varigb707 From United States of America, joined May 2006, 1229 posts, RR: 1 Posted (4 months 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 13264 times:
First off, no injuries on this crash. Watch the whole video.
"""Top Gear" is a popular British television show about cars that has been on the air since the 1970s. Versions of the show also appear in the U.S., Australia, Russia, and South Korea, which premiered in 2011."" http://youtu.be/6EsoWpTO2qg
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3251 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (4 months 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 12836 times:
Glad the pilot made it out ok, but not a good omen for TG Korea. Their insurers are probably going to suddenly be a lot more restrictive as far as the stunts they pull.
Quoting SOBHI51 (Reply 2): also surprising they are using a military helicopter.
Top Gear (at least the UK version) has a habit of using military hardware for these kinds of shots. They usually organize races between cars and different flying, floating or rolling combat machines.
Was that a US army chopper? The pilot was definitely a westerner and it looked like it was shot in a desert in Arizona or thereabouts. Maybe they pool the stunts between the different versions of the show.
The face of the driver is priceless.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
neutronstar73 From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 219 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 12470 times:
Quoting rfields5421 (Reply 6): The AH-1 Cobra has been out of the US military inventory for over 10 years. Several were bought and civilianized in the early 2000s.
Oh really? Odd, considering I was escorted plenty of times by AH-1Ws on many missions in Afghanistan...in 2012. Must have been a figment of my imagination.
Also a figment of my imagination watching Cobra gun runs on insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or watching gun videos from the aircraft. Nope, it's been out of the inventory for 10 years...
rlwynn From Germany, joined Dec 2000, 996 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (4 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 12265 times:
Quoting neutronstar73 (Reply 7): Oh really? Odd, considering I was escorted plenty of times by AH-1Ws on many missions in Afghanistan...in 2012. Must have been a figment of my imagination.
Also a figment of my imagination watching Cobra gun runs on insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or watching gun videos from the aircraft. Nope, it's been out of the inventory for 10 years...
Might not be a figment of your imagination. More like you do not know what you are talking about. The AH-1 is not an AH-1W.
NBGSkyGod From United States of America, joined May 2004, 603 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (4 months 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 12044 times:
Quoting neutronstar73 (Reply 7):
Oh really? Odd, considering I was escorted plenty of times by AH-1Ws on many missions in Afghanistan...in 2012. Must have been a figment of my imagination.
Also a figment of my imagination watching Cobra gun runs on insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or watching gun videos from the aircraft. Nope, it's been out of the inventory for 10 years...
Relax there Neuton...The Army stopped using the AH-1 back in the early '90s, however the Marine Corps still uses their upgraded and modified variant with good effect.
What the previous poster was stating was that the Army version (the one in the video, as seen with the boxy cockpit area verses the rounded cockpit area on the -1W) has been out of service and some are in civilian hands.
"I use multi-billion dollar military satellite systems to find tupperware in the woods."
Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2744 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (4 months 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 11435 times:
Quoting varigb707 (Thread starter):
First off, no injuries on this crash. Watch the whole video.
"""Top Gear" is a popular British television show about cars that has been on the air since the 1970s. Versions of the show also appear in the U.S., Australia, Russia, and South Korea, which premiered in 2011."" http://youtu.be/6EsoWpTO2qg
You might have wanted to add that this happened nearly a year ago.
Sorry, I should have said US Army inventory. To me the differences between the US Army single engine version and the USMC twin engine version are very obvious.
My experience with USMC Cobra's was in Beirut in 1983.
Quoting Spacepope (Reply 10): You might have wanted to add that this happened nearly a year ago.
rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6191 posts, RR: 25 Reply 12, posted (4 months 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 10490 times:
Quoting rbgso (Reply 12): I wonder how civilians got hold of some of these helicopters?
The one in the video was civilian registered, demilitarized, and owned or operated by a group that is dedicated to preserving US Army aviation history and aircraft.
Up until the mid-2000's it was pretty easy to buy a surplus US military aircraft - though certain models were restricted from public sale because some of their parts could be sold for use outside the US. (There is a military surplus and scrap dealer located west of Texarkana Texas on the north side of I-30 who has an F-111 sitting out front. He used to have an F-105 for many years).
Buying an aircraft in flyable, or restorable to flyable, condition was more difficult but could be done. The aircraft in the video most likely was released because of the intended 'museum' status.
trident3 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 1013 posts, RR: 3 Reply 13, posted (4 months 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 9496 times:
Quoting rbgso (Reply 11):
I wonder how civilians got hold of some of these helicopters? I know the military used to have surplus sales, but didn't know it included aircraft.
The Top Gear boys show how easy it is:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrAFqE36anw Watch from about 1min 30 in. As currently used by the French in Mali
"We are the warrior race-Tough men in the toughest sport." Brian Noble, Head Coach, Great Britain Rugby League.
Alnicocunife From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 114 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (4 months 6 days ago) and read 6741 times:
Quoting rbgso (Reply 11): I wonder how civilians got hold of some of these helicopters? I know the military used to have surplus sales, but didn't know it included aircraft.
These helicopters were bought in pieces (scrap) and put together. There may be as many as 5 used to make one. The engine and rotor assembly came out of a UH-1. There are no more sales of surplus AH-1 fuselage parts from the Army as they are now destroying the remaining fuselage pieces. A dozen or so where "rebuilt" into flying condition. I believe to get these registered was a great ordeal.
sandyb123 From UK - Scotland, joined Oct 2007, 894 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (4 months 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 2264 times:
Quoting rbgso (Reply 11): I wonder how civilians got hold of some of these helicopters? I know the military used to have surplus sales, but didn't know it included aircraft.
Yes helicopters come up on army surplus sale for civilian use (with the defence bits removed). I bought an Ex-British military FV 432 APC Mark 2 (tank) last year. Although the 432 doesn't have a gun the Nuclear Service back and RPG fixtures where still active on it, minus the RPGs!
There where helicopters available at that sale in the UK.
Glad nobody was hurt, could have been very different.
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I had a C6 Z06 which was amazing, but the ZR1 brings it to an even higher level.
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On a serious note, glad everyone survived that.
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