Ken wrote:
Accidentally came across a photo of a tour group standing under a C-130A at Khe Sanh. This link shows a memorial or museum on the site including a UH-1, CH-47, and C-130. I doubt any Herks were left on site so I'm guessing it was transported in or possibly flown in; either way seems like a big deal for the Vietnamese to undertake. A bid for tourism dollars perhaps?
http://www.mishalov.com/vietnam.11-12march2013.htmlNeat link, thank you. The aircraft on display (UH-1, CH-47 and C-130) actually look pretty good, much better than the pictures of most aircraft in Vietnamese museums, where Mig 17's and 21's, many with war records and kills, have been rotting away for years.
I imagine the wesern tourists are more interested in visiting such places and seeing such artifacts, thus the preservation- so yes I'd say a bid for toursim.
The C-130, an A model, with serial 56-0532 (if the same aircraft) was indeed derelict at TSN after the fall of SVN. I do give them credit for preserving the aircraft with US style paint and markings, but the the C-130 looks a bit off. While it looks fair from a distance, guess they went for the same olive drab green overall as for the UH-1 and CH-47. I would think SEA cammo would be more accurate for this airframe?