The OH-6/Model 369 was also license-produced overseas by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries for both military and civilian operators. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. 2 M75 40-mm grenade launchers AH/MH-6J: US Army Special Operations variant derived from the MD-530MG. Army units this aircraft deployed with in Vietnam: USNTPS plans to retain the aircraft indefinitely and continue to improve the safety, reliability, and usefulness of the aircraft in the test pilot training role. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. 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. The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives. The OH-6A Cayuse fulfilled this role and became known as the Little Bird. The pilots tasked with operating the choppers were selected from the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion. It was used prolifically because of its unique hovering abilities. Cookie Policy 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. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. 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. Helicopter took 2 hits from: s/n 66-07841. 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. He recalls: 360 degrees around you was enemy territory, and the ability to work with American and [South Vietnamese] units on the ground really required aviation to be able to look eye to eye to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Loach-Cobra pairings were sent out more and more frequently, until their main role was to gather general intelligence rather than prepare landing zones. So I engaged the enemy, but didnt make it out of that one. 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. 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. They were famous for being shot down or crashing in combat. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to him then and what it means to him now. I followed footsteps. 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. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Home | The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. 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). Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. The Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. The mission training consisted of loading onto C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which would then transport them to forward staging areas over routes as long as 1,000 nautical miles (1,900km). [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. 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. We were combat trackers, says Mills. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 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. 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 [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. These choppers were modified for combat rescue missions and had self-sealing fuel tanks, rescue hoist, and in-flight refueling abilities. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. We were about ready to call in tactical air support to blow up the wrecked ship when another Cobra took a lot of fire. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. Cobras rolled in and blew the downed aircraft uptaking with it about 15 bad guys standing around it.. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. The small "egg-shaped" design and simplified rotorhead incorporated four rotor blades of constant chord, made of bonded light alloy. [12] Following a competitive fly-off, the Army requested the manufacturers to submit sealed bids. [3], On 27 February 1963, the first Model 369 prototype performed its maiden flight. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). 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. The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6. Unit: DIR SUP / TRAN In the Vietnam War, these choppers were used to recover downed aircraft. 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). South Vietnam 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 OH-6A would find targets by flying low, trolling for fire, and lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. When Chuck Gross left for Vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteen-year-old army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. Setting 23 world records for speed, distance, and altitude, the Hughes Tool Company OH-6 entered service in September of 1966. All Rights Reserved. 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. [22][23] Prior to the arrival of the AH-1, "hunter-killer" teams often relied on the firepower from armed models of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopter. The Army dictated that after 300 hours of flight time, each Loach go through a thorough inspection, but in practice such inspections were rare: Few Loaches survived to reach that mark. It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. [12] Accordingly, during 1968, Hughes submitted a bid to build a further 2,700 airframes. 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. Late in the war, the HH-43 was also deployed for short overland search and rescue missions. The Army requested 714 helicopters in May 1965, a number that was later increased to 1,300. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable. A Troop, 7th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug 70 Feb 72 (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) In 1972, as U.S. troops slowly withdrew, the NVA began a major push that became known as the Easter Offensive. During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Kiowas, largely relegated to low-threat cargo and liaison missions in Vietnam, were after the war tasked to spot targets from afar and guide Cobras (and later, Boeing AH-64 Apaches) to good firing spots. The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. A shaft ran to the tail and powered the two-blade rotor at the back. Required fields are marked *. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. 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. 2 MK19 40-mm grenade launcher s/n 67-16304 Four troop-carrying Hueys (called a Blue Team) often sat idle somewhere nearby, ready to insert troops if the Pink Team discovered an interesting targetor were shot down and needed rescuing. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. We got into another aircraft and went back out. The Mil Mi-8 is a Soviet medium twin-turbine helicopter. 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. In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). It had to do with the timbre of your voicehow you talked to other guys on the radio, says Romero, who arrived in Vietnam in 1970, initially as a Huey co-pilot. Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. Armament The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. 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-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. The helicopter made a Forced Landing. article/image or apply full credit information. Sensing its growing battlefield requirements, the US Army then raised the production ceiling to 1,300 units in all. During 1960, the United States Army issued Technical Specification 153 for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) capable of fulfilling various roles on the battlefield, including personnel transport, escort, casualty evacuation, observation, and attack missions. Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong], Mills continues. 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. Light Attack Helicopters 3. Hughes is reported to have told his confidant, Jack Real, that he lost over $100 million to construct 1,370 airframes. By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. 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! The shelf life of a scout pilot was probably six months. 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. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 45-4703737We Fly for Our Veterans!. The Cobra was fast and deadly. The OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. 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. I could tell how old a footprint was by how it looked. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. Date: 02/08/1969 Moore served as an Army OH-6A "Loach" scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. By Richard Toops. I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. To counter the US, the Vietnamese employed their helicopter fleets of mostly Soviet-made aircraft. Search and Rescue Helicopters 5. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. 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. During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. 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. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade: Jan 70 May 70 It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. 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. History. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER 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. 60th Assault Helicopter Company: Mar 72 Jun 72, Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 RMF3TG12 - Warren Motts, who started the Motts Military Museum, walks with a small child, past helicopters that where used in the Vietnam War. 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 Huskie was used by the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. In response, a task force was developed originally designated Task Force 158 for the next attempt to rescue the hostages, Operation Honey Badger. 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 Army initially ordered 1,438 Hughes Model 369s, designated by the Army as the OH-6A Cayuse helicopters. Hughes 500M: Military export version of OH-6 in mid-1970s with upgraded 278-shp Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, "V" tail. OH-6A/MD-530F Super Cayuse/Lifter: Upgraded engine to a 425-shp Allison 250- C30 turboshaft, and avionics in 1988 for the US Army. Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. The hunter-killer tactic worked well for a few years, but by the time the United States left Vietnam, it was obsolete, says Mills. [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. Las mejores ofertas para Cartas de Lee: La historia de un hombre de Vietnam por Larayne M. Topp (ingls) Paperb estn en eBay Compara precios y caractersticas de productos nuevos y usados Muchos artculos con envo gratis! In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. An Army article written after Johns seventh crash credited it with surviving 61 hits from enemy fire and seven crashes without losing a single crew member. [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. 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. This eventually gave way to the loach nickname, and was intended to provide the US military with a light-class, rotary-wing craft that could fulfill a number of purposes: search and rescue, close air support, MEDEVAC, observation, transport, reconnaissance and attack roles. The campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. 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. 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 The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. At peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. 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. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. 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. 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 One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. 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. It was barely used in the Vietnam War because it was replaced by the more advanced Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw. 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. FAQ | Unit: 173 ABN 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. 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. 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. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. About Us | 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. 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. Find Us on Facebook, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC). Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. Helicopter took 1 hits from: Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. The OH-6 Cayuse, by this point known as the Loach helicopter, made its way to Vietnam in December 1967. These rotorcraft were operated by several different organisations, the majority of which were based in Japan. Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69 The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. 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. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/18/2017 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com 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. The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. If you would like The OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. 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. 605th transportation Company (Direct Support): Nov . Pilot sold separately. 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. 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. This aspect was further bolstered by the use of self-sealing fuel tanks that lowered the likelihood of a post-impact fire breaking out. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. Disclaimer Photographs Onboard UH1 Huey helicopter (SN 66-163-56) was Aircraft Commander, WO William H. Seaborn Jr., myself as . (7.62MM) 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.