loach helicopter vietnam

Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. 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. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. 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. Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By Pilots In Vietnam The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. A.J. Just as I set it down, the tail rotor spun off. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Russian soldiers calls back home reveal horrifying experiences in Ukraine, broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen, could carry everything from 7.62mm miniguns to 70mm rockets and anti-tank missiles, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times, modified versions of the helicopter flew with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as the MH-6C Little Bird as late as 2008, 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Some units were modified during the war with machine guns to act as gunships. [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. 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 pilots dubbed the new helicopter Loach, a word created by pronunciation of the acronym of the program that spawned the aircraft, LOH (light observation helicopter). Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. If you would like 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 OH-6A Cayuse was quite effective when teamed with the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter as part of what were known as Pink Teams. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Pilot sold separately. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. 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. In some areas, Purple Teamsone Loach and two Cobraswere also common, as were other variations.) But the Vietnam War was unlike any previous American conflict; there were few real definable frontlines, and combatants needed to know what was happening all around them, all the time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to him then and what it means to him now. Its effectiveness in battle allowed it to quickly replace the Bell H-13 Siouxs being operated in the country. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. "Pink teams" of scout and attack helicopters, such as OH-6 "Loach" or OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters and the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter during the Vietnam War; In anti-submarine warfare an Maritime patrol aircraft may be employed as "hunter", with surface ships such as destroyers as killers. Within that same year, help was on the way. I have come home with blood on my windshield. [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 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. ). The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. 60th Assault Helicopter Company: Mar 72 Jun 72, Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. OH-6A Cayuse ('Loach') The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. 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 Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded the production contract to Hughes. 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. 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. The Korean War proved the necessity for such rotorcraft, particularly in regard to search and rescue operations. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. This. Its formal name is derived from the Cayuse people while its "Loach" nickname comes from the acronym for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) programme that it was procured under. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Possible mast-mounted sight. 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. 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. Anthony comes from a military family and has served his country proudly in the military as a pilot. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. All Rights Reserved. . But the Hueys proved too slow to do the job properly, and the need to replace both scouts and protectors was immediately evident. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. You can have all the guns, vests, and radios you want, but you need street smarts or youre going to be dead within an hour.. The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs. The OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. The Cobras high above had a few seconds of warningthey could spot the missiles exhaust plumebut were all the more tempting because at their higher altitudes they were more easily seen than the smaller Loaches. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. During the Vietnam War, it was exclusively used by North Vietnam for reconnaissance and VIP transport. The prototype first flew in early 1963, and production began two years later. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. Books/Magazines Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. 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). The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. About Us | In the hunter-killer teams, the Loach would fly low over the jungle, drawing fire and then calling for the Cobra to kill the teams on the ground. [26], During 1972, a pair of heavily modified OH-6As were utilized by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) via Air America for a covert wire-tapping mission. 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 was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. That was about it.. The Model 369 had a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that had strong crashworthiness properties and provided excellent external visibility. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. The Hughes OH-6 "Cayuse" (popularly recognized as the "Loach") was a revolutionary light helicopter mount primarily in service with the United States Army and saw combat service during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. During the course of the competition, the Bell submission, the YOH-4, was eliminated as being underpowered (it was powered by the 250shp (186kW) T63-A-5). [17] On 26 March 1966, Jack Schwiebold set the closed circuit distance record in a YOH-6A at Edwards Air Force Base, California, flying without landing for 1,739.96mi (2,800.20km). The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. Its cockpit teems with electronics and sensors, and its stub wings are heavy with heat-seeking Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, laser-guided Hellfires, rockets (like those used in Vietnam), and even fuel-filled drop tanks. 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. This was a Combat incident. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. There was one day of initial training, says Bob Moses, who was first trained as a tank crewman and then as infantry before a sudden transition to helicopter door gunner. MD-530MG/Defender: Has a mast-mounted sight, and incorporated upgrades of all previous variants. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. Advertising Notice Disclaimer Photographs Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. 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. The Loach helicopter was pitted against what was then known as the Bell Model 206. 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. While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. 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 When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. Although many were still teenagers, their survival depended on well-honed instincts and razor-sharp reflexes, along with plenty of luck. The Cayuse . When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. Primarily, it was used by the Marine Corp to transport personnel and cargo. The killer role persists. On 27 February 1963, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. The Cayuse had a single articulated four-bladed main rotor, a metal two-bladed tail rotor, and a V-shaped tail. The US Army charged Hughes for 714 units with the serial production contract formally announced in May of 1965. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. Following the Second World War, significant advancements were made in the field of rotary-wing flight. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. We got into another aircraft and went back out. Army troops called the OH-6As Loaches, a contraction of light observation helicopters. The ship was unusually light and had plenty of power, perfect for flying nap-of-the-earth missions, and its 26-foot-diameter main rotor made getting into tight landing zones a snap. On 1 October 1986, to help meet the increasing demands for support, the 1-245th Aviation Battalion from the Oklahoma National Guard, which had 25 AH-6 and 23 UH-1 helicopters, was placed under the operational control of the 160th. Unfortunately, the weight of the armament kept the little bird from taking off. The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. The guidance systems on newer attack helicoptersoften working with or even controlling the cameras of reconnaissance droneshave relegated to history the hunter role in the hunter-killer missions. The "OH-6C" was the creation of the Maintenance Section of The Real Cav, B Troop 7/17th Air Cavalry Squadron, which was stationed near Pleiku in early 1972. contact us here and we will remove the s/n 66-07841. Unit: DIR SUP / TRAN 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. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . 1:00 Jan. 6 will mark 50 years since former Newburgh resident Dave Middleton was shot down in Vietnam while piloting a Loach helicopter on a mission to which he wasn't originally assigned.. The UH-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. 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. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. The observers and gunners had even less experience. Your email address will not be published. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. Onboard UH1 Huey helicopter (SN 66-163-56) was Aircraft Commander, WO William H. Seaborn Jr., myself as . Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. Hughes is reported to have told his confidant, Jack Real, that he lost over $100 million to construct 1,370 airframes. 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 Kaman SH-2 could extend and increase both shipboard sensor and weapon abilities against different types of enemy units, including submarines, ships, and patrol craft with anti-ship missiles. Helicopter took 2 hits from: On a few occasions, the OH-23 was also used for medical evacuation purposes, but this was rarely the case. [8][9] It was reported that Howard Hughes had directed his company to submit a bid at a price beneath the actual production cost of the helicopter in order to secure this order. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. [22] Its straightforward design made it easier to maintain than most other helicopters, while its relatively compact 26-foot main rotor made it easier to use tight landing zones. Hughes 500M: Military export version of OH-6 in mid-1970s with upgraded 278-shp Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, "V" tail. It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. The Loach-derived MD-500 and other civilian variants still roll off the assembly lines at MD Helicopters, Inc., while Boeing produces an upgraded variant, the AH-6 Little Bird, for military forces (including an autonomous drone version). MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. 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. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the U.S. Army were destroyed in Vietnam alone. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. 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. But the light aluminum skin could be easily pierced by rifle bullets, and it also crumpled and absorbed energy in a crash, and a strong structural truss protected critical systemslike the people inside. [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. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 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. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. While successful in this respect, the Loach helicopter also had a reputation for being easily gunned down. Unknown as to mission impact. City of Walnut Creek Special Recreation Museum Tour October 26, 2019, United Airlines Family Day Fly-in October 13, 2019, Napa County Airport Day September 7, 2019, Virginia Rose II Cobra transferred to Vietnam Helicopters Museum August 14, 2019, Memorial Day 2019 Ceremonies at Oak Hill Memorial Park & Cemetery. Army headquarters developed doctrine by building on what worked in the field, rather than the other way around, and each unit in-country did things slightly differently. He is proud of his service, which involved a great deal of combat, but has concluded that U.S. involvement in Vietnam was a mistake. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 45-4703737We Fly for Our Veterans!. Kane and Casher were pulled aboard and returned to Khe Sanh, but the Huey barely made it back; slicing trees had left its blades shredded, and the tail section had almost separated. Another flight competition was held, this time without a submission from Fairchild Hiller. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. Another such gunner was 19-year-old Joel Boucher, drafted and sent to Vietnam from 1967 to 1969. 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. [18] Subsequently, on 6 April 1966, Robert Ferry set the long distance world record for helicopters by flying from Culver City, California, with over a ton of fuel to Ormond Beach, Florida, covering a total of 1,923.08 nm (2,213.04mi, 3,561.55km) in 15 hours, and near the finish at up to 24,000 feet (7,300m) altitude. In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit purchase. During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. The OH-6 Cayuse, by this point known as the Loach helicopter, made its way to Vietnam in December 1967. I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. The Mojave is a large heavy-lift helicopter that was deployed in the Vietnam War in 1965 to assist in recovery of downed US aircraft, but it proved ineffective. Fitted with 1x 253-shp Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft, 4 bladed main rotor, and an offset "V" tail. The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. Underneath, a fixed twin-skid undercarriage was supported at two separate points. Unit: 173 ABN Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. 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. The Huey descended gingerly into a clearing smaller than its main rotor diameter, the aircrafts rotor blades chopping tree limbs as it descended. 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. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. 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. The helicopter Continued Flight. One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. External load capacity was approximately 1,200 Lbs (550 kg), and transport capability 2 or 3 troops or cargo internally. But the Army decided that it would be more prudent to keep the unit in order to be prepared for future contingencies. The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. The high-low hunter-killer combination gave way to uniform-altitude missions, with all helicopters flying nap of the earth. The US military primarily used the OH-6 for observational and reconnaissance purposes. Units in Vietnam began sending UH-1Bs outfitted with rocket pods and machine guns to circle over the scouts at around 600 feet and attack anything that might interfere with the imminent troop landing. Stanley Hiller complained to the U.S. Army that Hughes had used unethical procedures; therefore, the Army opened the contract for rebidding by all parties. 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. Ultimately, Hughes was selected as the winner of the competition. The OH-6A Loach (for "LOH") would find targets by flying low, "trolling for fire", then marking the target with colored smoke to lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack.

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