This was a Combat incident. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics. 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. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. The Gyrodyne company built the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) to combat submarines from a distance. We were combat trackers, says Mills. Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit 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. 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. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. 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. [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. I followed footsteps. It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. The Incident - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. 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. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) [28][29], The pilots selected to fly the OH-6A helicopters came from the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion and were sent to the Mississippi Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) at Gulfport, Mississippi, for two weeks of qualification training in the rotorcraft. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. 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. 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". [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). It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, it was exclusively used by North Vietnam for reconnaissance and VIP transport. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine This aspect was further bolstered by the use of self-sealing fuel tanks that lowered the likelihood of a post-impact fire breaking out. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. 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. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) - Military Factory [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. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. 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. The Model 369 was submitted by Hughes, and competed against the two finalists, Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, for a production contract. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. 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 Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. When Chuck Gross left for Vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteen-year-old army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. Another flight competition was held, this time without a submission from Fairchild Hiller. I could tell how old a footprint was by how it looked. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. By Richard Toops. The OH-6A could be armed with the M27 armament subsystem, the port (left) side mounting M134 six-barrel 7.62mm minigun or a 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. 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. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. 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. Terms of Use loach | My Vietnam Experience 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. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. 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 Lt. Col. Casualties = 01 WIA . Privacy Statement Here are the 24 helicopters used in Vietnam. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 Contact | During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded the production contract to Hughes. While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. Your Privacy Rights 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. 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. Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. Armed with a 40mm grenade launcher in a nose turret, and two 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers, the "OH-6C" was ready to take on anything. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. 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. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. 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. 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. "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. Disclaimer Photographs Can include a combination of the following across two fuselage wingstubs (though some weapons operated from cabin doors): (Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above), Hardpoint Mountings: 2 (if wingstub equipped). Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. It could accomplish missions that bigger, slower and louder helicopters couldnt do. 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. SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. 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. The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives. 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. Best Vietnam Helicopter Book - General Helicopter Forum - Vertical
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