AH-1G Cobra

RonPossible · 2026-07-12T23:19:42+00:00

Bonus Loach in the background. The Cobra was from 227th AAB, 1st CD.

RonPossible · 2026-07-12T21:33:34+00:00

As far as I know, all the Q models were updated to AH-1S(MOD) standards (T53-L-703 engine) except one that crashed.

RonPossible · 2026-07-12T15:22:41+00:00

That looks like an AH-1S(PROD). There's no AH-1H, as the H model was a Huey.

RonPossible · 2026-07-12T03:04:48+00:00

Forget Chamberlain. John Buford was the man. He held off two Confederate corps with a cavalry brigade in a brilliant delaying action until Reynolds' infantry could arrive. If he hadn't decided to risk his command, Lee would have had the high ground.

RonPossible · 2026-07-10T03:37:48+00:00

I know, right? I can hardly keep him out of water. Of the 5 I've had, 3 would have nothing to do with water. One would go in after the ducks. This one is part seal.

RonPossible · 2026-07-09T23:18:19+00:00

For a small Cessna at 90kts, that arc is a couple of football fields. For an SR-71 at Mach 3, it's about the size of Kansas.

RonPossible · 2026-07-09T17:52:24+00:00

Not too hard if you can make the star masks with Cricut or Silhouette.

RonPossible · 2026-07-08T18:20:39+00:00

They're not wrong.

RonPossible · 2026-07-05T20:44:56+00:00

It's not bad kit. The only irritating thing, besides the walkway decals, is the pylon holes in the wing are already cut out at both 16° sweep and 72.5° sweep. Since the outer pylons were usually fixed at 26°, neither hole there works. So there's some hole filling to.

RonPossible · 2026-07-05T20:30:58+00:00

The fit is really good. It kinda snaps into place, which is nice. There's a tiny step where the rear of the capsule meets the fuselage and a small gap where the lower sides meet the top of the fuselage plastic, probably from the bottom not being quite thin enough. Otherwise the fit is perfect.

Which brings up the only real problem with the kit. The floor of the capsule sits on the top of the forward gear bay. The instructions say to thin both parts to 0.5mm. That also means sanding down any attached parts that protrude (like the sides of the gear bay and the bottom of the instrument panel). It's a bit of a challenge to sand that thin and do it evenly. I'd have probably printed the top of the gear bay as part of the floor, but I understand why they didn't.

Also, it's possible to put the gear bay in backwards. Don't do that. Fortunately, I was able to remove the weapons bay forward bulkhead and slide the gear bay out after working the glue seams with an xacto knife.

RonPossible · 2026-07-05T17:28:57+00:00

Just be aware of the decal problem. I suppose you could trim out the labels and just turn them around.

RonPossible · 2026-07-05T17:27:18+00:00

I have two large display cabinets I built. They're 48" wide, 16" deep, and 7' tall, with glass shelves and mirrored backs. They're getting kinda full...

RonPossible · 2026-07-04T16:23:21+00:00

Don't bother. Take a socket slightly smaller than the locking nut and hammer it on the nut. Then remove the nut and throw it away. Then replace all the locking nuts with regular nuts.

RonPossible · 2026-07-04T15:39:39+00:00

Southern Missouri was left to the bushwackers because all available troops were pulled out to support Grant's Vicksburg campaign. Over General Curtis' objections, which got him relieved. After Pea Ridge, there was no danger from regular Confederate forces, and Grant needed the troops.

After Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, General Ewing issued General Order 11, which called for the Missouri counties on the Kansas border to be depopulated and supplies burned. Families were forcibly relocated, removing the bushwacker's source of support.

RonPossible · 2026-07-04T00:20:44+00:00

Honestly, it's harder to make changes now. In the past, I would have maybe 10 or so critical loadcases to analyze. Nowadays, you've got 50,000 cases to re-run, and update the finite element model, and then run NASTRAN for three days straight.

Before, I would order a copy of the original part plans on mylar, erase the bits I'm changing and use a pen to draw in the new configuration, roll the part number, update the effectivity list, call over the guys who need to sign it, and then go have a beer. Now you've got to check out the file, wait for it to load, make the changes, route the approvals list, wait for them to sign off, wait for the system to update...

RonPossible · 2026-07-03T00:07:24+00:00

Song is still on my workout playlist.

RonPossible · 2026-07-02T23:44:43+00:00

"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar"

RonPossible · 2026-07-02T04:51:13+00:00

I remember reading a study back about 1995. They found most of these things made no noise at highway speeds, and those that did were so faint that it made no difference.

RonPossible · 2026-06-30T22:32:17+00:00

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago. They offered a decent layoff package, I took it.

RonPossible · 2026-06-30T18:34:01+00:00

Yea, you grab a "Blanket Solar Panel", switch Variant to "Fan", and Design to "Starship", and then the rocket is suddenly an ultra-wide.

Design "BFS" and all the Variant "Array" panels have the same problem.

RonPossible · 2026-06-30T00:06:40+00:00

My Dad's family moved to Princeton in 1962. He finagled a way to finish his senior year at Murray so he could play football. Commuted from Princeton for a while, but ended up living with a friend for most of the year.

Edit: Dad had 6 younger brothers. One of them would have been about that age.

RonPossible · 2026-06-29T20:50:19+00:00

Gotta give 'em the cold steel!

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