The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. Table of Contents 1. Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS 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). Served in Vietnam War during 1968 and 1970-1972 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. 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. 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. Terms of Use We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. 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. [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. 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. Anthony comes from a military family and has served his country proudly in the military as a pilot. Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. Unknown as to mission impact. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. Kiowas, largely relegated to low-threat cargo and liaison missions in Vietnam, were after the war tasked to spot targets from afar and guide Cobras (and later, Boeing AH-64 Apaches) to good firing spots. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. 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. About Us | ", 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. 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. This was a Combat incident. Units in Vietnam began sending UH-1Bs outfitted with rocket pods and machine guns to circle over the scouts at around 600 feet and attack anything that might interfere with the imminent troop landing. During 1960, the United States Army issued Technical Specification 153 for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) capable of fulfilling various roles on the battlefield, including personnel transport, escort, casualty evacuation, observation, and attack missions. 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. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. The U.S. Army began to use Bell OH-13 Sioux and Hiller OH-23 Raven helicopters, once artillery spotters, to scout ahead of UH-1D Huey formations in the moments before air assaults to gather information about landing zones and enemy locations. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. Unit: 173 ABN The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse was the fourth line of tandem rotor helicopters developed by Piasecki Helicopters. These choppers were modified for combat rescue missions and had self-sealing fuel tanks, rescue hoist, and in-flight refueling abilities. ). MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. Each could be equipped with any number of armaments, including grenade launchers, 7.62 mm miniguns, Hydra 70 mm unguided rockets, and TOW and Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. Loach and Cobra crews lived together, and schedulers generally paired the teams with the partners they requested, though given the high turnover rate, that wasnt always possible. They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. The helicopter was designed around their earlier model 269/300 making use of monocoque steel tube construction techniques, allowing a strong and compact fuselage. 2 MK19 40-mm grenade launcher 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. Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. It is 1/6th scale and very large, has to be at least 3 feet from rotor tip to rotor tip. | The following text is exclusive to this site. South Vietnam Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. [22] The remaining H-13s were promptly withdrawn in favour of the OH-6s. Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. [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. Books/Magazines 2 Stinger AAM. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. However, the choppers frame ensured the crewmen within remained safe. The OH-6 Cayuse was built with a rugged structure covered in light aluminum. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. Vietnam Veteran and his Helicopter Reunited. [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. On top of this, Fairchild Hiller lodged a formal complaint over Hughes Tool Companys deceitful tactics to earn the original contract. One, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. As of 2021, these records still stand. 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. Since units were all but permanently assigned to particular areas, they came to know the local geography intimately and could spot anything out of the ordinary. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) The Loach helicopters used to transport personnel were given the designation MH-6, while the armed ones were dubbed the AH-6. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Today, the Little Birds in use by special operations are MH-6Ms derived from a similar but more powerful helicopter. Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Improved versions were issued through the war and included pockets on the chest and back in which large additional plates could be inserted. Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. The Light Observation Helicopter ( LOH) program was a United States Army program to evaluate, develop and field a light scout helicopter to replace the Army's aging Bell OH-13 Sioux. The Mil Mi-8 is a Soviet medium twin-turbine helicopter. Shop | Upon landing, an inspection revealed a damaged pitch link, a rotor head component so critical that had it failed, they too would have crashed. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. 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. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. The SeaCobra was a twin-engine attack helicopter that was developed from the single-engine AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The Vietnam War saw the extensive use of helicopters, though were mostly by the United States military. [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. Stanley Hiller complained to the U.S. Army that Hughes had used unethical procedures; therefore, the Army opened the contract for rebidding by all parties. The back plate was often not used owing to the weight, and even the chest plate was deleted. The observers and gunners had even less experience. In air mobile teams, a pilot would fly low while an observer would scan the ground for signs of the enemy force. Even when this helicopter was shot down, it refused to crack. Observation Helicopters 4. The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program, The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. They were operated by a number of military organizations, including the Japanese Army, Navy and Coast Guard. The OH-6D was an improved version with more advanced electronics and heavier armament. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. All Rights Reserved. History | The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . Loach and Cobra crews lived together, and schedulers generally paired the teams with the partners they requested, though given the high turnover rate, that wasnt always possible.