WIX Archives

I think he means AH-1 Skyraider, not Cobra (ntx)

Posted by bdk on Fri Oct 25, 2002 06:17:58 PM

In reply top Speaking of AH-1 Cobra's... posted by Rob Mears on Fri Oct 25, 2002 06:12:45 PM

: : When I saw
: : the AH-1 at Chino in 94 she still had her wartime paint
: a
: : nd was sitting in the back corner of the MARC hangar. On
: e
: : of the guys there said there were some in Long Beach as
: we
: : ll.
:
: Chuck Aaron had this to say about the surviving AH-1's:
:
: "There are approximately two AH-1G's, five AH-1P's models
: and one AH-1F models in civilian hands as of today. My AH-
: 1F is the Trainer model so actually it is a TAH-1F. The US
: Army (since it found out that several of these Cobras wer
: e out there) now destroys ALL excess parts and airframes b
: efore it is sold or let out on the DRMO sites. So, NO MORE
: Cobras will ever be in civilian hands other than these."
:
:
: I've been digging up fact on survivors. I know there is t
: he "Dark Horse Squadron" (I think that's the name) in Long
: Beach that has one flyable, and at least two other non-fl
: ying AH-1 gunships. They flew for the "Broken Arrow" movi
: e with John Travolta. If Tallichet also has an AH-1, Olym
: pic Aviation Museum has three, the AARF in Atlanta has one
: , and Garlick Helicopters has two or three more, then that
: already goes beyond Mr. Aaron's estimate of only eight AH
: -1's in private hands.
:
: I'm concerned about the AH-1 Cobra gunship population beca
: use they seem to be going the same way as the warbirds of
: old did back in the 1950's/60's, with very little popular
: fanfare toward their preservation. According to Ron Garli
: ck of Garlick Helicopter Inc, the government is actively s
: crapping the Army's obsolete AH-1 Cobra helicopters as we
: speak. Apparently many of these are AH-1T's which are mod
: ified AH-1G's with combat history from Vietnam. These shi
: ps are reportedly available as demilitarized surplus (two
: cuts through the fuselage), but are otherwise complete and
: readily restorable. Garlick has already returned a coupl
: e of these demilitarized airframes to the air, marketing t
: hem as heavy-lift machines, fire bombers, or 'warbirds' if
: a buyer so wishes. He can apparently secure more airfram
: es for restoration, but only as long as government surplus
: stocks hold out.
:
: What the preservation community is looking at is a limited
: window of opportunity for securing these gunships in any
: kind of numbers. They might not be on the cutting edge of
: popularity in today's warbird circles, but you have to re
: member that the AH-1 Cobra ushered in the age of the dedic
: ated helicopter gunship - one of the major ruling factors
: of the modern battlefield. IMO the historical significanc
: e of the AH-1 coupled with its ground breaking design and
: attractive lines (especially the early G model) make it a
: shoe-in fancy for future warbird generations. As in gener
: ations past though, I just don't think the strength of int
: rigue toward the type is strong enough NOW (in the days of
: available surplus) to see substantial numbers of AH-1's r
: escued from the smelters. IMO, it's amazing enough that t
: his type of war machine can actually be acquired during th
: is day and age.
:
: I can't count how many times I've gone through the "if I'd
: known then what I know now" scenario regarding warbird pr
: eservation - which make me curious - With all the hindsig
: ht stories of regret in regard to lost opportunities durin
: g the scrappings of historical combat machines in decades
: past, how many organizations, investors, and enthusiasts w
: ill watch as another available type is whittled down to a
: dozen or so survivors? Am I the only one who's enthralled
: by these 200+mph, minigun wielding masters of ground atta
: ck? :) Now if I only had an extra $125,000 to get started
: !

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