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Centaur Helicopter Modelers
Detailed and realistic models of some of our helicopters are being made by some very disciplined people called Modelers. Most on Facebook
some recommended Modeler Websites: Modelers Alliance - Scalemates

Gary Schmidt SP5 Cobra Crew Chief 1969 to Sep 1971 with the Centaurs. He designed and painted several Centaur Helicopters with "Nose Art".

"This the model of my AH-1G Cobra 67-15567 I was a Crew Chief on in Vietnam. It took me almost a year to build almost 20 years ago. I had to combine two kits in 1/48 scale, a Fujimi AH-1J and an AH-1S. I switched the tail rotor to the left side and detailed the hub. I scrachbuilt out board rocket pods, minigun, 40mm and modified turret. The cockpit was detailed and includes a photo reduced map of our area of operations. I added main rotor blade tracking fins to the edge of the blades. The canopy was tinted in blue. Each tooth of the sharkmouth was cut out from scrap white decals. I repositioned the nose as it was too up pointed on kit. Added tow rings to the top of skids. The parts that are zinc green are replacement parts left in primer color. I hand painted name The Henchman II and Centaur. The Henchman one (67-15827 my first ship) was shot down and autorotated into a rice paddy, No injuries" -

 I created the UH-D model below as a memorial to SGT Dan Wilson. I flew on occasion as his door gunner. We arrived in country about the same time and worked as hanger bangers on the night shift before becoming crew chiefs. - Gary

John Irwin: Middle manager at an environmental company, father of three girls, cold-war era grunt. Highlight of my time was flying in Hueys (the Army was just transitioning to the Blackhawks when I was in). Always dreamed of being an Army helo pilot (probably because I read Hugh Mill's Low Level Hell) but didn't have the eyes. If you stumble across the pilots or crew members of the "Kansas Killer" (The Cobra model I just built) and they are interested in my model, it's theirs. First come, first served (assuming again I can hand it over to them - too hard to ship).
Just wanted to say again how amazing this website is. We have never been able to find SP5 Donald Vaughn

Michael Peake:Those of us with no such talent outside of gluing parts together have to rely on other means. I can't recall if it was late 70s or early 80s that I purchased my first 1/48 scale die-cast helicopter that happened to be our AH-1G 68-15140, "#1 Du Me Mi," originally flown in-country by Centaur 47 Captain Walter "Russ" Miller Jr. (November 1971-November 1972) and later, Centaur 49 1st Lieutenant Kenneth R. Mick (October 1971- September 1972), both men now deceased.