tag:www.thedonovan.com,2012://1/tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472- 2012-03-24T15:21:47Z We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 Movable Type 4.12 tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472 2009-03-05T12:24:22Z 2009-03-05T14:15:44Z

Bill http://www.thedonovan.com Chump Stars earlier with one of his bits of arcane artillerabilia, I figure I'll give you guys an easy one. *And* I didn't blur the background or crop it tantalizingly or photograph it on top of a simulated wood grain laminated ammo box or nothin' arcane like that there -- with me, you get *context*!




No, HF6, it's not the external beer cooler for a skinny Chinook.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Instant Update!

John said it looked like the tailboom of a Hip, so it might have had something to do with a countermeasures thingy.

What he's talking about is --



the silvery flare 'n' chaff dispenser mounted *forward* of the Whatziss. Geez, do I give these things away, or what?

Heh.

BTW, that's a grad of one of my "Mr. T's Inadvertent IMC Crashproofing Course" talking with one of my fellow contractor-parasite 'Structor Pilots. The week after I gave him his diploma, he got caught by a dust storm -- at night.

I got a grin and a five-minute double-armed Iraqi hug about zero seconds after he spotted me...
]]> tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85241 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com Alfred Hitchcock Presents.]]> 2009-03-06T15:28:37Z 2009-03-06T15:28:37Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85238 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com ]]> 2009-03-06T14:35:01Z 2009-03-06T14:35:01Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85237 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com The only one of us who has any excess avoirdupois is the retired *Major*.

[tippity-tappity]

[checks size of last DFAS/VA deposit]

Yeah?  So?  What's yer point?
]]> 2009-03-06T14:15:10Z 2009-03-06T14:15:10Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85234 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com Just like "skinny warrant officers"!

Heh. There are nine other 'Structor pilots over here with me, and all but one is a retired Warrant.

The only one of us who has any excess avoirdupois is the retired *Major*.

]]> 2009-03-06T10:56:58Z 2009-03-06T10:56:58Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85232 Cannonshop`
Of course, it could also be the spot where they toss the crew-chief's spare tools in case the bird's grounded and needs a fix in the field, too-but why not put the tools up front with the crew? 

I think I'll stick to calling it a maintenance access.
]]> 2009-03-06T08:25:49Z 2009-03-06T08:25:49Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85230 AFSister +1 HF6.... Lmao 2009-03-06T02:32:25Z 2009-03-06T02:32:25Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85227 HomefrontSix http://homefrontsix.blogspot.com

So, did LaMigra get it? And (using best Valley Girl voice)...duh! Of COURSE it's not an external beer cooler for a skinny Chinook. Everyone knows that "skinny Chinooks" don't exist. Just like "skinny warrant officers"!
]]> 2009-03-06T01:36:47Z 2009-03-06T01:36:47Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85224 jon spencer Zeppo's company did produce the clamps though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marman_clamp]]> 2009-03-06T00:36:50Z 2009-03-06T00:36:50Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85217 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Biggest visual difference is the cockpit instrumentation, the streamlined nose and an improved main rotor stabilization system -- the yellow "pads" on the rotor head in the pic LaMigra found. Nice, buddy!
]]> 2009-03-05T22:38:57Z 2009-03-05T22:38:57Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85213 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com I found you a *virtual* cockpit, and then I found these.  And the Indias are the newer ones, aren't they?  Of course, that's just wikipedia talking.  My knowledge here is pixel deep.]]> 2009-03-05T21:52:51Z 2009-03-05T21:52:51Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85212 LaMigra http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=225418]]> 2009-03-05T21:48:38Z 2009-03-05T21:48:38Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85208 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Guess who's got 'em *now*, though?

Ever seen a Mike-India One-Seven-*India*?
]]> 2009-03-05T21:42:43Z 2009-03-05T21:42:43Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85202 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com
I've found many pics with what appear to be "remove before flight" ribbons and/or warning labels, which indicates this thing sucks air in, or blows it out.  Meaning it could be an exhaust for something or an intake for something like an oil cooler, etc.]]> 2009-03-05T21:09:02Z 2009-03-05T21:09:02Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85199 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

]]> 2009-03-05T20:29:17Z 2009-03-05T20:29:17Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85197 RetRsvMike ]]> 2009-03-05T20:18:20Z 2009-03-05T20:18:20Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85195 Slinky ]]> 2009-03-05T19:55:50Z 2009-03-05T19:55:50Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85188 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Nope...
]]> 2009-03-05T18:14:03Z 2009-03-05T18:14:03Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85167 Pat It's further rearward than in any pics I have found, but I think it is a doppler radar fairing for measuring drift and airspeed whilst hovering or low and slow. 2009-03-05T17:09:20Z 2009-03-05T17:09:20Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85159 Eric Wilner http://siliconvalleyredneck.typepad.com/ The door is for the Bombardier's Mate, who had the job of ensuring that the tail of the bomb was in fact free before it was dropped, as early testing had shown that releasing the front of the bomb before the back would have adverse consequences.

]]> 2009-03-05T15:42:09Z 2009-03-05T15:42:09Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85158 LaMigra A box-shape device attached to the lower part of the rail beam houses the electronic countermeasures (ECM) system????? 2009-03-05T15:29:59Z 2009-03-05T15:29:59Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85157 Oldloadr 2009-03-05T15:16:11Z 2009-03-05T15:16:11Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85156 Fishmugger
Since that looks like a maintenance door, it could be where the crew stash their back copies of Playboy or where the pilot looks in to make sure there's enough grease on whatever is supposed to be greased in there...like a universal coupling on the drive shaft.]]> 2009-03-05T14:56:04Z 2009-03-05T14:56:04Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85155 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
Still *wrong*, though...
]]> 2009-03-05T14:43:10Z 2009-03-05T14:43:10Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85154 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com I like Mike's answer. 2009-03-05T14:30:29Z 2009-03-05T14:30:29Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85153 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com And why does the flare/chaff dispenser look like it's attached to the aircraft with two really large hose clamps?

Ummmm -- because it *is*?

BTW, the aeronautical term for 'em is "Marman clamps" -- invented, believe it or not, by Zeppo Marx.

If you're wondering how I came to be a fount of such esoteric knowledge, we used smaller versions on the Loach to attach the exhaust stacks to the combustion chamber.
]]> 2009-03-05T13:57:58Z 2009-03-05T13:57:58Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85151 Josh ]]> 2009-03-05T13:43:31Z 2009-03-05T13:43:31Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85150 RetRsvMike ]]> 2009-03-05T13:40:01Z 2009-03-05T13:40:01Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85149 Josh
By the way, is that a big yellow label reading "PROPELLER"?  If you don't know where the propeller is, I really don't think you should be operating the helo...
]]> 2009-03-05T13:36:17Z 2009-03-05T13:36:17Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85146 BillT http://www.thedonovan.com
And "nope"...
]]> 2009-03-05T13:19:03Z 2009-03-05T13:19:03Z tag:www.thedonovan.com,2009://1.10472-comment:85141 John of Argghhh! http://www.thedonovan.com It's either the blue-water cleanout point or the ElTee's seat. 2009-03-05T12:37:46Z 2009-03-05T12:37:46Z