They chose the OH-6A scout helicopter to fill that role, and it became known as the Little Bird compared to the other aircraft in the task force, the MH-60 and the MH-47. Provision for packaged armament on port side, including an XM-27 7.62mm (0.300in) machine-gun with 2,000 - 4,000 rounds of ammunition; or an XM-75 grenade launcher, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and Task Force 160, List of military aircraft of the United States, Hearings on military posture and H.R. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. You were killed, shot down, or got scared and quit. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. Furthermore, a number of civilian customers also flew Kawasaki-built OH-6s for a variety of missions, including emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, and agricultural work. Ace Cozzalio was among the most colorful characters of the Vietnam War. Total flight hours at this point: 00000496 SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. Observation Helicopters Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. [16], Early on in the OH-6's career, the type demonstrated its performance in a particularly prominent manner via the setting of 23 individual world records for helicopters during 1966 in the categories of speed, endurance and time to climb. During the Vietnam War, it was exclusively used by North Vietnam for reconnaissance and VIP transport. South Vietnam Although most combat aircraft in Vietnam aimed for altitudes and speeds that helped them avoid anti-aircraft weapons, U.S. Army crews flying Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopters flew low and drew fireto set up the shots for the Bell AH-1G Cobras circling above. It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,400. These choppers were modified for combat rescue missions and had self-sealing fuel tanks, rescue hoist, and in-flight refueling abilities. The Loach's main role was reconnaisance and observation. Worthy, the OH-6 Loach and two other air scout helicopter pilots, all decorated, were in Topeka on Saturday night for an event at Forbes Field Airport designed to increase interest and. On the night of 56 December 1972, the remaining helicopter deployed a wiretap near Vinh, Vietnam; useful information provided from this wiretap was acted on by the United States on several occasions, such as during the Linebacker II campaign and Paris Peace Talks. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. Late in the war, the HH-43 was also deployed for short overland search and rescue missions. About Us | The Cayuse . In this theatre, it was commonly operated in teams with other rotorcraft, such as the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, using so-called "hunter-killer" tactics to flush out and eliminate hostile ground targets; the OH-6 would act as bait to draw enemy fire and mark targets for other platforms such as the AH-1 to attack. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft were returned to the U.S., where they were dismantled and converted back to a standard configuration; they continued to be operated as such for a time. We flew down along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he says of the supply route that wound through Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. Following the lead, we got peppered with rounds. The Loach had a bad vibration, but he made it about half a mile before he had to land. The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam With US Army evaluations of each prototype ongoing, the underpowered Bell offering was formally dropped from contention and the US Army decision favored the Hughes design over the Fairchild-Hiller. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. To remedy this shortcoming, the Army began developing a special aviation task force to prepare for the next attempt to rescue the hostages: Operation Honey Badger. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) The Model 206 was mostly employed as a general utility helicopter, but at times it was also used for transporting troops and high command, in addition to serving observational and reconnaissance roles during the Vietnam war. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Contact | Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. Following a competitive fly-off and a sealed bidding process, Hughes lost the contract to Bell, resulting in the competing Bell OH-58 Kiowa being produced. [8][9], A total of 387 OH-6/Hughes 369s were produced under license in Japan by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Here are the 24 helicopters used in Vietnam. While its light aluminum skin could be easily penetrated by small arms fire, it also crumpled and absorbed energy in a crash while the rugged structure protected key systems and its crew; even though the OH-6 was relatively difficult to shoot down, its occupants would often survive forced landings that would have likely been fatal onboard other rotorcraft. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. The OH-6/Model 369 was also license-produced overseas by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries for both military and civilian operators. The Gyrodyne company built the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) to combat submarines from a distance. [27], During the early 1970s, Soviet-supplied SA-7 Grail shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles emerged amongst North Vietnamese troops; one hit could down a Loach, potentially dealing fatal damage before its crew were aware that they were under fire. They were usually joined by Cobra gunships either in hunter-killer teams where the Loach hunted and the Cobra killed or in air mobile cavalry units where both airframes supported cavalry and infantrymen on the ground. This was a Combat incident. Best Vietnam Helicopter Book - General Helicopter Forum - Vertical Setting 23 world records for speed, distance, and altitude, the Hughes Tool Company OH-6 entered service in September of 1966. Table of Contents 1. During the Vietnam war, the HH-43 Huskie was used for more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined. Privacy Statement He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. Date: 03/25/1970 Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Loach and Cobra were in constant radio communication, and because of the intensity of hunter-killer missions, it wasnt long before pairs in each type knew each other well enough to anticipate the others moves. So I engaged the enemy, but didnt make it out of that one. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 The-21C was extensively used by the US Army to transport troops and supplies. Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. Cobra Gunship, Huey and Loach OH-6 Members of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry dedicated an OH-6 Loach Scout helicopter flown by their unit during the Vietnam War The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. Sensing its growing battlefield requirements, the US Army then raised the production ceiling to 1,300 units in all. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. It is 1/6th scale and very large, has to be at least 3 feet from rotor tip to rotor tip. I tried to move the stuck controls and prayed for a place to set down. It took all of Kanes strength to pull out of a steep dive, and they crash-landed with a horrific thud. In the Vietnam War, these choppers were used to recover downed aircraft. The Loach could be terrifying since it was often used with the AH-1 Cobra in hunter-killer missions, where the Loach would go out and find the enemy positions and the Cobra would go in for the kill with rocket, grenade, and minigun fire. A recontoured nose allowed for greater leg and head room. We were about ready to call in tactical air support to blow up the wrecked ship when another Cobra took a lot of fire. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. The type was born from the US Army Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program (which provided its "Loach" nickname) and ultimately proved an excellent helicopter system seeing only limited service in the inventories of several American allies worldwide. Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. The helicopter was inducted as the OH-6 "Cayuse" and would eventually take on the in-the-field nickname of "Loach" in reference to its "LOH" origins. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. The Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) (formerly Hughes model 369A) OH-6A was designed for use as a military scout during the Vietnam war to meet the US Army's need for an extremely maneuverable light observation helicopter. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. [4] The prototypes were delivered to the U.S. Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where they competed against the other ten prototype aircraft produced by Bell and Fairchild-Hiller. Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. The Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By The US Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) trains and graduates qualified engineering test pilots, flight test officers, and flight test engineers to conduct test and evaluation (T & E) at the Naval Air Warfare Center-Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) Patuxent River Maryland and other activities. This teamwork was actively encouraged by Army officials, and led to the development of so-called "hunter-killer" tactics that sought to flush out and eliminate hostile ground targets. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like . As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. Cartas de Lee: La historia de un hombre de Vietnam por Larayne M. Topp In terms of its basic configuration, the Model 369 had an atypical teardrop-shaped fuselage, a feature that led to personnel sometimes referring to it as the "flying egg". During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. The Cobra is a single-engine attack helicopter produced by Bell Helicopter as a primary attack helicopter in the Vietnam War for aerial assaults or as air cavalry. The architects of the task force identified the need for a small helicopter to land in the most restrictive locations and that was also easily transported on Air Force transport aircraft. Your email address will not be published. Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . The Army requested 714 helicopters in May 1965, a number that was later increased to 1,300. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. It had a distinct teardrop-shaped fuselage, which made it instantly recognizable, and a cockpit for two crew members, along with two removable seats in the passenger cabin. During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded the production contract to Hughes. In order to reduce their acoustic signature, the helicopters (N351X and N352X) received a four-blade 'scissors' style tail rotor (later incorporated into the Hughes-designed AH-64 Apache), a fifth rotor blade and reshaped rotor tips, a modified exhaust system, and various other performance boosting modifications. Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade: Jan 70 May 70 In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). I spent more time with them., Kids Start Forgetting Early Childhood Around Age 7, Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar, Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds, 5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq, The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars. 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. On a few occasions, the OH-23 was also used for medical evacuation purposes, but this was rarely the case. From the rear cockpit, the pilot fired rockets from launchers fixed to the stub wings on either side; the copilot in the front operated a chin turret that held a minigun and grenade launcher. It was pretty hairy, and we got the hell out of there. But Boucher got a rush from the missions, and stayed six months beyond what was required of a draftee. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. The four-passenger teardrop shaped "Flying egg" (six-passenger with rear seats folded-down) was a small, light, sturdy, maneuverable helicopter, with very low drag. Vietnam Veteran and his Helicopter Reunited. Helicopter took 1 hits from: Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. Cobras, nicknamed Snakes, flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the Loach found. https://warandlifediscussions.weebly.com/Any veteran who served in any combat zone in any capacity is invited to contact Preston Jones: pjones@jbu.edu / (479) 524-7488 I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. We got into another aircraft and went back out. 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms [13][3] Beginning in 2001, the JGSDF OH-6s were supplemented by the indigenously-developed Kawasaki OH-1, a more advanced observation helicopter. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. The high-low hunter-killer combination gave way to uniform-altitude missions, with all helicopters flying nap of the earth. The aircraft, dubbed 500P (penetrator) by Hughes, began as an ARPA project, codenamed "Mainstreet", in 1968. Adopted after the company behind its design deceived the US Army, the Loach helicopter, as it was better known, fast became the primary chopper flown in Vietnam. What was a loach helicopter? - Quora A total of five prototypes were built, all of which were powered by a single Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft engine, capable of producing 252shp (188kW). While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0060 feet and 010 knots. We operated from fixed bases that were islands, if you will, of allied control, says Hugh Mills, who flew both Loaches and Cobras in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972, and went on to fly helicopters for the Kansas City Police Department. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . It was reasonably fast, very crashworthy, comparatively easy to maintain and fly, and extraordinarily maneuverable. They were famous for being shot down or crashing in combat. Possible mast-mounted sight. The OH-6A was powered by a single Allison T63-A-5A 285 shp turboshaft engine, and had a cruising speed of 144 mph (125 knots). Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. The Army dictated that after 300 hours of flight time, each Loach go through a thorough inspection, but in practice such inspections were rare: Few Loaches survived to reach that mark. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. Up against Fairchild Hiller, Hughes Tool Company purposely undervalued its cost estimates, earning the company favor and the contract. 2 MK19 40-mm grenade launcher During 1964, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a memorandum directing that all U.S. Army fixed-wing aircraft be transferred to the U.S. Air Force, while the U.S. Army transitioned to solely operating rotor-wing aircraft. Tough Mission LOACH Chopper Vietnam - YouTube External load capacity was approximately 1,200 Lbs (550 kg), and transport capability 2 or 3 troops or cargo internally. Loach helicopter hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy Anthony is our resident military expert who uses his experience to write about all aspects of flying in the military, including what it takes to become a pilot and serve your country. Loaches, usually with a pilot and observer and sometimes a door gunner aboard, flew as little as 10 feet above the treetops at between about 45 and 60 mph, scouting for signs of the enemy. Towards the end of the conflict, the replacement of the OH-6 by the Bell OH-58 Kiowa was imminent across nearly all US Army units. Disclaimer Photographs Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Each could be equipped with any number of armaments, including grenade launchers, 7.62 mm miniguns, Hydra 70 mm unguided rockets, and TOW and Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles. The OH-6A Cayuse fulfilled this role and became known as the Little Bird. The pilots tasked with operating the choppers were selected from the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. [6], During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded a production contract to Hughes; this initial order for 714 rotorcraft was subsequently increased to 1,300 along with an option for another 114. By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. As well, its tough frame made it safer than other helicopters during crashes, as its aluminum skin absorbed the energy and the structure protected the crew. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Search and Rescue Helicopters 5. The observers and gunners had even less experience. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. Worthy, the OH-6 Loach and two other air scout helicopter pilots, all decorated, were in Topeka on Saturday night for an event at Forbes Field Airport designed to increase interest and. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. The type was born from the US Army Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program (which provided its "Loach" nickname) and ultimately proved an excellent helicopter system seeing only limited service in the inventories of several American allies worldwide. By Richard Toops. The Korean War proved the necessity for such rotorcraft, particularly in regard to search and rescue operations. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter Armament It could accomplish missions that bigger, slower and louder helicopters couldnt do. The Bell UH-1 Huey & the Hughes OH-6 Loach I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Over time, the effectiveness of this pairing was such that enemies would often decide against firing on the relatively vulnerable OH-1 in fear of the response that would be unleased by the AH-1. The Incident - Operation Triumphus I had another lead that went through 150 feet of trees, and they survived., Shafer himself had brushes with disaster, and his luck nearly ran out on a mission west of Dak To, near the border with Laos. Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Advertising Notice The OH-6A Cayuse was quite effective when teamed with the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter as part of what were known as Pink Teams. That was about it.. The Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly designed to be used on ships that werent large enough to carry a full-sized helicopter. Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. purchase. Find Us on Facebook, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC). When the training was completed, C-141 Starlifter airlifters transported both rotorcraft and crews to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for two weeks of mission training. 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 Cookie Settings, pilot. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. In support of the Helicopter Flight Mechanics syllabus, the USNTPS operates surplus Army OH-6B Helicopters which were refurbished by the Army National Guard, Gulfport, Mississippi in 1991. It was the same for Jim. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. This helicopter was chosen by the US Army over the proposals of a number of other helicopter manufactures, designated the OH-6A Cayuse, and entered service in 1965. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon The AH-6 and its troop-carrying sibling, the MH-6, are still heavily used by U.S. special-operations forces, as everything from airborne sniper platforms to transports inserting small teams to expeditionary light attack helicopters. The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs. Required fields are marked *. Cobras generally attacked with rockets, preferred for long-range accuracy, switching to the less-accurate chin-mounted machine gun and grenade launcher only if they were far enough away from friendly troops or if the rocketsAH-1s could carry as many as 76 rocketsran out. The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse was the fourth line of tandem rotor helicopters developed by Piasecki Helicopters. Loach come from the LOH which means Light Observation Helicopter. Lt. Col. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. 10 Types of Helicopters in Vietnam (Vietnam Era Helicopters) - Aero Corner Krausz was ordered to Vietnam in April 1971, and today teaches Army students how to fly the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota, a twin-engine trainer. Both the Pilot and Observer/Gunner positions were equipped with carbon fiber side panels and seats. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER Books/Magazines The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. The mission training consisted of loading onto C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which would then transport them to forward staging areas over routes as long as 1,000 nautical miles (1,900km). Moses, a 19-year-old draftee, arrived in Vietnam in July 1970 for the first of two year-long tours, and later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a therapist and administrator. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. US Army Loach OH-6 Helicopter Vietnam War Era Steve1958OR 242 subscribers 14K views 9 years ago A friend came by today with his Vietnam war era Hughs OH-6 Loach helicopter. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. It had to do with the timbre of your voicehow you talked to other guys on the radio, says Romero, who arrived in Vietnam in 1970, initially as a Huey co-pilot. An inventive Bell Helicopter engineer was already at work on the worlds first attack helicopter, and Bells decision to keep the project hidden until complete let the model slip into service as a Huey derivative (see The Birth of the Cobra, Aug. 2017). After evaluation, three designs were selected and 5 of each: the Bell OH-4A; the Hiller OH-5 and the Hughes OH-6, were ordered for trials by the U.S.Army Aviation Board. The 1-245 modified infantry night vision goggles and worked to develop the necessary skills for rapid deployment with Little Birds and C-130s.[31]. Another such gunner was 19-year-old Joel Boucher, drafted and sent to Vietnam from 1967 to 1969. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. Loach History - Fly in a Vietnam War Helicopter Tough Mission LOACH Chopper Vietnam - YouTube 0:00 / 5:15 Intro Tough Mission LOACH Chopper Vietnam Chopperguy 15.4K subscribers Subscribe 1.1K 53K views 1 year ago We fly with Low Level. Loach and Cobra crews lived together, and schedulers generally paired the teams with the partners they requested, though given the high turnover rate, that wasnt always possible. . [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground.
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