In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 and 1970-1972 Following a competitive fly-off and a sealed bidding process, Hughes lost the contract to Bell, resulting in the competing Bell OH-58 Kiowa being produced. Pilot sold separately. Vietnam OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. Terms of Use to voice a complaint about any articles or image on this website, please Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. [12] Following a competitive fly-off, the Army requested the manufacturers to submit sealed bids. 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 OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. The OH-6A Cayuse fulfilled this role and became known as the Little Bird. The pilots tasked with operating the choppers were selected from the 229th Attack Helicopter Battalion. [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. Disclaimer Photographs It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. The Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. 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. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,400. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By Pilots In Vietnam The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. They were famous for being shot down or crashing in combat. 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. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. Light Attack Helicopters 3. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. An author of aviation books, his latest is Howards Whirlybirds. ", 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. See Also: How Much Does a Huey Helicopter Cost? Over time, the effectiveness of this pairing was such that enemies would often decide against firing on the relatively vulnerable OH-1 in fear of the response that would be unleased by the AH-1. Due to its designation LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), pilots and crew nicknamed this helicopter LOACH. Following the lead, we got peppered with rounds. The Loach had a bad vibration, but he made it about half a mile before he had to land. Each time we went out, we got shot at. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. 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. The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. For this, a small rotorcraft capable of landing in restrictive locations and easily transportable via US Air Force transport aircraft was necessary. A saying among Army aviators was, If you have to crash, do it in a Loach.. The Cayuse . 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. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. 608th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support): Mar 72 It never flew again. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. It had no hydraulic system and its electrical setup was used primarily to start up the enginesimple even by 1960s standards, which for practical purposes meant it was easier to maintain and harder to shoot down than other helicopters. While successful in this respect, the Loach helicopter also had a reputation for being easily gunned down. "Pink teams" of scout and attack helicopters, such as OH-6 "Loach" or OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters and the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter during the Vietnam War; In anti-submarine warfare an Maritime patrol aircraft may be employed as "hunter", with surface ships such as destroyers as killers. Just as I set it down, the tail rotor spun off. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. The OH-6A would find targets by flying low, trolling for fire, and lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. With US Army evaluations of each prototype ongoing, the underpowered Bell offering was formally dropped from contention and the US Army decision favored the Hughes design over the Fairchild-Hiller. Vietnam War Era Hughes OH-6 Loach Helicopter 60,632 views Mar 30, 2013 327 Dislike Share Save Steve1958OR 221 subscribers A friend came by with his restored US Army Loach OH-6 helicopter. which many are taken will be available from our shop to Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). Hughes bid $56,550 per airframe, while Bell bid $54,200. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. 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. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor chopper that was developed by Vetrol and built by Boeing Vertol. Find Us on Facebook, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC). Privacy Statement Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. The U.S. Marine Corps still flies AH-1 SuperCobras as its main attack helicopter, with the latest versionthe AH-1Z Viper so upgraded and modernized that a Vietnam-era pilot might be hard-pressed to recognize it. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. 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. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. 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. [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. The Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. Some units were modified during the war with machine guns to act as gunships. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER (7.62MM) The helicopter was hit in the Left Side It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. The Gyrodyne company built the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) to combat submarines from a distance. 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. [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. 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. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation.
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