The Camden Museum of Aviation, a private aviation museum located at Narellan, NSW, has an Army Bell. Despite the hard work of the volunteers, it is a shame that it is no longer open to the public. They have an amazing array of aircraft, including an Avro Anson, and Vultee Vengence, plus part fuselages of a Mosquito and Beaufighter. There are engines and all sorts of aviation paraphernalia.

http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/Blogvorm/camden-museum-aviation/

 

The address is given as Harrington Park, but that's because it is on the Harrington Park side the road. Until the suburb of Harrington Park was created, the location was Narellan

 

[facthunter]

I recall going into Camden when Fawcet aviation were there and raced cars at ORAN park. Hoxton Pk was all chook houses.(Think that was what it was called) I Taught at Liverpool High. Nev

[red750]

Here's a Google Maps Satellite view of the location of the neglected helicopter, with a closer view as well.

 

[James_4870]

Here's a Google Maps Satellite view of the location of the neglected helicopter, with a closer view as well.

such a shame. it’s hard seeing photos or derelict aircraft, seems such a waste.

[phantom1959]

The RAAF operated Bell 47G's in South Vietnam, under the auspices of 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight. Specifically Bell 47G3B1 Sioux, in the RAAF description.

They were primarily used as forward observation for artillery spotting, but their uses were extended to multiple other roles.

 

Here is one shot I took in October 1970, when I was in the Land Clearing Team in SVN, specifically at Night Defensive Position (NDP Helen). NDP Helen later became Fire Support Base (FSB) Helen.

I have never posted this photo anywhere on the 'net before, because I am very protective of my photo privacy. I would appreciate if members ask me before reposting this photo anywhere.

 

I was with 17 Construction Squadron, and we built the NDP from scratch in the Jungle. We had 4 x Cat D8H dozers in the team, and we would clear a sizeable patch of the Jungle each day to deny the VC and NVA a place to hide.

The clearing was also designed to assist local farmers to acquire extra land for farming purposes. We had good protection in the form of Centurion tanks, M113 APC's, and the infantry patrolled regularly.

 

Despite the protection, it was dangerous work, the VC and NVA targeted us continually, M16 mines were common, being mortared was common, and RPG's were a major threat.

The dozers were fitted with rudimentary 16mm armour plate on 3 sides, designed to resist rifle fire only. The VC got one of the dozers with a buried 200 litre drum of explosive, they blew the motor right out of the chassis.

 

Then there was the weather. In the photo below, you see the results of the tail end of a Hurricane, where we got a staggering amount of rain overnight. The landing pad is Marsden matting.

We had duckboards made from used pallets to get out to the landing pad. You sank to above your knees, if you tried to walk anywhere off the duckboards!

 

U.S. Army Chinooks would deliver our fuel in huge rubber bladders, and the Hueys would deliver daily, with resupplies of parts and consumables - and dinner in hot boxes at tea time!!

 

I believe the photo is of A1-641 - which was lost in a crash at Lanefield QLD, in September the following year. It's not clear in my photo, but an M60 MG is fitted to a pintle mounting on the right forward landing skid, support tube.

There is a much clearer shot of the M60 mounting in the ADF serials page of A1-641. Interestingly, Bell did not recommend the mounting of any armaments to the Sioux!

 

Below is the link to the RAAF, ADF Serials page on the Bell choppers. Below that, is a link to a very good outline, by Sgt Tom Jobling, of "Chopper life" in a Sioux in SVN.

 

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/3a1.htm

 

https://mhhv.org.au/wp-content/uploads/A-Tour-of-Duty-with-161-Independent-Reconnaissance-Flight.pdf

 

 

[ATTACH type=full" alt="Sioux-1.jpg]52876[/ATTACH]

Thank you for your service, crap conditions to be working in!

[red750]

Hey James, here's a bit of action for you. This just popped up on my Facebook page. (Give it a minute or so).

 

[Neil_S]

To me, the Bell 47 is the epitome of what a helicopter should be: vertical take-off; hover/very low ground speed, and, of course, superb visability. I first fell in love with the Bell 47 back in the late 50's early 60's when I watched the TV show Whirlybirds, which featured the 47G and 47J models.

 

Yup - I remember my brother and I watching Whirlybirds in the UK when we were kids. Great stuff!

 

Cheers,

Neil

[spenaroo]

such a shame. it’s hard seeing photos or derelict aircraft, seems such a waste.

yes and no,

would be nice to see it tarted up a bit. but its been a point of interest for me since I was a child.

remember looking for it every time I visited aunts and uncles on the side of the road. seemed so out of place, and there just wasnt the opportunity to see helicopters like that. only other time I saw them was between fences and buildings picking dad up from the airport. or the odd westpac/police flyover

[facthunter]

Aeroplanes are not things that weather well. A new one is the best and kept from the elements, (especially salt and sand) as well as is possible. They are delicate beasts requiring much care and attention compared to most things. Nev

[pmccarthy]

I read recently that the last Whirlybirds actor died. He played a kid,