loach helicopter vietnam

Observation Helicopters 4. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. The helicopter was hit in the Left Side Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the U.S. Army were destroyed in Vietnam alone. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Your email address will not be published. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. 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). Advertising Notice The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. The Bell H-13 Sioux were used for multiple roles, ranging from transporting troops, conducting medical evacuations, and performing reconnaissance and observational activities. FAQ | Following a contentious selection process that included allegations of industrial espionage and political favoritism, the first Hughes OH-6A observation helicopters arrived in Vietnam in December 1967. 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. As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. 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. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . [2] The pilot was provisioned with excellent external visibility via its large plexiglass windscreen, while its four-bladed fully-articulated main rotor meant it was considerably more agile than the preceding H-13 Sioux. The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. s/n 67-16304 We were about ready to call in tactical air support to blow up the wrecked ship when another Cobra took a lot of fire. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. Adopted after. 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. The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. 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. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. Late in the war, the HH-43 was also deployed for short overland search and rescue missions. The AH-6 Little Bird Gun, a light attack helicopter, has been tested and proven in combat. 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. The US Army charged Hughes for 714 units with the serial production contract formally announced in May of 1965. The task force, which had been designated as Task Force 158, was soon formed into the 160th Aviation Battalion. 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. 2 Hellfire ATGM The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. 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. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. . [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. This was a Combat incident. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. Both the Pilot and Observer/Gunner positions were equipped with carbon fiber side panels and seats. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. I have come home with blood on my windshield. While barely any American helicopters served in World War II and few flew in Korea, Vietnam was a proving ground for many airframes everything from the venerable Huey to Chinooks sporting huge guns. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". 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 Vietnam war, the HH-43 Huskie was used for more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. It never flew again. By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. Ultimately, Hughes was selected as the winner of the competition. The shelf life of a scout pilot was probably six months. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. Unlike its troop-carrying ancestors, a Cobra was like a World War II fighter, says Jim Kane, who arrived in Vietnam fresh out of Purdue University. 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 flames covered my boots and lower legs. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. 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. These hunter-killer missions, among the most hazardous of the Vietnam War, tested the resolve of the OH-6 pilots and the aerial observers sitting beside them. Trademarks and copyright information is respected. Date: 02/08/1969 One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. 2 M75 40-mm grenade launchers [8][9], A total of 387 OH-6/Hughes 369s were produced under license in Japan by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries. When the training was completed, C-141 Starlifter airlifters transported both rotorcraft and crews to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for two weeks of mission training. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. South Vietnam I followed footsteps. Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 The light observation helicopter OH-6 Cayuse, or Loach (based on the LOH acronym), was a Vietnam-era helicopter designed with speed and maneuverability in mind. Within that same year, help was on the way. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit If you would like We were combat trackers, says Mills. Date: 03/25/1970 It would often be crewed by a pilot and an observer; up to five passengers or up to 1,000lb of cargo could be carried internally. Click on the hotlinks for more information. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. In 1972, as U.S. troops slowly withdrew, the NVA began a major push that became known as the Easter Offensive. 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. This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . 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. [22] The remaining H-13s were promptly withdrawn in favour of the OH-6s. 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. 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.. Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. Select the first letter of the last name of the person you want to find: The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. Total flight hours at this point: 00000496 Disclaimer Photographs To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. 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. Moore served as an Army OH-6A "Loach" scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. Required fields are marked *. Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . 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. The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. 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. 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. [13][3] Beginning in 2001, the JGSDF OH-6s were supplemented by the indigenously-developed Kawasaki OH-1, a more advanced observation helicopter. They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS [19][20][21], In December 1967, the first OH-6As arrived in Vietnam. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. 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. and Images on this page are gathered from various sources. 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. 2 .50 cal MG pods [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. The Cobra was fast and deadly. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . 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. History. Once enemy positions opened fire at the Cayuse, they were destroyed by the mighty firepower of escorting Cobras. AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . On 27 February 1963, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. 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. These helicopters were mostly used for observation, reconnaissance, utility, and for providing combat support.

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