Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Ideas & Inspiration => Aero-space => Topic started by: dy031101 on April 14, 2023, 12:46:41 PM
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Scanned off a recently-bought book on ROC Army Aviation history.
The Bo 105 competed against the Bell 206L Texas Ranger and 500MD Defender for ROCA attack helicopter procurement programme in the early 1980s after it was deemed too cost-inefficient to install TOW missile onto the UH-1H (it would have had to be trialed all over again since the last variant to carry it was the shorter UH-1B). All three are considered comparable in flight performance, but the Bo 105 was considered the best as it not only could carry eight TOW missiles (whereas the other two candidates could carry four each) but also by that time had an underfuselage 20mm cannon mount developed for it.
The ROCA planned to buy 44 Bo 105s but changed their minds after the ROC was cleared to purchase the AH-1 from the US in 1985. In addition to being an optimized gunship helicopter, the AH-1 also wouldn't suffer as much of political baggage as an European counterpart prior to 1989.
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I always liked these especially in the German PAH-1 scheme with 6 HOT missiles:
(https://www.panzerbaer.de/helis/pix/bw_pah_BO105-069.jpg)(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Bundesarchiv_B_145_Bild-F073468-0003%2C_Hubschrauber_BO-105.jpg)
I find this one amusing:
(https://www.panzerbaer.de/helis/pix/bw_pah_BO105P_1A1-003i.jpg)
It's a pity Germany retired them in 2016 and thus is unable to supply to Ukraine.
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The Bo makes a great start for sci-fi vehicles ...
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I’ve got the same thing in 1/72 just like the middle picture. Many times I’ve thought about how to convert it into the firefly vehicle. Just haven’t got to it yet.
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My immediate thought would be to develop a fully navalized variant that could be a direct competitior to the Westland Lynx.
I know some navies have used the Bo 105, but the skids have always been kept.
Maybe rework it to have a wheeled landing gear for easier handling on ships and make it compatible with the "bear trap" type helicopter landing aparatus on smaller ships.
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I like your thinking