It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. Once enemy positions opened fire at the Cayuse, they were destroyed by the mighty firepower of escorting Cobras. Up against Fairchild Hiller, Hughes Tool Company purposely undervalued its cost estimates, earning the company favor and the contract. 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. The following two-week mission was to Yuma for night operation training. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. 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. During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. An author of aviation books, his latest is Howards Whirlybirds. 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. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. 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. 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 Army purchased this helicopter 0968 The small-arms protection aircrewmen armor that was introduced in 1966 was a vest with pockets containing composite laminated plates commonly called chicken plates. 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.. They were famous for being shot down or crashing in combat. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. Cookie Settings, pilot. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. Reportedly, Hughes had consulted at the last moment with Real, who recommended a bid of $53,550. Las mejores ofertas para Cartas de Lee: La historia de un hombre de Vietnam por Larayne M. Topp (ingls) Paperb estn en eBay Compara precios y caractersticas de productos nuevos y usados Muchos artculos con envo gratis! 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. [22][23] Prior to the arrival of the AH-1, "hunter-killer" teams often relied on the firepower from armed models of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopter. The Bell UH-1 Huey & the Hughes OH-6 Loach We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. Hughes bid $56,550 per airframe, while Bell bid $54,200. A shaft ran to the tail and powered the two-blade rotor at the back. 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. The CH-34 Choctaw was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft for transport purposes to carry personnel and deliver supplies. How a Vietnam War Helicopter Pilot Captured a POW With His Civil War Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. Ultimately, Hughes was selected as the winner of the competition. [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. Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Anthony comes from a military family and has served his country proudly in the military as a pilot. [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. Moore served as an Army OH-6A Loach scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. Setting 23 world records for speed, distance, and altitude, the Hughes Tool Company OH-6 entered service in September of 1966. On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. [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. The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. Unknown as to mission impact. [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. . 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 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. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. 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. Hunter-killer team - Wikipedia Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. [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. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) Possible mast-mounted sight. I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. These hunter-killer missions, among the most hazardous of the Vietnam War, tested the resolve of the OH-6 pilots and the aerial observers sitting beside them. Provision for packaged armament on port side, including an XM-27 7.62mm (0.300in) machine-gun with 2,000 - 4,000 rounds of ammunition; or an XM-75 grenade launcher, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and Task Force 160, List of military aircraft of the United States, Hearings on military posture and H.R. This chopper is mostly known for having been used to spot enemy artillery. I tried to move the stuck controls and prayed for a place to set down. It took all of Kanes strength to pull out of a steep dive, and they crash-landed with a horrific thud. Initially fielded in Vietnam in early 1968, the Hughes OH-6A was used for command and control, observation, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. The AH-1 is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Huey Cobra or The Snake. loach | My Vietnam Experience Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. By the end of the war, the Loachs replacement was imminent. President As we navigate rapidly evolving military culture and Like any deployed troops, Russian soldiers make calls Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! 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. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. 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. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Russian soldiers calls back home reveal horrifying experiences in Ukraine, broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen, could carry everything from 7.62mm miniguns to 70mm rockets and anti-tank missiles, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times, modified versions of the helicopter flew with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as the MH-6C Little Bird as late as 2008, 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms. The US Army subsequently reopened the LOH program to engineering companies, offering a new contract for 2,700 additional airframes. The pilots dubbed the new helicopter Loach, a word created by pronunciation of the acronym of the program that spawned the aircraft, LOH (light observation helicopter). 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. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. The campaign included the first major use in the war of Soviet-built, shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. This teamwork was actively encouraged by Army officials, and led to the development of so-called "hunter-killer" tactics that sought to flush out and eliminate hostile ground targets. (7.62MM) 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. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. Systems damaged were: COMM SYS, STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENTS, PERSONNEL As a separate part of the project, armed OH-6As were being developed at Fort Rucker, Alabama. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. 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. During 1967, following price escalations for the OH-6, the U.S. Army reopened the programme to bids for as many as 2,700 additional airframes beyond the 1,300 OH-6s already contracted. 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. [12] Accordingly, during 1968, Hughes submitted a bid to build a further 2,700 airframes. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. Its cockpit teems with electronics and sensors, and its stub wings are heavy with heat-seeking Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, laser-guided Hellfires, rockets (like those used in Vietnam), and even fuel-filled drop tanks. You can have all the guns, vests, and radios you want, but you need street smarts or youre going to be dead within an hour.. Select the first letter of the last name of the person you want to find: Improved versions were issued through the war and included pockets on the chest and back in which large additional plates could be inserted. Terms and Conditions, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC) s/n 66-07841. Unfortunately, the weight of the armament kept the little bird from taking off. It was barely used in the Vietnam War because it was replaced by the more advanced Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw. (7.62MM) Adopted after the company behind its design deceived the US Army, the Loach helicopter, as it was better known, fast became the primary chopper flown in Vietnam. 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. Loach History - Fly in a Vietnam War Helicopter When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. South Vietnam Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. 60th Assault Helicopter Company: Mar 72 Jun 72, Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. 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. But the Vietnam War was unlike any previous American conflict; there were few real definable frontlines, and combatants needed to know what was happening all around them, all the time. 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. 2 .50 cal MG pods The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69 If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work. 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. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. Two of these designs, those submitted by Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, were selected as finalists by the Army-Navy design competition board. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. 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). [3], On 27 February 1963, the first Model 369 prototype performed its maiden flight. The Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. 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. [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. 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. 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. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. 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. Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. In some areas, Purple Teamsone Loach and two Cobraswere also common, as were other variations.) The Loach-derived MD-500 and other civilian variants still roll off the assembly lines at MD Helicopters, Inc., while Boeing produces an upgraded variant, the AH-6 Little Bird, for military forces (including an autonomous drone version). Loach and Cobra were in constant radio communication, and because of the intensity of hunter-killer missions, it wasnt long before pairs in each type knew each other well enough to anticipate the others moves. The Army dictated that after 300 hours of flight time, each Loach go through a thorough inspection, but in practice such inspections were rare: Few Loaches survived to reach that mark. 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. Click on the hotlinks for more information. OH-6 Loach - Light Observation Helicopter - Brickmania Toys They would then call in scouts on the ground or infantrymen to hunt for the enemy in the brush while attack helicopters protected everyone. Privacy Statement "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. Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. The Cayuse had a single articulated four-bladed main rotor, a metal two-bladed tail rotor, and a V-shaped tail. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. Front left side view of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter; color, Right side view of the Hughes OH-6 Loach in flight; color. 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. [12] Following a competitive fly-off, the Army requested the manufacturers to submit sealed bids. The OH-6 Cayuse was built with a rugged structure covered in light aluminum. The helicopter was hit in the Left Side The Incident - Operation Triumphus Hughes Tool Company, Aircraft Division - USA, (View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers), Dominican Republic; Denmark; Japan; Spain; Taiwan; United States, (OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable), Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout, X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator), (Showcased structural values pertain to the base Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) production variant), RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030, (Showcased performance specifications pertain to the. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. | The following text is exclusive to this site. 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. One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. For other AH-6 and MH-6 variants, see MH-6 Little Bird and Boeing AH-6. It was reasonably fast, very crashworthy, comparatively easy to maintain and fly, and extraordinarily maneuverable. While the already-produced OH-6 Cayuses were being deployed to Vietnam in 1967, production costs were beginning to rise. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. The guidance systems on newer attack helicoptersoften working with or even controlling the cameras of reconnaissance droneshave relegated to history the hunter role in the hunter-killer missions. 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. Date: 03/25/1970 We operated from fixed bases that were islands, if you will, of allied control, says Hugh Mills, who flew both Loaches and Cobras in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972, and went on to fly helicopters for the Kansas City Police Department. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. We were about ready to call in tactical air support to blow up the wrecked ship when another Cobra took a lot of fire. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. The four-passenger teardrop shaped "Flying egg" (six-passenger with rear seats folded-down) was a small, light, sturdy, maneuverable helicopter, with very low drag. The Incident - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. 2 M75 40-mm grenade launchers Ace Cozzalio was among the most colorful characters of the Vietnam War. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. Sensing its growing battlefield requirements, the US Army then raised the production ceiling to 1,300 units in all. We got into another aircraft and went back out. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam 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 The Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. Terms of Use 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.
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