I spent more time with them.. The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. contact us here and we will remove the 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. [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. Unit: DIR SUP / TRAN The AH-1 is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Huey Cobra or The Snake. The Sea Stallion is a variant of the Jolly Green Giant, but its used only for sea transport. 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. Despite having been designed for anti-submarine combat, the Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly used for conducting reconnaissance of enemy vessels in the Vietnam war, instead of actual combat. [8][9], A total of 387 OH-6/Hughes 369s were produced under license in Japan by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Vietnam following a morning mission with the 11th Special Forces (SF) at Long Than North, South Vietnam. [12] Accordingly, during 1968, Hughes submitted a bid to build a further 2,700 airframes. A Troop, 7th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Aug 70 Feb 72 The Bell AH-1J was also used for various subsequent assaults and military operations conducted by the US Marine Corps. (7.62MM) 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). 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) So I engaged the enemy, but didnt make it out of that one. The shelf life of a scout pilot was probably six months. Unfortunately, the weight of the armament kept the little bird from taking off. 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. 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. Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program, The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. 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. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Underneath, a fixed twin-skid undercarriage was supported at two separate points. ). I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. A shaft ran to the tail and powered the two-blade rotor at the back. Unlike its troop-carrying ancestors, a Cobra was like a World War II fighter, says Jim Kane, who arrived in Vietnam fresh out of Purdue University. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". 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. [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. Loach come from the LOH which means Light Observation Helicopter. [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. 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. Cookie Policy 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. Hughes is reported to have told his confidant, Jack Real, that he lost over $100 million to construct 1,370 airframes. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. Pilot sold separately. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. As well, its tough frame made it safer than other helicopters during crashes, as its aluminum skin absorbed the energy and the structure protected the crew. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Required fields are marked *. 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. It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. 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. Even trampled grass was a clue; it meant that enemy troops had passed through the area within eight hours, the time it took for grass to dry upright. [4] The prototypes were delivered to the U.S. Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where they competed against the other ten prototype aircraft produced by Bell and Fairchild-Hiller. 2 Hellfire ATGM Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. | The following text is exclusive to this site. An inventive Bell Helicopter engineer was already at work on the worlds first attack helicopter, and Bells decision to keep the project hidden until complete let the model slip into service as a Huey derivative (see The Birth of the Cobra, Aug. 2017). We were so close to the elephant grass that wed blow the grass apart to see if anyone was hiding in there, observer Bob Moses says. Unknown as to mission impact. Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 Operation Honey Badger never went ahead, as the hostages were released in January 1981. 2 MK19 40-mm grenade launcher The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . These would be used to replace its fleet of Bell H-13 Sioux, a compact first generation rotorcraft. This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/18/2017 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. 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 flames covered my boots and lower legs. In 1972, as U.S. troops slowly withdrew, the NVA began a major push that became known as the Easter Offensive. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. These rotorcraft were operated by several different organisations, the majority of which were based in Japan. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft were returned to the U.S., where they were dismantled and converted back to a standard configuration; they continued to be operated as such for a time. The Korean War proved the necessity for such rotorcraft, particularly in regard to search and rescue operations. 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. Cobras, nicknamed Snakes, flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the Loach found. During the Vietnam War, it was exclusively used by North Vietnam for reconnaissance and VIP transport. Nate Shaffer and Bruce Campbell at their assigned positions. Headquarters, 173rd Airborne Brigade: Jan 70 May 70 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. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. [22] The remaining H-13s were promptly withdrawn in favour of the OH-6s. The task force, which had been designated as Task Force 158, was soon formed into the 160th Aviation Battalion. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. 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. The "OH-6C" was the creation of the Maintenance Section of The Real Cav, B Troop 7/17th Air Cavalry Squadron, which was stationed near Pleiku in early 1972. The type was born from the US Army Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program (which provided its "Loach" nickname) and ultimately proved an excellent helicopter system seeing only limited service in the inventories of several American allies worldwide. When the 1980 hostage situation of Operation Eagle Claw was deemed a disaster, the US military realized there was a lack of aircraft and personnel trained for such special operations. This helicopter was UNK Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. We got into another aircraft and went back out. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams.

Prizepicks Legal States, Salesforce Insurance Project Explanation, Fire Service Long Service And Good Conduct Medal Eligibility, Articles L