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lup
7th Sep 2006, 07:24
Don't know if this video has been posted before, enjoy (if you have blocked popups,you need to press control key as you click on link)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2676268927161385975

NickLappos
7th Sep 2006, 10:31
I flew a Cobra in VIetnam that had 4 miniguns on it. Kept a small town employed making bullets for them. At night, it looked like a fire-hose. Literally, a hose spraying fire.

lup
7th Sep 2006, 10:48
What was the spacing between tracer and standard rounds?

SEL
7th Sep 2006, 11:34
Now I definately know what I want for Christmas

toolguy
7th Sep 2006, 11:48
Happiness is a warm minigun and a conex container full of ammo.:}

B Sousa
7th Sep 2006, 12:40
1up Spacing was usually 1/4 So every fifth round was a tracer. It still looked like a red line due to the amount of ammo going through.
As Nick will tell you nothing could make one more mad than a jam. Seems if you release the trigger prior to the limiter switch they seem to eat bullets in the mechanism.
I think today thats pretty much history.
By the way that video was put to gether near Maricopa Arizona by a company that is manufacturing mini guns. I dont know if its on their website but heres the address. www.dillonprecision.com They specialize in great reloading equipment and are located on/near the Scottsdale AZ airport...
The owner has his own surplus UH-1 Huey and a MD-500D. Both in pristine condition last I saw.

SASless
7th Sep 2006, 20:16
I flew a Cobra in VIetnam that had 4 miniguns on it. Kept a small town employed making bullets for them. At night, it looked like a fire-hose. Literally, a hose spraying fire.

I wondered why that war cost so much.....now Nick...did you ever hit anything with all them bullets?:E

elena
7th Sep 2006, 20:33
St Exupery (author of The little Prince) once wrote:
"...The first to bring a gun aboard his aircraft was a bastard..."

B Sousa
7th Sep 2006, 22:36
Elena........What are you smokin??

hotzenplotz
8th Sep 2006, 01:25
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7229/cobrahitoi1.jpg

I flew a Cobra in VIetnam that had 4 miniguns on it.

Thats verry interesting because it seems that this configuration was not verry common.
Was it the 7.62mm M134 weapon?
Can you please describe how they were installed?
Was it two in the chin turret and two under the wings?
Or were they just under the wings? Two miniguns under each wing?

Hoveronly
8th Sep 2006, 09:33
I could od with one Landcruiser wing mounted to assist the minibus drivers out of the way in East Africa!:ok:

NickLappos
8th Sep 2006, 10:04
Hotz,
The standard kit on an AH-1G had one minigun (M134) in the turret, alongside a 40MM grenade launcher. Both were fed from an ammo bay right behind the turret, with slide-out drums. The minigun held 4000 rounds and the "chunker" held just over 300. The wing stores usualy held rocket pods, most often 19 shot inboard and 7 shot outboard. On the Cobra I mentioned, the turret had 2 miniguns, and the inboard wingstores had two XM-18 minigun pods (which held 1500 rounds each in a special de-linked electric feeder.
A few birds had the XM-35 20mm gun on the left inboard station, and saddlebag ammo bays on both sides of the fuselage. A fine gun, the last snake I flew had one, we called it "Mighty Mouse" and the crew chief painted some great nose art on it.

Like Bsouza says, the miniguns could jam fairly easily, I kept a few new bolts in my leg pocket along with a tube of LSA lubricant (monkeycum), and could rebuild a gun in a few seconds if it jammed badly.

The guns were accurate, and deadly. I took the tile roof off a house once, it tossed tiles all over the place.
The weapon that told the real story was the 2.75" rockets. They packed a punch, had relatively long range (accurate at 2-3 clicks, deadly at 1 click), and we carried enough to do some damage. The 10 lb warhead was standard, we had a 17 pound warhead, and a 10 lb VT fused version (a white round radar in the nose set it off a few meters above ground, for better effect). Each round hit like an artillery round, so with 52 to 72 rockets per Cobra, a pair of snakes could deliver about as much firepower as an artillery battery could toss out in an hour.

Devil 49
8th Sep 2006, 11:23
The video also displays, in a minor way, a couple of the drawbacks of that truly wonderful weapon- the minigun: the volume of fire blows stuff to bits, obscuring a target, and making a point-type weapon into an area-type weapon; and it uses a lot of ammunition... Which is also a very good thing, in that all that ball ends right where the gun's pointed, if you can still see target to shoot.

B Sousa
8th Sep 2006, 11:51
Hotenplotz
Your photo is a recent one from beautiful downtown Bagdhad. That would be the AH-1W used by the Marines. Its still the same old airframe that has gone through many changes. The Army always used single engine whereas the Navy/Marine Corps for obvious reasons had two. The Marine Corps has done well and are now getting a newer version of the Cobra with four blades. It must be really sweet.
As Nick also didnt mention when he was flying the Cobra, consider it was a closed cockpit and the first ones in Vietnam had no Air Conditioner. Extremely hot. Later models had what was called an ECU (Enviornmental Control Unit) which took bleed air and cooled it down enough that it spit ice..............So Nice. Also as it was a Bell product you could take full fuel or full ordinance but you couldnt take both. The Apache solved that.....

sigma.12
9th Sep 2006, 19:01
...... just found this ;-)))

http://www.dillonaero.com/videos.html

helmet fire
9th Sep 2006, 22:21
Devil49, I actually think your "drawbacks" are huge pluses: volume of fire blows stuff to bits, obscuring a target, and making a point-type weapon into an area-type weapon; and it uses a lot of ammunition...
And you forgot it sounds fantastic.

Blowing stuff to bits is why I like pulling the trigger, it rarely if ever obscures the target (that video was not using 4B1T), it is an area weapon that can be pointed extremely accurately with a danger close distance that makes cannon type weapons systems very jealous, and it's use of ammo just makes the noise better, the target fly apart more, and enables more accuracy!

Nothing like emptying an entire infantry sections' weapon load loose in 3.17 seconds from each of your two (or four if you are lucky enough to be Nick) minis!

All good.:8

hotzenplotz
10th Sep 2006, 01:20
...... just found this ;-)))
http://www.dillonaero.com/videos.html
Good find! :ok:
What kind of helicopter is this?
Two guns?
http://www.dillonaero.com/gallery1/Dual-Guns.jpg
Is it an AH-6 or a MH-60L DAP
http://www.specialoperations.com/Images_Folder/library11/mh-60lside.jpg

NickLappos
10th Sep 2006, 03:28
The helo pictured is the DAP, an MH-60L with a pair of GAU-19 50 cal gatling guns in the door that could also be fixed forward and a 30MM chain gun on the wing store. This particular shot is of the aircraft with a short wing store. With the larger ESSS the outboard could hold a 19 shot rocket pods or 4 hellfires.
Here is a photo of the 4-store MH-60K:
http://www.globalspecialoperations.com/photo360/soarmh60ldap360.jpg
The DAP is used by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (the Nighthawks) and is the most heavily armed helicopter in the US Army inventory, including the Apache.
Here is a DAP with stingers outboard and mixed ordnance inboard:
http://unx1.shsu.edu/%7Elib_kab/Pics/Mh60-1.jpg

DAP stands for Direct Action Penetrator, a way to keep the Apache people from coming unglued while the aircraft was being designed, since the Special Ops has no intention of employing the Apache. With the ability to carry troops, extra ammo and other goodies (think of what can be mounted on the wings!) it is an awesome fighter helicopter.

Twin Head
10th Sep 2006, 03:34
we could use a few of those daps in oz:cool:

NickLappos
10th Sep 2006, 04:07
The folks in Oz turned it down! When the armed helo was being competed in Australia, Sikorsky offered the DAP, but the Powers that Be chose the Tiger, which the DAP could carry on its cargo hook, drop, use for a target and then fly home for a smoke.

BlenderPilot
10th Sep 2006, 05:49
Nice Toy, better than throwing beer cans at enemies.

Too bad it was designed to kill people, it would have been fun to have just as a toy, without having to actually use it for what it was designed.

helmet fire
10th Sep 2006, 08:02
Tiger V DAP.
Of course we could have used the DAP in Oz...it was the obvious choice to almost everyone except the project team. Importantly for a country like Oz it offered the following advantages over the Tiger:
1. Range Range and more Range. Not many FARPS in Oz.
2. Carries lots of hate, plus it's own reload. Not many FARPS in Oz.
3. Can pick up downed aircrew. Not many aircraft in Oz.
4. Commonality with existing fleet (though that is now going to change). Not many maintainers in Oz.
5. Wont get shot down as "foriegn" around the Yanks (though no gaurantee). The Yanks are the most likely in-theatre Allies - as opposed to the French.
6. The Yanks can refuel, re-arm, and repair the thing.
7. Most appropriate armament/ordnance mix for Oz environment.

BUT..... the Kiowa guys on the project team would not be seen dead in one!!:E

Oh, AND..... they tied the "Armed" bit to Recce, not utility, so they could get a skinny two seater, thus the DAP was no chance from the start.

Although this compromised on the Aerial Fire Support role, it did lead to the acquisition of a very fine armed recce helicopter - probably the world's best.

As long as the grunts don't need close in support, the colonels don't need battlefield viewpoints, we also acquire a light utility airframe for the command and liason, and there are lots of Yank DAPs about to help us, the Tiger will fully meet the needs of the Australian Army for decades to come.:ok:

Arm Up.

sigma.12
10th Sep 2006, 08:10
....to BlenderPilot

you are right - the best way is only using for fun .....

http://www.armamentsales.com/downloads/minigun2005.wmv

and for technical information ...

http://www.montysminiguns.com/RealityPage.htm

B Sousa
10th Sep 2006, 13:31
"Too bad it was designed to kill people, it would have been fun to have just as a toy, without having to actually use it for what it was designed."

Oscar whats with this?? Would you rather use Paint Balls in Combat??

HOGE
10th Sep 2006, 21:10
Of course it all depends on who's pulling the trigger...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ7XmZZk1Tc

Musket33
11th Sep 2006, 00:35
Hi Nick,

As an old Charlie model driver, I can really appreciate the DAP. I always liked having two extra pairs of eyes in the air, and extra firepower if you ended up on the ground. The DAP would have been nice in Chu Lai.

Cheers,
musket33

NickLappos
11th Sep 2006, 11:12
musket33,
Is that the Chu Lai Muskets, guardians of the Minutemen? Do you know Dave Young from Broken Arrow, OK?

Musket33
11th Sep 2006, 14:55
Hi Nick,

Yes, I was a minuteman and then a musket. I flew a lot with Dave Young. Never heard anything from him after I left sunny southeast asia. Would be glad to get any info on him you might have. I also was a Saber for a few brief months on my extention tour.

Cheers,
musket33

NickLappos
12th Sep 2006, 00:46
Musket33,
World = Very Small!
Dave is in Broken Arrow, he stopped by at Sikorsky when picking up a Black Hawk (the Heavy Utility Helicopter that the Guard once had the right to fly!) Somewhere I have his phore #, he and I were in flight school together (69-5)
Sabre 74

Musket33
12th Sep 2006, 04:18
Hi Nick,

Sent you a personel message. Sounds like we both know a different Dave Young.

Cheers,
musket33

Head Turner
13th Sep 2006, 08:07
Why are the yanks so gun ho? Not to spoil your fun but in sensible terms this sort of thing really is to blame for the shoot first and ask questions later mentality. A serious problem that comes down from the top. Sorry to dampen your enthusiasm for wars which have turned to failures. Get back to helicopter themes and not venture into deadly toys.

NickLappos
13th Sep 2006, 10:29
If you are in a fair fight, you didn't plan it properly.

Actually, I used to shoot first and never asked any questions....

B Sousa
13th Sep 2006, 14:25
Head Turner, just dont venture back to the states in a boat loaded with Tea. We do need to win one .......Again.........

rudestuff
13th Sep 2006, 18:31
Stop being so Anti-American! Just because the Brits used to be the victims in all the friendly-fire incidences... They use Canadians now.

hotzenplotz
13th Sep 2006, 22:13
:} ;)
As we have the Cobra Experts here, do you know why the snake on the picture has no landing gear?
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9218/ah102qr1.jpg
and another interesting picture:
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/6672/pic106cy8.jpg

Bat-Off
13th Sep 2006, 22:17
Nick; if I may ask, how did you guys go about firing at night? Am I mistaken that NVG's back then were non-existent? Or was it purely for the psychological effect it had seeing something breath fire, so to speak.

I hear those PsyOps stories about the "puff the magic dragon" a DC-3 armed to the teeth supporting the broadcasts that smaller planes below made, this DC-3 was supposedly thought of as a "angry beast" up in the sky that punished those who did not follow.

B Sousa
13th Sep 2006, 22:19
Well, best guess is that was the factory first (AH-1G/ B209) with retractable skids...... Too much weight and limited the aircraft internal storage.
Also notice which side the Tail Rotor is located..... That changed when the G went into production.

I think the GAU-8 is the backbone of the A-10 Warthog.

hotzenplotz
13th Sep 2006, 22:27
I think the GAU-8 is the backbone of the A-10 Warthog. Yes, of course you are right. And the GAU-8 is way to big to be mounted on a helicopter. But it is an impressive picture to see the glowing barrels of a minigun.

B Sousa
13th Sep 2006, 22:29
And as to the Cobra Skidgear?? etc??

hotzenplotz
13th Sep 2006, 22:40
I have no idea, that's why I'm asking.

NickLappos
14th Sep 2006, 01:05
I stand corrected, the .50 cal window gatling guns on the DAP are GAU-19 not GAU-8.

Bat-off asked "Nick; if I may ask, how did you guys go about firing at night?"

Nick says: Very carefully, the night missions were night contact, with use of flares or the glow of enemy fire to guide us. We also used crude NVG's ("starlight scopes") in a lead huey that then showed a light on the target to point it out to us. I had about 125 hours of night combat using these methods, and more than a few sampans were sunk that way.


The skid-less Cobra in the pic is the first Bell demonstrator that showed the concept, it had retractable skids for speed, unlike its production cousins.

Bat-Off
14th Sep 2006, 01:49
Wow, doesn't sound like the easiest task. At what point did you decide what to use on the target, rockets or the guns? Or was it a mixture of both?

NickLappos
14th Sep 2006, 09:59
Bat,
The 2.75" rockets were the money weapon, longer range, lots of punch. We would engage in diving fire at an altitude of about 1200 to 1800 feet AGL, usually starting to shoot at about 2 Km, and break away at about 1 Km. The turret was used to cover the break as we turned away (and as our wingman started putting fire on the target).

At night, the rockets would make an enormous ball of flame on launch that would last about 1 second and of course follow the rockets downrange. The turret would make a continuous ball of flame about 5 feet in diameter, a weird yellow-green color. Believe it or not, we would shut our eyes momentarily when shooting to preserve what night vision we had! After the rockets were gone (easily told by the sound) we would open back up again to see the effect. When the turret was fired, the back seater would duck below the glare shield to avoid direct view of the flame. None of this avoidance worked very well, after a few runs, we would have to regain our night adaptation.

The flares were very effective, a Huey would drop them above us, timing them so that we almost always had one or two illuminating the scene. They were very effective, each one lighting a circle about 1/2 mile in diameter, so a good Huey crew could keep the whole mission in almost-daylight. It was a miracle that no flare chutes fell into rotors, but that was not our biggest fear by a long shot (pun intended).

The enemy's fire was easily seen as his tracers arced upward and his muzzle flashes winked along the ground. The biggest green tracers were 12.7mm, an awsome weapon for us to face. I had to engage a 50 cal pit once at night on a Night Hawk mission. The Night Hawk was a Huey with a starlight scope and a ring of C-130 landing lights that were able to be focused into a spot on the ground below. We all taped our lights out, with the upper rotating beacon allowed to glow upward only. This kept us invisible to those below until we shot. The Huey was at about 800 feet and about a mile ahead, I was in a position just above his altitude to see the red dot of his anti-collision light. All I had to do was just rock forward and be in a gun run to the point just below him. At the right time, the Huey would flip the big light on, and we would engage the bad guys below. On one mission, the target was a 50 cal, and his tracers passed both sides of my windows for the whole dive, as I walked 20mm around the base of the lights for the 20 seconds of the dive (felt like a decade) as we literally were jousting each other. The 20mm HEI explosions were winking small circles of light around his muzzle flashes, and I am sure he was guiding on my muzzle flashes as well. I could not break, he had us too well sighted, and if I turned, the 3 foot wide Cobra would present too much area to escape unhit. I broke at about 500 feet, and when I did, there was no fire from that pit. I am sure their lack of response was not voluntary.

The turret was also used for immediate fire, as we covered the LOH in a recon mission. We would fly a circle around him at about 800 feet for the low snake and 1200 feet for the wingman. The low snake could put immediate gun fire around the LOH by keeping the turret continuously pointed on the LOH's tail. It would take about 1 second to start shooting in such circumstances.

Here is a web site from those night hawk guys that I worked with that night:
http://www.gruntonline.com/US_Forces/US_Helicopters/us_helos11.htm

Graviman
14th Sep 2006, 18:59
I could not break, he had us too well sighted, and if I turned, the 3 foot wide Cobra would present too much area to escape unhit.

Some pilot! Up here they call that "gumption".

Mart

Devil 49
15th Sep 2006, 19:38
Mr Lappos is being reticent for a gun driver. The “alpha” personality that allows one to go toe-to-toe with a 12.7 emplacement- especially at night- is usually much more forthcoming in explaining to anybody handy, all and sundry, the challenges, skill and courage required to do that job. (I do admire the intellectual discipline and detachment that it takes to do that, day after day.)

I flew the flare ship for a Snake company, and did other and various missions in the dark of South Viet Nam. I shot –one- approach to a secure LZ by flare, and I hated it. Flares obscure almost as much as they illuminate. Add the powerful physiological illusion that the source of all that light’s the sun (multiple flares seem to minimize this) and you’re set for spatial disorientation, big-time, not to mention losing your eye’s dark adaptation. I’ve experienced my most powerful and durable vertigo episodes flying across a flare to drop the next in the series. I think that the normally demanding and dangerous job the Guns did was much, much harder at night, and that's probably why nights accounted for almost all of our fatal accidents.

We tried the Starlight scope, but the guy on the ‘scope usually ended up violently ill in a few minutes. Gyro-stabilized binoculars did the same thing. The preferred SOP ended being NOE, down in the trees or paddies, with the guns following, ready to pounce. A “high speed” (for a Slick) NOE entrance to the area of interest suppressed the noise somewhat. The mode was a very low level transition from a nearby stage field, or go out high with a high rate and dark descent to NOE, and then power up the “bug-light” and look around. I never took serious fire on the illuminated side of the aircraft, so maybe that big ol’ Firefly light did dazzle the bad guys- I was told it would.

"Head Turner"- We Yanks aren't "Gun-ho". We appreciate skill, fine tools, and the benefits they bring when used wisely- as they were in 1776.

SASless
15th Sep 2006, 20:09
Devil...

It has been a long time since Nick could sit in a Cobra but for different reasons than alluded to.

When the gunnys went up against .51 caliber machine guns.....they earned their pay many times over. Being a devout pacifist I always tried to stay as far away them as possible with the exception of one occasion when I discovered the AK fire was merely bait for a Doofus and when swallowed....the big brothers took up for the small caliber guys. Nine hits from the .51's that joined in convinced me to stick to haulling underslung loads.

To be in the Cobra and flying down the line of tracers as Nick describes....chills my heart to think about it! The ramifications of the Bad Guys having a good day are not a thing I wish to think about.

I flew Chinooks and they have some very hard thick metal in them in places....and none of it even slowed a .51 hit down. I had a glancing hit from one in the cockpit and can attest to the fact it all happens very quickly. A big "BANG", a flash, and your pulse rate gets right up there with the Nr.

It was not until I saw some photographs of my aircraft that I realized the left brake pedal departed along with the chin bubble....leaving my foot behind in one piece although stuffed back under my seat.

No....I take my hat off to guys like Nick who got out there and exchanged courtesys with the Gomers oft times while at a real disadvantage. Heavens knows...I am here because of how good some of them were.

However, if pushed, Nick will probably admit Adrenalin is an amazing thing....brown, semi-liquid, collects in your un-tied boots, and reeks of poo!

NickLappos
15th Sep 2006, 23:09
Dont let anyone think that war story was part of a PLANNED event! The target was illuminated and I just started shooting. As I saw the tracers, I realized what a mess I was in. Do not mistake foolishness for bravery, I was one limp noodle at the end of that run!

Devil 49
16th Sep 2006, 13:58
Nick, you're too modest- Bravery isn't the absence of fear. Wouldn't a load of "nails" have been nice, though?

I don't remember ever asking anybody, so I'll ask now- What did you think of working under parachute flares, knowing there were expended flares drifting around in the dark? When I worked an areas previously illuminated by starshells, those little parachutes zipping by scared me. The flare chutes I was dropping were much bigger, we used them as ceiling liners in our hooch.

Somebody mentioned Puff/Spooky earlier, and PsyOps speakers. I never saw Puff working anywhere near PsyOps, but I'd see those "death ray" tracer streams all the time. Puff seemed to work pretty well, a testament to the minigun. I wasn't real impressed with the PsyOps speakers or their effect. I flew a couple speaker flights, and I never saw crowds of repentent bad guys streaming out of the U Minh. However, I did see guys chuck AK47s for Chu Hoi pamplets in the middle of a firefight...

rudestuff
16th Sep 2006, 17:23
what kind of gun fires a .51?

Ian Corrigible
16th Sep 2006, 19:08
A few birds had the XM-35 20mm gun on the left inboard station
Here’s a snake with the M195/M35 system (and associated cockpit blast armor):

http://globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/ah-1_04.jpg

The other chin turret weapon trialled on the AH-1G was the XM120, a single-barreled 30mm which offered improved performance against armor (albeit with a relatively low cyclic rate, esp. compared to the 20mm M197):

http://tri.army.mil/LC/CS/csa/xm120ah1.jpg

What kind of helicopter is this?
MH/AH-6.

As we have the Cobra Experts here, do you know why the snake on the picture has no landing gear?
Bit of a stretch, but here’s another unusual skidless Bell, a modified 206B with retractable gear:

http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/imgs/10LFRetractablegear1.gif


Re: Dillan, in addition to their range of miniguns, the company also produces a rather fine calendar… :E

And as for the DAP, it’s about to get a whole bunch more 'Direct' through the Mike upgrade, which will include the CAAS avionics system (resulting in a common glass cockpit layout with the MELB and MH-47G), enhanced FLIR, an LPI radar, FBW, wide-chord M/R blades, a weight reduction program (composite tail cone, vertical pylon and intermediate g/box housing) and a substantial (35%) increase in installed power. Plus a bunch of non-public-realm toys… :E

I/C

SirVivr
16th Sep 2006, 23:03
Rudestuff:

The Communist countries produced a very effective .51 Caliber machine gun. The military told us that they could then use our .50 Cal ammunition, but we couldn't use their .51 Cal ammo.

I think they just wanted to say that "Mine is bigger than yours".


Chas A

SASless
16th Sep 2006, 23:56
http://gunsagogo.org/0002/0002/earlyNam/bcInnkeepers.jpg

Now this is a real Gunship!

American Tiger
19th Sep 2006, 22:47
Nick,ALL..
The MH-60L aka DAP(Deep Attack Penatrator??) from 1-160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne (SOAR), " Nightstalkers" Is highly armed with one 19 rocket pod 1 M299 Hellfire launcher with 4 Hellfires, 2 x 134 mini guns, 1 x M130 30mm chain gun (same as the Apache, but fixed) and stingers as you see, usually those are 19 Shot rocket pods with 2 x M130 30mm and 2 x M134 7.62 mini guns.

NSDQ
Six Guns

rudestuff
20th Sep 2006, 16:04
SirVivr: The commies use 12.7mm ammo in guns such as the DshK. Which equates to .50cal - were they to use inches.

The picture on post #19 page 1 is clearly an AH6 - how anyone could confuse the egg shape and T-tail with a DAP is beyond me!

SirVivr
21st Sep 2006, 23:19
Rudestuff:

I may have had a brainfa6t, but during my tours in SEA, we were told to watch out for the 51. Cal-12.7MM guns. I cannot scan in the pictures of the 51's we captured in Cambodia. Stuck? in Trinidad.

They also had 23 MM, but not yet the ZSU 23MM Z4. That was radrar and optic controlled. We all would have died. They did have twin barrelled 23 MM that caused a lot of damage to us.

37MM and 57 MM and higher were bracketed about 1000 ft above the Max effective range of the 51 Cal.

We found this out the hard way.

Nails, or Flecehttes, were an interesting side weapon for some missions. Elevan hundred darts in each warhead. Fired in pairs. 2,200 tiny darts heading to the enemy. After the rocket burnout, the "nails" burst. Now you have to consider the slant range.

I usualy carried WP in the inboard pod to mark the target.

During the Laos Operation, I carried Nails outbaord, to sweep the infantry off the Tanks. HEAT, right inboard to crack the tanks.

HEAT, 7 lbs, works on medium amored vehiles. A pair of 17.s will usually kill a PT-76. A T-55 may take more.

Well. that is my war story.

NEXT?

Chas A




inboard, to crack said tanks.

hotzenplotz
10th Oct 2006, 01:33
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6988/minigunoops1up2.jpg
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/6042/minigunoops2sg4.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/277/minigunoops3dv5.jpg
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6940/minigunoops4hv0.jpg

tbtstt
10th Oct 2006, 07:31
Actually the aircraft in the picture in post #18 is just a regular MD500E outfitted with a pair of M134 miniguns - its a demonstration aircraft used occasionally by Dillon Aero (you can see it in one of the videos on their site).

The M/AH-6 is a specialist version of the 500D operated exclusively by the 160th SOAR.