Paperwork

Lets keep it simple... Most people dislike paperwork.  I will handle all the paperwork so your time can be invested on the project.

H-21 Partial Manuals List

QAM had no manuals when I started the project.  Over time I have purchased or collected several manuals and have digitized many.

Partial List...

Notations:

(1)  Original

(2)  Copy

(3)  Available on CD-ROM  (Mostly in PDF Format)

(4)  Incomplete

(Unless Noted as Incomplete the manauls are consdered complete but this is not guaranteed)

H-21 FAMILIARIZATION MANUAL, SM-365A, August 1959, (1), (3)  (Vertol Publication)

Gift of the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center via Larry Barret

H-21 ILLUSTRATED PARTS BREAKDOWN, TM 1-1H-21(Y)-4, July 1957 (2 Originals, 1-Army, 1-Air Force) (1), (3)

Purchased from ebay

H-21 MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS WIRING DATA AND DIAGRAMS, 

TM 1-1H-21-2-9, November 1957 (2 Originals) (1), (3), (4)

Purchased from ebay

H-21 ROTOR BLADE SETS, T.O 1HA1-2-2-63, July 1959 (3 Originals) 

(1), (3)

Purchased from ebay

H-21 MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM,

TM 1-1H-21-2-8, May 1958, (1), (3), (4)

Purchased from ebay 

H-21 BUILD UP INSTRUCTIONS, AIRCRAFT POWER PACKAGE, TM 1-1H-21(Y) 10, January 1958, (1), (3), (4)

Purcahsed From ebay

H-21 ILLUSTRATED PARTS BREAKDOWN ROTOR TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY, 

TM 1-1HA2-2-3-14, May 1958, (1), (3)

Purchased From ebay

H-21 HANDBOOK MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS, T.O. 1H-21(Y)-2, February 1957

(1), (3), (4)

Purchased from ebay

H-21 FLIGHT HANDBOOK, TM 1-1H-21B-1, November 1957, (1), (3), (4)

HANDBOOK OVERHAUL INSRUCTIONS R-1820-103 AIRCRAFT ENGINE, May 1957, (1), (3)

Purchased from ebay

ILLUSTRATED PARTS BREAKDOWN R-1820-103 AIRCRAFT ENGINE, April 1957, (1), (3)

Purchased from ebay

YH-21 PRELIMINARY FLIGHT HANDBOOK, AN 01-250HDA-1, March 1953, (3)

Purchased from ebay

H-21 HANDBOOK MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS, GROUND HANDLING, SERVICING, LUBRICATION AND AIRFRAME INSTRUCTIONS, T.O. 1-H-21-2-2, August 1958, (1), (3)

Purchased from the Pima County Air and Space Museum

H-21 HANDBOOK MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS POWERPLANT AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS, T.O. 1-H21-2-4, November 1958, (1), (3)

Purchased from the Pima County Air and Space Museum

H-21 HANDBOOK MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS ROTOR AND FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM, T.O. 1-1H-21-2-5, September 1958, (1), (3)

Purchased from the Pima County Air and Space Museum

H-21 HANDBOOK MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS,

T.O. 1-H-21-2-7, September 1958, (1), (3)

Purchased from the Pima County Air and Space Museum

(Unless Noted as Incomplete the manuals are considered complete but this is not guaranteed)

We Are Getting Stuff Done!

While in storage at QAM, before the start of the project, the Auxiliary Alighting Gear (Nose Gear) snapped off.

The damage to the main strut has been repaired and work continues on the the assembly.

We plan on having the forward section of fuselage on it's gear by the middle of this season.

When we went to store the Main Alighting Gear we decided it would be best just put them back on the aft section of the fuselage.  Using only hand tools we put the gear back on the right side of the fuselage, stood the aft section back upright and installed the left gear.

It will be a busy restoration season this year.  Come join us even if you just want to watch.

Can You Help By Building This?

If you can build something like this we really need you.

To view this full size just right click on the image, <save image as> then view the saved file in a pic viewer.

Donald Leon Braman, KIA, January 2, 1963 - South Viet Nam

Specialist 4 Donald Leon Braman was born 1 August 1941 in Mystic, Conn and died 2 January 1963 while serving as a gunner on an CH-21 with the 93rd Transportation Company.

SP4 Donald Leon Braman of Mystic, Conn.

 On 2 January 1963, the 93rd Trans Co was tasked for an air assault by troops of the ARVN, 7th Infantry Division.  All ten CH-21 helicopters were used in the lift.

   On the fourth lift, the landing zone near Ap Bac was ambushed by an entrenched and reinforced VC battalion.  The first 4 CH-21s were able to take off again. The #5 helicopter was shot down, and the #6 CH-21 attempted to pick up the crew of the downed CH-21, but was shot down itself.  The landing zone was judged untenable due to enemy fire, and the remainder of the flight departed for the staging area at Tan Hiep.

   An hour later, ground troops in the area reported that VC firing had subsided and evacuation of the downed crews was possible.

   A CH-21 was dispatched to recover the downed crews and wounded, but the tempo of enemy fire increased and the pilot was wounded. The copilot immediately lifted off, leaving all behind.

   Eight hours later, the downed aircrews were picked up by ARVN armored personnel carriers and moved to an area where they could be evacuated by helicopter.

   By day's end, nine Americans had been wounded and one killed in action.  Of the ten helicopters on the mission, all had been hit by enemy fire, four were shot down and only three could fly back to base.

    SP4 Braman, gunner in the #6 CH-21 was killed.  He received a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions to recover the downed #5 aircrew.

   The 93rd Trans Co eventually became the 121st Assault Helicopter Company.

         

Information From:

http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/museum/transportation%20museum/NAMDIARIES.htm

101 Days

2014 Work Schedule...

As this is an outdoor restoration work on the helicopter is limited.  This year, 2014, the "Hands On" period is from May 24th to September 1st or 101 days.

Since there are only 15 weekends I will do my best to make myself available everyday to any volunteers who wish to work. Leave me your contact information in a comment and I will get back to you.

I will be adding schedule notes as they come up...

May 1st to May 23rd will be the period for getting the restoration site ready.  The main weekend for that will be the 17th and 18th.

September 6th & 7th, End of season picnic and secure site for Winter.

Project 892 Is Back

Restoration Area

We are back.  We have had "interesting times" here but we just landed on our feet and I can again post to the blog.

2013 was an off year for the project.  There was no action on the aircraft itself although a lot of work was done in the office

I see many pages views have been done but no comments.  Please remember that any comment/request will be addressed.

For the modelers out there, we too are building the Italeri 1/72 and the FM 1/48 scale kits as part of the educational portion of the project.  Remember, the first H-21 documentation I had to work with were the directions from the Hobby Craft kit.

As for the FM 1/48 kit, my Brother (the professional museum quality molder builder in the family) said the Illustrated Parts Breakdown manual, and a 1:1 scale model in the backyard are not required but are very helpful.  If you are building an H-21 model we will be glad to share what we know,  If we don't know it already we will do the research and get back to you, as it may help us as well.

So, join us in the project.

Take Care!!!