Helicopter Desk models

[grwebster]

An excellent article on helicopter desk modesl is on Steve Remington's Museum site. If you have a few hours, look at all the other articles he has. Super stuff and very well done, lots of photos
here is the link
http://www.collectair.com/helicopter.html

[grwebster]

Here are two original desk models in wood, metal and clear plastic made for Bell of the first Huey, the UH-1A. One of them came with a box and stand, the other was the A model modified to carry TOW missiles. These were available in very limited qtys before the Topping firm began production of its plastic ones.



The same firm made this wood metal and plastic model of the first Bell Ranger, a three place enclosed cockpit version of the Bell H-47

[grwebster]

Here are some examples of the more mass produced Bell Hueys made by Topping
This is the Topping C model {basically a mod of the B model with a bigger engine, different rotor head with extra wide blades. These were the gunship variants of the Huey

This is another Topping C model in Arctic Colors

The first version of the lengthened Huey, a UH-1D by Topping . The interior appointments were red.

The VN version of the D/H model, Note that the interior is now OD as the majority of the ones used in VN after 1967.

[BoeingDriver]

I hate helicopters! LOVE helicopter models. For some reason those models of your choppers seem to be more real than many scale aircraft models. I think it is because you can't just mould up a fuse and wings, paint it and slap it on a stand. The chopper is truly hundreds of bits anad pieces flying formation. The level of detail required to make a convincing scale chopper is incredible. Additionally because of the large windows there must be some attempt to finish out the cockpits and interiors--Topping seems to fall short here. The size of these things is also helpful in making the viewer relate to the machine. Although there is nothing in your photos that shows relative scale I can say that for some reason they are the right size and they make me want to get my hands on them--they just are not toylike or model-like in any way. They are "real machines!"

If you ever meet an Army chopper pilot who flew in the Nam ask him how many times he's crashed--not been shot down, just crashed. Hell, I think they all got shot down at least once but my impression is that our military choppers were flown so hard that maintenance was stretched thin. This coupled with demanding new roles for relativly new technology made operating choppers more "exciting" than flying fixed wing. Chopper pilots also are more passionate about their machines than fixed wing guys. Remember, if you have a really bad problem with a chopper there is no way out! You find a way to put it in the mud and hope to walk away.

Ladd

[MichaelB]

It's an old story...if some part on your helicopter isn't broken now - it will be soon!
As for detail, you just need to check out some of the incredible helo models built by scale modelers - you know - the guys with the glue, paint and decals...
Michael

[BoeingDriver]

Michael,

As for detail, you just need to check out some of the incredible helo models built by scale modelers - you know - the guys with the glue, paint and decals...

One more outburst like that will get you banned!

Ladd

[MichaelB]

Ha! I must say, that as a modeler that I look at these manufactured things and say "That's great detail?" But I know it's a factory job, not some master modeler, and that for such a manufactured model it can be pretty good.
Also, as a modeler and collector it is terribly disappointing to see such marvels of construction end up having less value in the marketplace than the unbuilt kit!
I just got a request to quote building a kit and the submitter was aghast at my asking price! ...but that's what it costs for me to turn them out, even when it's just an OK model - not one detailed out.
Sigh....
I'm cleaning out some old boxes today and digging into "aviation memorabilia"...looks like some mold damage...and I mean the black mold, not the casting mold...
Happy New Year to Everyone!
Michael
In still in the '40s Houston, TX...and I don't mean the 1940s...

[grwebster]

Michael, I can understand why a modeler doesn't follow the interest some people have in desk models given away by the manufacturers.
Yes, these were all given away, like those little airline and Lockheed promos. As such they had no real value then except that only a very few high rankers and selected elected officials received them.
They are linked forever to the aircraft and the manufacturer and were made at the same time as the actual aircraft. {Most real desk model collectors do not buy those 'hand crafted mahogany models' as they are are not desk models in the real sense- nor hand crafted. Just cheap replicas for the most part with little resale value, generally speaking}
The real period desk models also have a value as a military and aviation artifact in the same way that ID models do.
When gifts by manufacturers to government employees over a set value {$25 I think at the time} were outlawed the production of almost all manufacturers models ceased. The Aircraft manufacturing firms couldn't give them away as promos any more, so firms like Topping couldn't sell them to the manufacturers.
They were also symbols of command- Let me explain that- My Dad who commanded Naval Air Stations had some on his desk {they are now in my collection}. Theses were given to him by Grumman, Chance Vought etc... and I have always had a fascination for them. When I was in the service 1968 in VN I received four, one from Hughes, 2 from Bell and another from Boeing, and still have them. Some of the early Bell models in the photos in the above posts sat on the desk of Major General G.S. Beatty for whom I served as his Aide de Camp, and I saw those models every day for 3 years. When he retired, he sent them to me. Ladd Bovey's collection of Boeing military jets reflects his career flying them and his fascination with the actual aircraft. I am sure his squadron Co and Wing CO had some exactly like those, if not the actual ones on their desks when Ladd was in their units. You won't find those 'hand made' wood models in his collection or mine. Well they may be a few exceptions but generally they have little interest....or value.
No, real period desk models are not accurate models, but I might add I have always thought that all kits that show rivets were silly, you can't see rivets in those scales but almost every kit maker proudly exaggerates them. Realistic? Not.
One other thought, helicopter desk models are frightingly valuable if complete. Those early wood, metal plastic ones if they were ever made available would sell for over $1000. The Topping ones from $400- on up. There were not many made and few survived the many moves military men made and those that did were subjected to dismemberment by the cleaning ladies.

Ladd, in defense of the hard working Army mechanics and crew servicing those Hueys during VN, I would take issue with the thinking that there were many accidents caused by shoddy maintenance. Remember that in the Army, those that fixed them, flew them, either as Crew Chiefs or as machine gunners. It was good insurance as they would not fly something that wasn't safe.
Yes, we had an enormous amount of non-combat accidents but these were caused by the pilots, mostly 19-20 year old Warrant Officers turned loose without adult supervision. The minimum education was a HS diploma. Some of them had just gotten their drivers licenses! In the USAF I doubt if there were any pilots without College degrees and the pilots graduating from flight scholl must have been 4 or 5 years older than the Army pilots
You are right that many of us Army helicopter pilots were shot down at least once { I had that experience three times, but I never had a non-combat mechanical failure during 950 hours of combat}.
Of the 58,000 KIA in VN, almost 10% were chopper air crewmen -pilots and crew chiefs and mechanics. There were about 40.000 helicopter pilots who flew during the war and over 5% of those were killed. I do not know how many were wounded but in my gunship platoon, for example I believe about 70% of us were, at least once.
Plain of Reeds, 1968. UH-1C Gunship of the Mustang Gun Platoon commanded by Captain G.R. Webster

[grwebster]

I just looked up some info to back up some of my comments. 7,000 Hueys served in VN. 3,300 were destroyed {almost 50%}. Total helicopter pilots killed in the Vietnam War was 2,202. Total non-pilot crew members was 2704. Hence almost 10% of all fatalities. I couldn't find a figure for non-combat deaths, ie accidents.

[BoeingDriver]

Easy ole buddy. Re-read my posting and nowhere did I say your maintenance was "shoddy." I know at least two Nam era crew chiefs who got ratings and college through the GI BIll and sit in cockpits with me today. Yes they were good. You flew the hell out of their machines and they did the best they could at the far end of the supply line. Knew a couple of OH-58 pilots who got degress and went on to fly in the USAF. All of those guys went through two or three machines--mostly for materiel failure is my impression listening to their stories. Of course all of these chopper pilots were prone to exceeding flight manual limitations from time to time if I were to believe those stories.

Then there are the USAF chopper pilots. My best USAF buddy flew UH-1's out of Thailand. Twin engines I believe. Never had a problem. Daylight only, weekends off. Got a nasty cut from a beer bottle breaking after falling off his stool at the O'Club. You should have been there!

Cheers and Happy New Year,

Ladd