Author Topic: 20mm Rhodesians (Read 95782 times)

von Lucky · « **Reply #90 on:** August 07, 2014, 11:26:58 PM »

Nice. Smaller suggestion - touch up the windows with black again.

Ash · « **Reply #91 on:** August 07, 2014, 11:39:03 PM »

Spotted - thanks

juergen c. olk · « **Reply #92 on:** August 08, 2014, 12:30:49 AM »

Great job Ash,I still have to finish mine ,I keep getting sidetracked/

Ash · « **Reply #93 on:** August 16, 2014, 11:06:32 PM »

Latest PIP Bell 205 'Cheetah' No:8 Sq RhAF:

juergen c. olk · « **Reply #94 on:** August 17, 2014, 02:52:55 AM »

Good looking Cheetah and in faster time that it took Rhodesia to get those leftover relics to work right.

Arlequín · « **Reply #95 on:** August 17, 2014, 09:56:02 AM »

Great looking model, but the guns should be at the back of the troop compartment (where the side facing seats are), either side of the engine bulkhead which partly projects into the cabin. Passenger seating was on fore and aft facing benches ahead of that bulkhead.

Ash · « **Reply #96 on:** August 17, 2014, 12:15:04 PM »

Quote from: Arlequín on August 17, 2014, 09:56:02 AM

Great looking model, but the guns should be at the back of the troop compartment (where the side facing seats are), either side of the engine bulkhead which partly projects into the cabin. Passenger seating was on fore and aft facing benches ahead of that bulkhead.

Cheers, glad you like it. Re the gun position, I've not seen any RhAF 205s with the guns at the back, generally the twin Brownings were built into a swivel mount with an integral chair, which took up a fair amount of space, mounted behind the port-side front seat. There was another bench seat behind the pilots chair.

Arlequín · « **Reply #97 on:** August 17, 2014, 01:15:30 PM »

I stand most definitely corrected and thanks for the photos... every other armed Bell 205 I've seen has the guns at the back, but seemingly the Rhodesians cared nothing for convention.

Ash · « **Reply #98 on:** August 22, 2014, 01:46:20 AM »

From what I've read, when these helos arrived they were fairly knackered and not the shiny new things expected. Had to be practically rebuilt.
I've not seen a 205 with guns sticking out of the door like that either, but it sort of fits with the set up of the other RhAF helicopters.

Here's my take on the gun prior to sticking it in (used a magnet)

juergen c. olk · « **Reply #99 on:** August 22, 2014, 03:20:26 AM »

Yes from what I understood it took almost a year to get them going,due to trade embargos.The other thing for gaming purposes,the Rhodesians could not waste ammo,short bursts only,Great research on the Helos.

Arlequín · « **Reply #100 on:** August 22, 2014, 07:39:14 AM »

Apparently the Rhodesians had a lot of remnant .303 ammo, but their 7.62mm and 20mm came from external sources like South Africa. By fitting the Brownings (which were ex-aircraft weapons), instead of the FN-MAG, they were effectively using up surplus ammo for no cost. The MAGs could then be issued to ground troops, who tended to waste less ammo for each kill. Earlier photos (I guess pre-'76, or thereabouts) often show a single MAG, but later ones seem to be almost entirely twin-Brownings.

They even tried experimenting with a quad-fit to replace the expensive 20mm on the K-Cars, although I gather that it was not a success. The Brownings also tended to jam a lot, which was why they fitted them in pairs on the G-Cars.

At least that's what Petter-Bowyer seems to be saying in Winds of Destruction...