Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. ). During 1966, the OH-6 entered service with the U.S. Army, it promptly arrived into active combat in the Vietnam War. Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. About Us | Anthony is our resident military expert who uses his experience to write about all aspects of flying in the military, including what it takes to become a pilot and serve your country. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. 608th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support): Mar 72 This. The Army requested 714 helicopters in May 1965, a number that was later increased to 1,300. 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. 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. 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.. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. [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. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. [23][22] Such a team would have normally comprised a single OH-6 that would fly relatively slow and at a low altitude while attempting to spot the presence of enemies. As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. 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. [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. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. 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. 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. 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. The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam Logan Nye Updated December 07, 2022 09:30:25 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. It was barely used in the Vietnam War because it was replaced by the more advanced Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw. 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. 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. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. The OH-6A was powered by a single Allison T63-A-5A 285 shp turboshaft engine, and had a cruising speed of 144 mph (125 knots). We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. 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 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). 2023 Smithsonian Magazine [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. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. Pilot sold separately. It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. 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. A Troop, 7th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug 70 Feb 72 There was one day of initial training, says Bob Moses, who was first trained as a tank crewman and then as infantry before a sudden transition to helicopter door gunner. Light Attack Helicopters 3. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. 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. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. The helicopter Continued Flight. Within that same year, help was on the way. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 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. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. The killer role persists. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. 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 Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. 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. The aircraft, dubbed 500P (penetrator) by Hughes, began as an ARPA project, codenamed "Mainstreet", in 1968. Some crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the OH-6, however, the transition proceeded while scouting doctrine was changed to emphasis operations from greater distances. 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". Table of Contents 1. The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. The back plate was often not used owing to the weight, and even the chest plate was deleted. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. 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. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. 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. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. 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. They were usually joined by Cobra gunships either in hunter-killer teams where the Loach hunted and the Cobra killed or in air mobile cavalry units where both airframes supported cavalry and infantrymen on the ground. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 and 1970-1972 Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. [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. Hughes, without informing Real, raised the bid by $3,000, and thus lost the contract to Bell. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. Although most combat aircraft in Vietnam aimed for altitudes and speeds that helped them avoid anti-aircraft weapons, U.S. Army crews flying Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopters flew low and drew fireto set up the shots for the Bell AH-1G Cobras circling above. The Bell H-13 Sioux were used for multiple roles, ranging from transporting troops, conducting medical evacuations, and performing reconnaissance and observational activities. Adopted after. purchase. 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. 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. AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. But the Army decided that it would be more prudent to keep the unit in order to be prepared for future contingencies. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. Accordingly, the U.S. Army's fixed-wing airplane, the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, which was utilized for artillery observation and reconnaissance flights, would be replaced by the incoming OH-6A. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. 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. By Richard Toops. In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. and Images on this page are gathered from various sources. Cobras generally attacked with rockets, preferred for long-range accuracy, switching to the less-accurate chin-mounted machine gun and grenade launcher only if they were far enough away from friendly troops or if the rocketsAH-1s could carry as many as 76 rocketsran out. This was a Combat incident. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. [19][20][21], In December 1967, the first OH-6As arrived in Vietnam. Another flight competition was held, this time without a submission from Fairchild Hiller. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 The Huey descended gingerly into a clearing smaller than its main rotor diameter, the aircrafts rotor blades chopping tree limbs as it descended. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. The Loach's main role was reconnaisance and observation. Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. Furthermore, the helicopter was also developed into a civilian helicopter, the Model 500, which was still in production into the twenty-first century under MD Helicopters as the MD 500. In air mobile teams, a pilot would fly low while an observer would scan the ground for signs of the enemy force. 2 Stinger AAM. 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. Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. I have come home with blood on my windshield. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. The US military primarily used the OH-6 for observational and reconnaissance purposes. I spent more time with them.. Reportedly, Hughes had consulted at the last moment with Real, who recommended a bid of $53,550. This helicopter was UNK The Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. 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. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. We were about ready to call in tactical air support to blow up the wrecked ship when another Cobra took a lot of fire. Required fields are marked *. [12] Following a competitive fly-off, the Army requested the manufacturers to submit sealed bids. Both the Pilot and Observer/Gunner positions were equipped with carbon fiber side panels and seats. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. 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 More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. 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. Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods His three tours to Vietnam included death-defying scouting missions piloting his Hughes OH-6 light observation helicopter (or Loach) as well as gunship runs inside his AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.. Cozzalio was also involved in nine aircraft mishaps; he was shot down six times and suffered three hard landings. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. The Kaman SH-2 could extend and increase both shipboard sensor and weapon abilities against different types of enemy units, including submarines, ships, and patrol craft with anti-ship missiles. Front left side view of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter; color, Right side view of the Hughes OH-6 Loach in flight; color. You were killed, shot down, or got scared and quit. The OH-6A could be armed with the M27 armament subsystem, the M134 six-barrel 7.62mm minigun or the M129 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. 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. Heavy Attack Helicopters 2. Observation Helicopters Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. OH-6A/Cayuse: Developed initially by the Hughes Aircraft company (later McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company) in the mid-1960s for the US Army. 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. The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. 2 .50 cal MG pods The campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. 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. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. This was a Combat incident. 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. The US Army subsequently reopened the LOH program to engineering companies, offering a new contract for 2,700 additional airframes. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. 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.
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