The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. 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. As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. External load capacity was approximately 1,200 Lbs (550 kg), and transport capability 2 or 3 troops or cargo internally. 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. The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse was the fourth line of tandem rotor helicopters developed by Piasecki Helicopters. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. Hunter-killer team - Wikipedia Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. Army units this aircraft deployed with in Vietnam: Troop B, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug '68 - Oct '70. 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. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. The 1-245 modified infantry night vision goggles and worked to develop the necessary skills for rapid deployment with Little Birds and C-130s.[31]. One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. 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. 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 UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. which many are taken will be available from our shop to The OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. I could tell how old a footprint was by how it looked. 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. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods Nate Shaffer and Bruce Campbell at their assigned positions. In one particular clandestine incident in 1972, known as the Vinh wiretap, a pair of OH-6As were heavily modified and used by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) via Air America was used to infiltrate Vietnamese high level communications, providing valuable intelligence. While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong], Mills continues. All Rights Reserved. The observers and gunners had even less experience. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse - Wikipedia 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 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. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. Tough Mission LOACH Chopper Vietnam - YouTube On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. The Gyrodyne company built the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) to combat submarines from a distance. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. 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. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. The OH-6A helicopters used for transporting personnel became the MH-6 aircraft of the Light Assault Company and the armed OH-6As became the AH-6 aircraft of the Light Attack Company. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. These rotorcraft were operated by several different organisations, the majority of which were based in Japan. 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 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. OH-6A Cayuse / AH-6J Little Bird - Military Aircraft ", FAI Record ID #11656 Absolute Rotorcraft World Record, Distance over a closed circuit without landing, FAI Record ID #11655 Absolute Rotorcraft World Record, Distance without landing, Obituary: Robert G. Ferry; Air Force veteran was record-setting test pilot, "In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close", "Jane's Aircraft Upgrades, MD Helicopters (Hughes) Model 500 (Military Versions)", "Dominican Republic Air Force Unit History", "Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force OH-6J", "Breda Nardi Hughes NH.500M in Armed Forces of Malta service", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hughes_OH-6_Cayuse&oldid=1133333304, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 07:46. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". 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. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. They were operated by a number of military organizations, including the Japanese Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 (7.62MM) [12] Following a competitive fly-off, the Army requested the manufacturers to submit sealed bids. 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). 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. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. Unit: 173 ABN Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. 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. 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. 2 Stinger AAM. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. Helicopter took 1 hits from: Table of Contents 1. In order to reduce their acoustic signature, the helicopters (N351X and N352X) received a four-blade 'scissors' style tail rotor (later incorporated into the Hughes-designed AH-64 Apache), a fifth rotor blade and reshaped rotor tips, a modified exhaust system, and various other performance boosting modifications. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the U.S. Army were destroyed in Vietnam alone. This was a Combat incident. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. 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. While successful in this respect, the Loach helicopter also had a reputation for being easily gunned down. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. [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. As the reserve units have continued to move away from the OH-6 as their primary scout aircraft, military technical support of the aircraft has dwindled. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER 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. 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. South Vietnam 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. 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.