MIKE JG wrote:If you can actually find a decent 3 view drawing of the Gray Eagle, I can mod the Predator A model for you to use. I've never been able to find a good three view drawing of it so far.
I unfortunately have not found any good detail images on the Gray Eagles. I consider having found the serial numbers for the ones assigned to the 3rd CAB to have been a minor work of James Bond sluething. The Army is certainly not being very forthcoming with these aircraft. Most publicity sources on them have serial numbers censored and often have the sensor systems removed. From what I can tell, they are very close to the Block 15 airframes in size, just with a different engine & cowling and a bigger bubble up front.
Ripcord wrote:So Click, let me ask you -- how did you arrive at those numbers of those aircraft at those two bases?
I'm pulling all the serial numbers directly from Scramble and disregarding airframes that haven't been spotted in more than five years. Which unfortunately means that some units will be under represented if their aircraft aren't regularly reported. With the way the Army is moving airframes around these days, it inevitably leads to some errors. For example, an airframe that I originally put in the AL ARNG group at Birmingham has since been transfered to the GA ARNG and is now at Fort Stewart. Good luck keeping Army airframes in their right units.
Ripcord wrote:And what level of detail are you doing with the individual repaints? Are you just changing a few numbers on the side of helos, or are there squadron insignia or other markings that are getting repainted?
When units do have unique markings, I do my best to include them. For example, so far these units have had unique unit markings on them: Co. B of 2-149th (36th Infantry badge), Co. B 2-285th (45th Infantry brigade logos), Co C 2-149 ("Dustoff" logos on engine covers and/or 36th infantry badges), Co A 2-135th ("Colorado" logos on engine covers and wolf heads) & Co B 1-111th ("Mississipi" script on engine pylons. The Fort Hood pack a I made also has distinct unit markings on many of the helicopters.
Here's the problem... From doing lots and lots of Google searching, I've determined that the Army likes to repaint their helicopters all the time, and likes to change up what unit markings are on them quite often. Units heading out for, on deployment or just back from deployment tend to have a higher chance of special markings, so do Guard units. Main Line units that have been back in country for any length of time almost always have fresh green paint.
For example, no amount of Googling could turn up a single unit marking on a single aircraft at Fort Stewart other than a single "Apocalypse" title on a unknown UH-60 on deployment... likely since repainted. As a result, all of the Fort Stewart birds are serial number/weathering/exhaust stain repaints without changing the markings much.
*Edit* One more not on Army helicopter markings... The Army also likes to put temporary markings on during operations. For example, see the white numbers on the side windows of the CH-47Fs in the CT ARNG group I put out earlier. Also, some ARNG units put ARNG titles on while others don't.
The best course is just to google lots and lots of pictures of the unit you want to do and settle for one particular look they have during a certain operation/deployment etc etc.
