Table of Contents 1. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter 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. 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". In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives. Although many were still teenagers, their survival depended on well-honed instincts and razor-sharp reflexes, along with plenty of luck. Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for.
Tough Mission LOACH Chopper Vietnam - YouTube By Richard Toops. Terms of Use It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades.
Loach History - Fly in a Vietnam War Helicopter The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. Your Privacy Rights The small "egg-shaped" design and simplified rotorhead incorporated four rotor blades of constant chord, made of bonded light alloy. 2 .50 cal MG pods 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. But the Army decided that it would be more prudent to keep the unit in order to be prepared for future contingencies. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . For this, a small rotorcraft capable of landing in restrictive locations and easily transportable via US Air Force transport aircraft was necessary. 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). AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . A Troop, 7th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug 70 Feb 72 In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. Unlike previous aircraft, the Tarhe was extremely successful during the Vietnam War. 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. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. 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. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. Adopted after. Helicopter took 2 hits from: [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 SeaCobra was a twin-engine attack helicopter that was developed from the single-engine AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. The Army initially ordered 1,438 Hughes Model 369s, designated by the Army as the OH-6A Cayuse helicopters.
When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. 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. 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. External load capacity was approximately 1,200 Lbs (550 kg), and transport capability 2 or 3 troops or cargo internally. The helicopter was hit in the Left Side 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. The Raven was used as a scouting helicopter during the early phases of the war, before it was eventually replaced by the Cayuse in early 1986. 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 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. Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. Unknown as to mission impact. The Huskie was used by the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. You were killed, shot down, or got scared and quit. 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). Adopted after the company behind its design deceived the US Army, the Loach helicopter, as it was better known, fast became the primary chopper flown in Vietnam. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods. 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. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. A.J.
Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 67-16304 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. EH-6B, a previous version of the Little Bird, was used for command, control and radio relay. The Aircraft Division of Hughes Tool Company came up with the Model 369, which became one of three finalists, alongside designs from Bell Helicopter Company and Fairchild Hiller. 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. | READ MORE. 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. 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. In 1972, as U.S. troops slowly withdrew, the NVA began a major push that became known as the Easter Offensive. 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. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. In the Vietnam War, these choppers were used to recover downed aircraft. The U.S. Army began to use Bell OH-13 Sioux and Hiller OH-23 Raven helicopters, once artillery spotters, to scout ahead of UH-1D Huey formations in the moments before air assaults to gather information about landing zones and enemy locations. 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. Vietnam following a morning mission with the 11th Special Forces (SF) at Long Than North, South Vietnam. 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. The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6.
The Incident - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website [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. 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. The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs.
A "Loach" (Helicopter) Scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969 During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. Krausz was ordered to Vietnam in April 1971, and today teaches Army students how to fly the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota, a twin-engine trainer. 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 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. 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. Date: 02/08/1969 The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. 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. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0060 feet and 010 knots. Lt. Col. This helicopter was UNK The helicopter Continued Flight. 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. 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. The-21C was extensively used by the US Army to transport troops and supplies. 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. I have come home with blood on my windshield. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. Home | During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. 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. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) 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. 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. [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. Army units this aircraft deployed with in Vietnam: Troop B, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug '68 - Oct '70. They were operated by a number of military organizations, including the Japanese Army, Navy and Coast Guard. 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. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH While the already-produced OH-6 Cayuses were being deployed to Vietnam in 1967, production costs were beginning to rise. At peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 Vietnam Helicopters Museum. We operated from fixed bases that were islands, if you will, of allied control, says Hugh Mills, who flew both Loaches and Cobras in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972, and went on to fly helicopters for the Kansas City Police Department. Cookie Settings, pilot. A saying among Army aviators was, If you have to crash, do it in a Loach.. Cookie Policy The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. 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. Each could be equipped with any number of armaments, including grenade launchers, 7.62 mm miniguns, Hydra 70 mm unguided rockets, and TOW and Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles. Required fields are marked *. This was a Combat incident. The AH-6 Little Bird Gun, a light attack helicopter, has been tested and proven in combat. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. 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. Moore served as an Army OH-6A "Loach" scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. Hughes's price was $19,860 per airframe, without the engine, while Hiller's price was $29,415 per airframe, also without the engine. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. Hughes 500M: Military export version of OH-6 in mid-1970s with upgraded 278-shp Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, "V" tail. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. We flew down along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he says of the supply route that wound through Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia.
New book recounts Newburgh man's time as Vietnam helicopter pilot Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69