The Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. 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. [23][22] Such a team would have normally comprised a single OH-6 that would fly relatively slow and at a low altitude while attempting to spot the presence of enemies. You were killed, shot down, or got scared and quit. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. 2 .50 cal MG pods While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. 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. The Light Observation Helicopter ( LOH) program was a United States Army program to evaluate, develop and field a light scout helicopter to replace the Army's aging Bell OH-13 Sioux. Helicopter took 2 hits from: Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. Total flight hours at this point: 00000496 They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. In response, a task force was developed originally designated Task Force 158 for the next attempt to rescue the hostages, Operation Honey Badger. Hughes Tool Company Aircraft Division submitted their Model 369 to fill a US Army requirement for a Light Observation Helicopter capable of performing a number of secondary duties including escort, attack and casualty evacuation duties. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. You were right in the enemys face with a helicopter and had to know what you were doing, recalls warrant officer Clyde Romero of his 1,100 hours flying scout missions over South Vietnam in 1971. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (nicknamed "Loach", after the requirement acronym LOHLight Observation Helicopter) is a single-engine light helicopter with a four-bladed main rotor used for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. I have come home with blood on my windshield. Your email address will not be published. Late in the war, the HH-43 was also deployed for short overland search and rescue missions. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Since units were all but permanently assigned to particular areas, they came to know the local geography intimately and could spot anything out of the ordinary. If you would like In August 1967, the AH-1G Cobra arrived in Vietnam. Fitted with 1x 253-shp Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft, 4 bladed main rotor, and an offset "V" tail. Your email address will not be published. The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. In addition, an M60D 7.62mm machine gun could be mounted in the front port (left) or rear starboard (right) door openings. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like cabin, improving the survival chances of the crew and passengers. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. MD-530MG/Defender: Has a mast-mounted sight, and incorporated upgrades of all previous variants. 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. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. [13][3] Beginning in 2001, the JGSDF OH-6s were supplemented by the indigenously-developed Kawasaki OH-1, a more advanced observation helicopter. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. Vietnam War Era Hughes OH-6 Loach Helicopter 60,632 views Mar 30, 2013 327 Dislike Share Save Steve1958OR 221 subscribers A friend came by with his restored US Army Loach OH-6 helicopter. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) Pilot sold separately. AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. The Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. 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. On the night of 5-6 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. Furthermore, the helicopter was also developed into a civilian helicopter, the Model 500, which was still in production into the twenty-first century under MD Helicopters as the MD 500. Front left side view of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter; color, Right side view of the Hughes OH-6 Loach in flight; color. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. ). Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the US Army were destroyed in the Vietnam theatre, the majority of these losses being a result of hostile action, typically ground fire. Cookie Policy Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse, was designed for use as a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) nicknamed LOACH, military scout during the Vietnam war to meet the U.S. Armys need for an extremely maneuverable observation helicopter. 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. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER Helicopter took 1 hits from: I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. 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. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods. It gained impetus with the advent of the Vietnam War, and was aided by advances in helicopter technology, specifically the development of the turboshaft engine. To hunt for encampments, bunkers, or other signs of the enemy, commanders would deploy a flight of one scouting Loach and one supporting Cobra, called Pink Teams. Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong], Mills continues. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. 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. Date: 03/25/1970 Observation Helicopters 4. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. Adopted after. Terms and Conditions, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC) Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 Vietnams mountainous terrain stressed the underpowered, obsolete helicopters to their limits: They could neither fly fast enough to escape enemy fire nor carry enough armament to pose a meaningful threat. Within that same year, help was on the way. Lt. Col. The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6. 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. While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0060 feet and 010 knots. On 27 February 1963, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. [27] During June 1972, they were deployed to a secret base in southern Laos (PS-44), where one of the helicopters was heavily damaged during a training mission late in the summer. 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. The Sea Stallion is a variant of the Jolly Green Giant, but its used only for sea transport. Contact | Search and Rescue Helicopters 5. Unlike previous aircraft, the Tarhe was extremely successful during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army began to use Bell OH-13 Sioux and Hiller OH-23 Raven helicopters, once artillery spotters, to scout ahead of UH-1D Huey formations in the moments before air assaults to gather information about landing zones and enemy locations. 608th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support): Mar 72 MD-500MD/Scout and TOW Defender: Improved military version of the model 500 with 5 main rotor blades, 375-shp Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine, and T-tail. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. | The following text is exclusive to this site. 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. Despite a strong outcry from crews in Vietnam, the Bell OH-58A Kiowa, powered by the same Allison T-63 engine as the OH-6, was being distributed to Army units. 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. Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. Upon landing, an inspection revealed a damaged pitch link, a rotor head component so critical that had it failed, they too would have crashed. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. The observers and gunners had even less experience. Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. The task force, which had been designated as Task Force 158, was soon formed into the 160th Aviation Battalion. Due to its unique shape, the Loach was given the nickname . The Huskie was used by the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. Armament As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. At peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. The Loach helicopter was pitted against what was then known as the Bell Model 206. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. 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. The OH-6 was largely removed from active U.S. Army service in favor of the Kiowa, but modified versions of the helicopter flew with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as the MH-6C Little Bird as late as 2008. South Vietnam This. The Little Birds weaponry is a far cry from the M60 machine gun carried aboard a Loach in Vietnam: AH-6s can carry miniguns, rocket pods, grenade launchers, Hellfire missiles, and air-to-air Stinger missiles. 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. [7] The Hiller design, designated OH-5A,[7] had featured a boosted control system, while the Hughes design did not, a difference that accounted for some of the price increase. It later turned out that Howard Hughes purposely undervalued his estimate and deceptively won out against Fairchild-Hiller - his reasoning being that a long-term US Army commitment to his helicopter would, over time, make the deal profitable at some point. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. (7.62MM) During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. 2 Stinger AAM. It was barely used in the Vietnam War because it was replaced by the more advanced Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw. But the Hueys proved too slow to do the job properly, and the need to replace both scouts and protectors was immediately evident. 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. It was reasonably fast, very crashworthy, comparatively easy to maintain and fly, and extraordinarily maneuverable. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 which many are taken will be available from our shop to Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. We got into another aircraft and went back out. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the U.S. Army were destroyed in Vietnam alone. Cobras, nicknamed Snakes, flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the Loach found. Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. The US Army charged Hughes for 714 units with the serial production contract formally announced in May of 1965. A.J. These choppers were modified for combat rescue missions and had self-sealing fuel tanks, rescue hoist, and in-flight refueling abilities. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. [2] Twelve companies opted to participate in the competition, Hughes Tool Company's Aircraft Division being one of them, submitted the Model 369 as its response. 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). It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . Home | Fewer than 2,000 of the type were produced though the original went on to spawn a plethora of viable performers including the Hughes 500 "Defender" and the special forces-minded MH-6 "Little Bird". 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. When the 1980 hostage situation of Operation Eagle Claw was deemed a disaster, the US military realized there was a lack of aircraft and personnel trained for such special operations. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. 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. 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). [12] Accordingly, during 1968, Hughes submitted a bid to build a further 2,700 airframes. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. 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. His three tours to Vietnam included death-defying scouting missions piloting his Hughes OH-6 light observation helicopter (or Loach) as well as gunship runs inside his AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.. Cozzalio was also involved in nine aircraft mishaps; he was shot down six times and suffered three hard landings. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. The Army initially ordered 1,438 Hughes Model 369s, designated by the Army as the OH-6A Cayuse helicopters. The Model 369 had a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that had strong crashworthiness properties and provided excellent external visibility. Up against Fairchild Hiller, Hughes Tool Company purposely undervalued its cost estimates, earning the company favor and the contract. The Hughes (Model 500M) international military version was sold in ten countries and built under license in Italy and Japan. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. Despite having been designed for anti-submarine combat, the Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly used for conducting reconnaissance of enemy vessels in the Vietnam war, instead of actual combat. The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. 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. [2] Originally designated as the YHO-6A according to the Army's designation system, the aircraft was redesignated as the YOH-6A in 1962 when the Department of Defense created a joint designation system for all aircraft. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. Advertising Notice Reportedly, Hughes had consulted at the last moment with Real, who recommended a bid of $53,550. 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. Systems damaged were: COMM SYS, STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENTS, PERSONNEL We were so close to the elephant grass that wed blow the grass apart to see if anyone was hiding in there, observer Bob Moses says. 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. The SeaCobra was a twin-engine attack helicopter that was developed from the single-engine AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Its effectiveness in battle allowed it to quickly replace the Bell H-13 Siouxs being operated in the country. I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. Onboard UH1 Huey helicopter (SN 66-163-56) was Aircraft Commander, WO William H. Seaborn Jr., myself as . (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) Rattler One-Seven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. The AH-1J SeaCobra was used later in the later stages of the Vietnam war. More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. History | Casualties = 01 WIA . Unit: 173 ABN The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam Radiomen in the Vietnam War faced a 5-second life expectancy 5 cringeworthy military slang terms (that we should actually retire) From nursing to newspapers, these were the women of Vietnam See his memoir Warpath: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60299643-warpath Posted as part of the \"War \u0026 Life: Discussions with Veterans\" project. Terms of Use The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. [10][self-published source][11], Due to price escalations for both the OH-6 and spare components, the U.S. Army opted to reopen bids for the programme in 1967. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. Disclaimer Photographs
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