The campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. A recontoured nose allowed for greater leg and head room. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. | READ MORE. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. From the rear cockpit, the pilot fired rockets from launchers fixed to the stub wings on either side; the copilot in the front operated a chin turret that held a minigun and grenade launcher. When Chuck Gross left for Vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteen-year-old army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like cabin, improving the survival chances of the crew and passengers. 2 .50 cal MG pods During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. 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. They were operated by a number of military organizations, including the Japanese Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. Cookie Policy Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. It could accomplish missions that bigger, slower and louder helicopters couldnt do. Hughes, without informing Real, raised the bid by $3,000, and thus lost the contract to Bell. 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 The OH-6D was an improved version with more advanced electronics and heavier armament. Cartas de Lee: La historia de un hombre de Vietnam por Larayne M. Topp Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . The helicopter made a Forced Landing. As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. However, the choppers frame ensured the crewmen within remained safe. Primarily, it was used by the Marine Corp to transport personnel and cargo. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Can a Helicopter Fly to the Top of Mount Everest. The shelf life of a scout pilot was probably six months. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. 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 Model 369 was submitted by Hughes, and competed against the two finalists, Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, for a production contract. An author of aviation books, his latest is Howards Whirlybirds. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. [27], During the early 1970s, Soviet-supplied SA-7 Grail shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles emerged amongst North Vietnamese troops; one hit could down a Loach, potentially dealing fatal damage before its crew were aware that they were under fire. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. [13][3] Beginning in 2001, the JGSDF OH-6s were supplemented by the indigenously-developed Kawasaki OH-1, a more advanced observation helicopter. Setting 23 world records for speed, distance, and altitude, the Hughes Tool Company OH-6 entered service in September of 1966. During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded the production contract to Hughes. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. Loach History - Fly in a Vietnam War Helicopter The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. It is 1/6th scale and very large, has to be at least 3 feet from rotor tip to rotor tip. Home | It never flew again. 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. Unlike previous aircraft, the Tarhe was extremely successful during the Vietnam War. The Little Birds weaponry is a far cry from the M60 machine gun carried aboard a Loach in Vietnam: AH-6s can carry miniguns, rocket pods, grenade launchers, Hellfire missiles, and air-to-air Stinger missiles. Upon landing, an inspection revealed a damaged pitch link, a rotor head component so critical that had it failed, they too would have crashed. 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. Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong], Mills continues. (7.62MM) 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. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. Rattler One-Seven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. Ultimately, Hughes was selected as the winner of the competition. The US Army subsequently reopened the LOH program to engineering companies, offering a new contract for 2,700 additional airframes. 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. Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War - VHPA To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. The SeaCobra was a twin-engine attack helicopter that was developed from the single-engine AH-1 Cobra helicopter. 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. Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. [6], During May 1965, the U.S. Army awarded a production contract to Hughes; this initial order for 714 rotorcraft was subsequently increased to 1,300 along with an option for another 114. The Huey descended gingerly into a clearing smaller than its main rotor diameter, the aircrafts rotor blades chopping tree limbs as it descended. When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. 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. Trademarks and copyright information is respected. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. [2] The pilot was provisioned with excellent external visibility via its large plexiglass windscreen, while its four-bladed fully-articulated main rotor meant it was considerably more agile than the preceding H-13 Sioux. OH-6A/Cayuse: Developed initially by the Hughes Aircraft company (later McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company) in the mid-1960s for the US Army. The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. 2 Hellfire ATGM Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. Disclaimer Photographs [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse | Military Wiki | Fandom [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. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. The Hughes OH-6 "Cayuse" (popularly recognized as the "Loach") was a revolutionary light helicopter mount primarily in service with the United States Army and saw combat service during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor chopper that was developed by Vetrol and built by Boeing Vertol. 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. 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. While successful in this respect, the Loach helicopter also had a reputation for being easily gunned down. 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. Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. 24 Helicopters Used in Vietnam (And Their Purpose) All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the U.S. Army were destroyed in Vietnam alone. Due to its designation LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), pilots and crew nicknamed this helicopter LOACH. [16], Early on in the OH-6's career, the type demonstrated its performance in a particularly prominent manner via the setting of 23 individual world records for helicopters during 1966 in the categories of speed, endurance and time to climb. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. About Us | 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. Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms 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. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. I have come home with blood on my windshield. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. 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. 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. While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0060 feet and 010 knots. 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. The small "egg-shaped" design and simplified rotorhead incorporated four rotor blades of constant chord, made of bonded light alloy. During the Vietnam war, the HH-43 Huskie was used for more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined. 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. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. 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. ). Loach come from the LOH which means Light Observation Helicopter. It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. Has a mouth full of pointy teeth and a pair of eyes. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. I could see a cigarette butt still burning. 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. 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. The 1-245th AVN BN enlisted 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 aircraft. 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. 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. The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. [26], During 1972, a pair of heavily modified OH-6As were utilized by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) via Air America for a covert wire-tapping mission. While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. [7] The Hiller design, designated OH-5A,[7] had featured a boosted control system, while the Hughes design did not, a difference that accounted for some of the price increase. Unit: 173 ABN City of Walnut Creek Special Recreation Museum Tour October 26, 2019, United Airlines Family Day Fly-in October 13, 2019, Napa County Airport Day September 7, 2019, Virginia Rose II Cobra transferred to Vietnam Helicopters Museum August 14, 2019, Memorial Day 2019 Ceremonies at Oak Hill Memorial Park & Cemetery. 60th Assault Helicopter Company: Mar 72 Jun 72, Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 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. Terms of Use Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69 You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. Moore served as an Army OH-6A Loach scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 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). Books/Magazines Improved versions were issued through the war and included pockets on the chest and back in which large additional plates could be inserted. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. 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. South Vietnam Adopted after. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. If you would like Casualties = 01 WIA . 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. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. purchase. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. 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. 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. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. The AH-6 Little Bird Gun, a light attack helicopter, has been tested and proven in combat. The helicopter was inducted as the OH-6 "Cayuse" and would eventually take on the in-the-field nickname of "Loach" in reference to its "LOH" origins. Moses, a 19-year-old draftee, arrived in Vietnam in July 1970 for the first of two year-long tours, and later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a therapist and administrator. To remedy this shortcoming, the Army began developing a special aviation task force to prepare for the next attempt to rescue the hostages: Operation Honey Badger. One of the most dangerous helicopter assignments was a tiny scout helicopter known as the Loach. Officially designated the OH-6 Cayuse, these things were made of thin plexiglass and metal but were expected to fly low over the jungles and grass, looking for enemy forces hiding in the foliage. Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH Hughes bid $56,550 per airframe, while Bell bid $54,200. On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. RMF3TG12 - Warren Motts, who started the Motts Military Museum, walks with a small child, past helicopters that where used in the Vietnam War. Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. 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. . 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. The Army requested 714 helicopters in May 1965, a number that was later increased to 1,300. Light Attack Helicopters 3. The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. The aircraft, dubbed 500P (penetrator) by Hughes, began as an ARPA project, codenamed "Mainstreet", in 1968. Front left side view of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter; color, Right side view of the Hughes OH-6 Loach in flight; color. which many are taken will be available from our shop to See his memoir Warpath: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60299643-warpath Posted as part of the \"War \u0026 Life: Discussions with Veterans\" project. 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. A Troop, 7th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug 70 Feb 72 The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. [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. The Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. It would often be crewed by a pilot and an observer; up to five passengers or up to 1,000lb of cargo could be carried internally. The helicopter was hit in the Left Side Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The-21C was extensively used by the US Army to transport troops and supplies. This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon On a few occasions, the OH-23 was also used for medical evacuation purposes, but this was rarely the case. The US military primarily used the OH-6 for observational and reconnaissance purposes. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. The Hughes (Model 500M) international military version was sold in ten countries and built under license in Italy and Japan. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. [14][15], During 1966, the OH-1 entered service with the U.S. Army. Lt. Col. OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. 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.