[Severa]

Wow. You're one of the few I've seen that's actually spoken up in favor of this aircraft *LOL* I see these around NAS Norfolk where my husband is stationed. It never ceases to amaze me that these (sorry, I understand your love for them since they have served you well but to me they're painfully ugly) craft manage to get off the ground, let alone get anywhere.

[ladtx]

...they're painfully ugly) craft manage to get off the ground, let alone get anywhere.

All in the eye of the beholder I suppose. To me it's what a helicopter is supposed to look like. And surprisingly faster than many realize. Ask the Cobra pilot who tried to pass me one day, as he came up on my tail I just keep nosing it over, he never made it past me and I beat him back to base.

[TADSLOS]

Those airframes have been around since the early sixties. The Army has changed the transmissions, engines and other components but the airframe structure is essentialy the same as when originally assembled. That's a testament to this aircraft's durability and utility. They may be ugly to you but they've been damned beautiful to me on many occasions when the alternatives were less than desirable.