MV-22 Used in Marine Force Recon Raid - Excellent Details!

[busdriver]

We fly with .50s, the airframe problems were solved with a hydraulically damped cradle and a very beefy pintle mount. I'm guessing that when Stearman and crew experimented with it, they were limited to API or Ball ammo. Since then the mk211 round has been adapted to the belt fed world and actually does improve the firepower side of things, but still the main advantage is range.

 

[Herk Driver]

When the V-44 makes its appearance, sign me up!

 

[Pags]

We fly with .50s, the airframe problems were solved with a hydraulically damped cradle and a very beefy pintle mount. I'm guessing that when Stearman and crew experimented with it, they were limited to API or Ball ammo. Since then the mk211 round has been adapted to the belt fed world and actually does improve the firepower side of things, but still the main advantage is range.

Y'all have your .50s out of the gunners window or the cargo door?

 

[Lawman]

Y'all have your .50s out of the gunners window or the cargo door?

 

[Pags]

Nice pic. Is that a Pavehawk or an Army bird? I'd assume Pavehawk since Busdriver was talking about his AF birds, but it looks like a different paint scheme than I'm used to seeing either services' birds in.

 

[Lawman]

Pavehawk, note the refueling probe. Its a Sikorsky approved mod. There was even an advertisement for it in one of the recent Army Aviation mags.

 

[Pags]

Pavehawk, note the refueling probe. Its a Sikorsky approved mod. There was even an advertisement for it in one of the recent Army Aviation mags.

Don't the 160th birds also have refueling probes?

 

[Lawman]

Don't the 160th birds also have refueling probes?

Yes but they'd have to let them paint an Army Helicopter Grey.... and that shit just isnt allowed apparently.

 

[phrogdriver]

I remember some Apache unit assigned in support of the Marines painted theirs haze gray. I heard their Army CG shit his pants over it.

 

[Lawman]

I remember some Apache unit assigned in support of the Marines painted theirs haze gray. I heard their Army CG shit his pants over it.

South Carolina National Guard.

And given some of the stupidity Ive witnessed just in general I could very quickly see no good deed going unpunished and somebody getting the word to knock that the F*ck Off very quickly. I do remember reading one of the biggest arguements for keeping it being that it kept the skin of the aircraft nearly 15 degrees cooler in the sun making it much more friendly to the crew dawgs.

 

[busdriver]

Yep that's a Pavehawk. Pags, if you're referring to the old gray and green paint scheme, that went out the window when we transferred to AFSOC, it just took a couple years for all the aircraft to trickle through the paint shop.

 

[eddie]

South Carolina National Guard.

And given some of the stupidity Ive witnessed just in general I could very quickly see no good deed going unpunished and somebody getting the word to knock that the F*ck Off very quickly. I do remember reading one of the biggest arguements for keeping it being that it kept the skin of the aircraft nearly 15 degrees cooler in the sun making it much more friendly to the crew dawgs.

Which is harder to see?

 

[Pags]

Yep that's a Pavehawk. Pags, if you're referring to the old gray and green paint scheme, that went out the window when we transferred to AFSOC, it just took a couple years for all the aircraft to trickle through the paint shop.

Must just be that pic. I'm used to the grey on the Pavehawks looking a lot darker than it does in Lawman's image. But I'm guessing it's just something to do with the lighting. Or my eyes.

This is the grey I'm used to seeing on Pavehawks:

 

[Stearmann4]

Which is harder to see?

It depends on illumination conditions. We have experimented by painting each one of our models the same grey as the USN/USMC. It's far superior for daylight desert flying. Marginal at night. By the same rationale, black works better, right up until the point of %90-%100, then it just looks like the silouette of a black helicopter on a light colored background.

Doesn't matter if the grey would make us invisible, black is mean and cool...so I doubt it'll ever be anything other than that.

MR-