loach helicopter vietnam

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. The high-low hunter-killer combination gave way to uniform-altitude missions, with all helicopters flying nap of the earth. 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. 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. Hunter-killer team - Wikipedia Each time we went out, we got shot at. 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. New book recounts Newburgh man's time as Vietnam helicopter pilot RMF3TG12 - Warren Motts, who started the Motts Military Museum, walks with a small child, past helicopters that where used in the Vietnam War. I spent more time with them.. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. 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 [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. The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. But the light aluminum skin could be easily pierced by rifle bullets, and it also crumpled and absorbed energy in a crash, and a strong structural truss protected critical systemslike the people inside. The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. Despite its strong offensive abilities, the SH-2 Seasprite was mostly used for rescuing downed friendly aircrews instead of direct combat. Late in the war, the HH-43 was also deployed for short overland search and rescue missions. The OH-6A Cayuse was quite effective when teamed with the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter as part of what were known as Pink Teams. Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program, The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. Nate Shaffer has restored a Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter. The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. Ace Cozzalio was among the most colorful characters of the Vietnam War. After evaluation, three designs were selected and 5 of each: the Bell OH-4A; the Hiller OH-5 and the Hughes OH-6, were ordered for trials by the U.S.Army Aviation Board. 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. This aspect was further bolstered by the use of self-sealing fuel tanks that lowered the likelihood of a post-impact fire breaking out. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. The Loach helicopter was pitted against what was then known as the Bell Model 206. In air mobile teams, a pilot would fly low while an observer would scan the ground for signs of the enemy force. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. Hughes is reported to have told his confidant, Jack Real, that he lost over $100 million to construct 1,370 airframes. Systems damaged were: COMM SYS, STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENTS, PERSONNEL In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. 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 campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. [13][3] Beginning in 2001, the JGSDF OH-6s were supplemented by the indigenously-developed Kawasaki OH-1, a more advanced observation helicopter. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 The Cobra was fast and deadly. Operation Honey Badger was canceled after the hostages were released on 20 January 1981, and for a short while, it looked as if the task force would be disbanded and the personnel returned to their former units. In August 1967, the AH-1G Cobra arrived in Vietnam. Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. A little gory but thats how close we were. As the Loach flew among the trees, the rear-seat pilot in the Snake circling above kept a close eye on the little scout and the front-seat gunner jotted down whatever the Loach observers radioed. [24][25] As to indicate the position of concealed enemy ground forces, the observer in the OH-6 would mark the spot using a smoke grenade, assisting other units in effectively firing upon them. The flames covered my boots and lower legs. This story is a selection from the September issue of Air & Space magazine, Donald Porter The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. [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. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. 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. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. [17] On 26 March 1966, Jack Schwiebold set the closed circuit distance record in a YOH-6A at Edwards Air Force Base, California, flying without landing for 1,739.96mi (2,800.20km). Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69 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 '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. Fewer than 2,000 of the type were produced though the original went on to spawn a plethora of viable performers including the Hughes 500 "Defender" and the special forces-minded MH-6 "Little Bird". Your email address will not be published. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. Loach crews were equipped with small arms and returned fire as they fled. loach | My Vietnam Experience It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. A sobering statistic: Out of 1,419 Loaches built, 842 were destroyed in Vietnam, most shot down and many others succumbing to crashes resulting from low-level flying. Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH In the Vietnam War, these choppers were used to recover downed aircraft. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. 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. 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. Samantha Franco is a Freelance Content Writer who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Guelph, and her Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Western Ontario. to voice a complaint about any articles or image on this website, please Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. 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). OH-6A Cayuse ('Loach') The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. The small "egg-shaped" design and simplified rotorhead incorporated four rotor blades of constant chord, made of bonded light alloy. Historical Snapshot: OH-6 Cayuse/Hughes 500 Helicopter 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. 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. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. Unknown as to mission impact. Terms and Conditions, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC)

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