The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. Table of Contents 1. While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. Cookie Settings, pilot. Operation Honey Badger was canceled after the hostages were released on 20 January 1981, and for a short while, it looked as if the task force would be disbanded and the personnel returned to their former units. 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. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. Cookie Policy (7.62MM) Scout pilots were a different breed of cat, says Cobra pilot Jim Kane, who likens his former colleagues to the airborne equivalent of the Tunnel Rats, soldiers who crawled head-first into Viet Cong-built tunnels without any idea what awaited them there. South Vietnam In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. Possible mast-mounted sight. A.J. Ultimately, Hughes was selected as the winner of the competition. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) A recontoured nose allowed for greater leg and head room. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. The-21C was extensively used by the US Army to transport troops and supplies. The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. It never flew again. When Chuck Gross left for Vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteen-year-old army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. One of the most dangerous helicopter assignments was a tiny scout helicopter known as the Loach. Officially designated the OH-6 Cayuse, these things were made of thin plexiglass and metal but were expected to fly low over the jungles and grass, looking for enemy forces hiding in the foliage. Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade: Jan 70 May 70 The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. Nate Shaffer has restored a Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter. The Model 369, with its Allison T63-A-5A series turboshaft engine, took its first flight on February 27, 1963, under the military designation YOH-6A. Here are the 24 helicopters used in Vietnam. The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. 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. Army units this aircraft deployed with in Vietnam: Troop B, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug '68 - Oct '70. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. 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. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). . Though Cobra pilots were trained Stateside, most Loach pilots didnt take control of OH-6s until arriving in Vietnam. Up against Fairchild Hiller, Hughes Tool Company purposely undervalued its cost estimates, earning the company favor and the contract. Advertising Notice While the already-produced OH-6 Cayuses were being deployed to Vietnam in 1967, production costs were beginning to rise. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. It was reasonably fast, very crashworthy, comparatively easy to maintain and fly, and extraordinarily maneuverable. 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. I have come home with blood on my windshield. 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. The Cayuse . It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. During 1966, the OH-6 entered service with the U.S. Army, it promptly arrived into active combat in the Vietnam War. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. The helicopter Continued Flight. The US Army charged Hughes for 714 units with the serial production contract formally announced in May of 1965. The Huey descended gingerly into a clearing smaller than its main rotor diameter, the aircrafts rotor blades chopping tree limbs as it descended. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. 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. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . This.
Vietnam War helicopter pilots bring stories and aircraft to Topeka Vietnam War Era Hughes OH-6 Loach Helicopter - YouTube We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. At peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. s/n 66-07841. Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. 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. Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. Once enemy positions opened fire at the Cayuse, they were destroyed by the mighty firepower of escorting Cobras. The hunter-killer tactic worked well for a few years, but by the time the United States left Vietnam, it was obsolete, says Mills. Accordingly, this tactic had resulted in substantial losses being incurred on the contract with the U.S. Army; the company had allegedly anticipated that an extended production cycle would eventually make the rotorcraft financially viable. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. | The following text is exclusive to this site. The AH/MH Little Birds were lifted by a single C-5 Galaxy, and two C-130 Hercules, along with all support kits for the battalion. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Unknown as to mission impact. For this, a small rotorcraft capable of landing in restrictive locations and easily transportable via US Air Force transport aircraft was necessary.
While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. EH-6B, a previous version of the Little Bird, was used for command, control and radio relay. The OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. 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. Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter MD-530MG/Defender: Has a mast-mounted sight, and incorporated upgrades of all previous variants. The Mil Mi-8 is a Soviet medium twin-turbine helicopter. President As we navigate rapidly evolving military culture and Like any deployed troops, Russian soldiers make calls Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles.
Loach helicopter hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy 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). 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. Adopted after. Date: 03/25/1970 Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. During 1967, following price escalations for the OH-6, the U.S. Army reopened the programme to bids for as many as 2,700 additional airframes beyond the 1,300 OH-6s already contracted. They would then call in scouts on the ground or infantrymen to hunt for the enemy in the brush while attack helicopters protected everyone. The Loach also had its own gunner in the rear and could carry everything from 7.62mm miniguns to 70mm rockets and anti-tank missiles. An author of aviation books, his latest is Howards Whirlybirds. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) Your email address will not be published. MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. The OH-6D was an improved version with more advanced electronics and heavier armament. The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. Unit: 173 ABN 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.
Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. Upon landing, an inspection revealed a damaged pitch link, a rotor head component so critical that had it failed, they too would have crashed. The OH-6 Cayuse was developed from specifications issued by the U.S. Army in 1960 for a light observation helicopter (LOH), and the familiar Loach nickname was derived from the acronym. Hughes Tool Company, Aircraft Division - USA, (View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers), Dominican Republic; Denmark; Japan; Spain; Taiwan; United States, (OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable), Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout, X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator), (Showcased structural values pertain to the base Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) production variant), RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030, (Showcased performance specifications pertain to the. The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse was quite effective when teamed with the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter as part of what were known as Pink Teams, combining the OH-6A Loach (white team) with a AH-1G Cobra atacke helicopter (red team). They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. 2 Stinger AAM. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. 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. The OH-6 was developed in response to the United States Army issuing Technical Specification 153 in 1960 to replace its Bell H-13 Sioux fleet. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. [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. [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. Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. Thats why the majority of pilots who served in Vietnam shared the opinion that, if you were going to crash, it was best to do it in a Loach. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. The Cobra was fast and deadly. Disclaimer Photographs 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.
Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By The helicopter was hit in the Left Side A little gory but thats how close we were. As the Loach flew among the trees, the rear-seat pilot in the Snake circling above kept a close eye on the little scout and the front-seat gunner jotted down whatever the Loach observers radioed. They were famous for being shot down or crashing in combat. [24][25] As to indicate the position of concealed enemy ground forces, the observer in the OH-6 would mark the spot using a smoke grenade, assisting other units in effectively firing upon them. 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. 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. Books/Magazines The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 The shelf life of a scout pilot was probably six months. Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. Moore served as an Army OH-6A Loach scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province.
Shop | Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs. The Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. [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. Lt. Col. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . In August 1967, the AH-1G Cobra arrived in Vietnam. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. 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. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Required fields are marked *. which many are taken will be available from our shop to The AH-1 is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Huey Cobra or The Snake. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work. 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]. It had no hydraulic system and its electrical setup was used primarily to start up the enginesimple even by 1960s standards, which for practical purposes meant it was easier to maintain and harder to shoot down than other helicopters. The Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly designed to be used on ships that werent large enough to carry a full-sized helicopter. 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. Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. It is 1/6th scale and very large, has to be at least 3 feet from rotor tip to rotor tip. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots.
US Army Loach OH-6 Helicopter Vietnam War Era - YouTube I was just out of flight school when I went to Vietnam. He flew Loaches for the next 11 months, and today is an accountant in Seattle. 2 Hellfire ATGM Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. All Rights Reserved. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon.
The Incident - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website 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.
Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 67-16304 The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. Due to its unique shape, the Loach was given the nickname . These helicopters were mostly used for observation, reconnaissance, utility, and for providing combat support. Several Kawasaki-built Loach helicopters were also flown by civilian customers for a variety of reasons, including emergency medical services, law enforcement tasks and for work in the agricultural sector. On a few occasions, the OH-23 was also used for medical evacuation purposes, but this was rarely the case. Armament During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. Upon encountering enemy fire, Loaches were to leave immediately, dropping smoke grenades to mark the target so that within seconds, the Cobra could roll in. 605th transportation Company (Direct Support): Nov . Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. The OH-6A would find targets by flying low, trolling for fire, and lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack. This was a Combat incident. Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. 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 [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes.
OH-6 Loach - Light Observation Helicopter - Brickmania Toys Hughes OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter - MILITARY TODAY On 27 February 1963, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. 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. Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. 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. When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph.