VIETNAM WAR HUEY SURVIVAL KIT DISPLAY MODEL

[wolfbay]

This is a cutaway display of a guided missile shipping tube attached to a plywood hedged stand that was used to cram full of survival gear and store on Hueys in case of crash. This came from a Retried Chief's estate who was at the survival school here as NAS Pensacola during the Vietnam War. The kit has two cutaway windows to see the contents. I have not opened it yet, a little afraid I may not be able to get it all back in. You can see several survival food cans (they have been opened), florescent orange panels, a battery in military box, a black matches canister, some kind of green cloth like tent half on the right side. On the left side is a flair, smoke grenade, string, a red handled survival saw, a camouflage cloth and a survival book.

 

[wolfbay]

Close-up

[dustin]

That is pretty darn neat! I cannot add any info but can say once you remove the contents they are a real bear to back in just right as kits like this are packed to the hilt with zero tolerance.

Most of the items I see are not too difficult to obtain. What I would do is take some pictures then gently peal back the layers to get a look at the buried contents, take picture then place them back one at a time. Then go shopping! obtain those pieces and make a complimentary display board with a layout of said components....that would make for a fantastic display!

[mohawkALSE]

Thats not for a Huey, the plywood says AH-1 indicating Cobra. It looks very similar to the AMSS (Aircraft Modular Survival System) used for the AH-1 Cobra, which used an empty TOW missile tube to store its aircrew survival kit. I'm not sure if the Marines every employed a similar item or not but I know the Army had the AH-1 AMSS. The AMSS came out well after Vietnam though.