H-34 exhaust covers colors?

[Ryan]

http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=2988
green
http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=4144
yellow
http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=2588
red/orange
http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=1473
red
http://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=290
blue

Why are the exhaust covers different colors? Thanks for the help.

Semper Fi,
Ryan

[Joe Hanner]

Not sure what you are looking at. In the photo of the 34 with the blue, the blue is the turtle back/ dog house where the air from the transmission cooler is blown out. The color has to do with the squadron. The exhaust is through the left clamshell door at the front of the aircraft. In HMM-263 [66-67], the crew chiefs had vinyl covers made to put over the exhaust stacks when the aircraft was secured to keep water/trash from getting in the stacks while parked. They were blue, again the squadron color. Hope this helps. Joe H.

[GEORGE CURTIS]

Just to clear up a little confusion, you are referring to what was commonly referred to as the “Turtle back” of the UH-34Ds not the engine exhaust covers. The area is number 5 on the diagram below, officially called the "Main Gearbox Cooling Duct Outlet “, these turtle back covers were commonly painted different color screams to identify different Squadrons. In Vietnam HMM-363 had pure Red turtlebacks.

[Ryan]

GTG. Thanks Joe and George for straighting me out.

Is there a “Turtle back” list of who flew what when?Thanks for the help.

Semper Fi,
Ryan

[george mckee]

exhaust covers were made in the local paraloft and were generally made of whatever color they had on hand at the time the way i remember it. 'cource it has been a long time.