Joe,
I have some pictures at the following web address.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8678849@N02/

Mr Wilkening I appreciate your reply. I have an immediate question about one of the pictures. In this picture of you I can make out a gun mount in the cabin of a type I've seen in other pictures of USMC UH-1Es. It looks pretty standard so I was wondering whether these were a standard fit, fabricated locally or out of country, and whether they were designed by someone locally or by a depot out of country (I apologize if I'm using any of the wrong terminology).

In 1987, aboard the USS Guadalcanal, HMM-263 received permission from HQMC to test the Mark 19 40mm Grenade launcher for use from the CH-46E.

We had the ships engineers to fabricate a pintle for the gun mount and flew with the Mark 19 from the left side of the aircraft. The ammo can had to be modified to fit within the aircraft window.

But all in all the Mark 19 could be utilized from the CH-46.

phrgflyer;23113 wrote: But all in all the Mark 19 could be utilized from the CH-46.

Did you mean could not? Either way, can you elaborate on why it was not adopted?

As I said, it could be utilized, but had to go through the official channels and testing procedures before it could be officially adopted as a crew served weapon in the aircraft.

As to why it was never adapted, i could not tell you. We flew with it, on about 6 flights, while in the Persian Gulf in 1987.

Harry

Thanks very much for the clarification.

- Pictures and information about the family of turrets used on USMC AH-1s. I know that the turret on the AH-1T/W is in the USAF (oddly enough) Aeronautical and Support Equipment Type Designation System (ASTEDS) as the A/A49E-7. I believe this is the GE Universal Turret. I don't know of the nomenclature or type of the turret used on the AH-1J. I think it may have been the Emerson TAT-141, but like I said, I don't know. Any other clarification of this would be great.

The TAT-141/M28A1 turret was used on the G model. The turret used on the J models was the M97. I've also seen it designated GTK4A/A.

Sorry about that typo, I had meant to write TAT-140, which was Emerson's universal turret.

What you're saying would be the sort of missing link between the M97 and A/A49E-7. The GTU-1/A is the actual turret component of the A/A49E-7, so presumably the GTK-4A/A is the complete assembly.

Not that I couldn't believe it, but are you sure the AH-1J used an M97 turret? I just find it interesting that the turret would be designated in the US Army system before it was introduced with that service. I'm wondering if the M97 isn't more or less the same as the A/A49E-7.

Regardless, thanks for the information.

I was Avionics and went to both OMA and IMA Turret courses at NAMTRADET, but I couldn't tell you for certain what designation was applied to the J turret. I do know that bad things happened if you swapped turret control boxes from a '68 J with a '73 J.:eek:

I found the M97 designation on a GE poster (on Ebay), as well as some web sites. I guess that is the Army designation, not the USMC/USN. According to "U.S. Navy Aircraft Since 1911", by Swanborough and Bowers, the J used the GTK4A/A turret. I don't know if this is same as the M97.

hma1369;23138 wrote: I was Avionics and went to both OMA and IMA Turret courses at NAMTRADET, but I couldn't tell you for certain what designation was applied to the J turret. I do know that bad things happened if you swapped turret control boxes from a '68 J with a '73 J.:eek:

I found the M97 designation on a GE poster (on Ebay), as well as some web sites. I guess that is the Army designation, not the USMC/USN. According to "U.S. Navy Aircraft Since 1911", by Swanborough and Bowers, the J used the GTK4A/A turret. I don't know if this is same as the M97.

I'm thinking that the M97 and GTK-4/A are related (both being GE Universal Turrets), but with some likely minuscule differences based on difference service requirements. I'm also guessing the full designation in the ASTEDS is GTK-4/A49E-7.

Can't swap the turret control boxes? Sounds like that might be the difference between the GTK-4/A and GTK-4A/A.

50 cal

i have an old picture of myself holding a 50 cal outside of my hmm262 ch-46 at quang tri early 69 if that would help

It would most definitely. I apologize for not having checked the boards here in a while. My Email address is jtrevith@gmail.com or we can work out a more convenient method.

TAT101 and M97

TAT 101s were put on only a few Hueys in each squadron. It was not a highly desired modification due to jamming problems. VMO-1 had 4 Hueys TAT 101 ready and I can recall it being installed once for a static display.

The AH-1Js had the M97 turret with the (than) XM197 3 barreled 20mm gun. It was the only turret used in active duty on the J models. The M97 turret would be modified over the years to include optics, but the M197 remained pretty much unmodified. I think the new Cobra has the 30mm model. The only difference between the verisions of the M97 turret through the various Cobras was the fire control computer and turret mounted optics. The G model turret would not fit on the Js and vice-versa.

As for the J model gunsight, the gunner's station had a hand held luminated sight with fire controls mounted on it. Before the first nine Js left for Nam from VMO-1 , we had installed a couple with the new variable 12 power gun sights.

As for what could be hung on the pylons, when HML-167 (N and J models) and HMA-269 (HML-167's J model Cobras) were formed at New River, I saw them hang every type of rocket and gun under the pylons and they even put a Sidewider on top the pylon. The standard configuration was minigun pods, 19 shot rocket pods, and/or Zuni rocket pods.

No pictures but little known weapons

In 1971, we ran an operation in the Que Son mountains. For zone prep, we used several CBU-55s carried by OV-10As and AH-1Js. The thing of interest was the bomb sight on the Cobra.

To line up the drop, the Cobras would position themselves downwind from the zone and approach the zone at 100 knots, into the wind. The bomb sight itself was the pitot tube, which protrudes straight out in front of the co-pilot's canopy. The pitot tube was built in two segments, held together by a sheet metal screw halfway up the tube.

When the screw passed over the target, at 100 knots and into the wind, the co-pilot (who was the only one who see the pitot tube) would call "mark" and the pilot would count to six and pickle. It was surprisingly accurate. The CBU-55 was a fuel air explosive, so close counted, a lot.

Anyway, get a picture of the pitot tube and there's your bombsight.

Be well all,

Scarface 48 out

TomyT;23392 wrote: VMO-1 had 4 Hueys TAT 101 ready and I can recall it being installed once for a static display.

What does it mean exactly for it to have been TAT-101 ready? I know for the installation of the M5 armament subsystem there were at least two reinforcement bars and an adapter plate that needed to be installed. Was it something like this with regards to the TAT-101?

Thanks a lot for the other information (also, just an FYI, lightweight 30mm cannon were offered for the AH-1 series, but were not adopted by the US military).