A.J. It was the same for Jim. 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. The helicopter was hit in the Left Side [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. 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. 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. While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0020 feet and 050 knots. These rotorcraft were operated by several different organisations, the majority of which were based in Japan. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 45-4703737We Fly for Our Veterans!. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. Furthermore, a number of civilian customers also flew Kawasaki-built OH-6s for a variety of missions, including emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement, and agricultural work. During 1966, the OH-6 entered service with the U.S. Army, it promptly arrived into active combat in the Vietnam War. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 It is 1/6th scale and very large, has to be at least 3 feet from rotor tip to rotor tip. It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. Hughes Tool Company Aircraft Division submitted their Model 369 to fill a US Army requirement for a Light Observation Helicopter capable of performing a number of secondary duties including escort, attack and casualty evacuation duties. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like . [22], It became common for OH-6s to operate in teams with other rotorcraft, particularly the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter. 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. The observers and gunners had even less experience. The 1-245th AVN BN enlisted 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 aircraft. In some areas, Purple Teamsone Loach and two Cobraswere also common, as were other variations.) MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. 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! Privacy Statement The mission training consisted of loading onto C-130 Hercules transport aircraft which would then transport them to forward staging areas over routes as long as 1,000 nautical miles (1,900km). So I engaged the enemy, but didnt make it out of that one. 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. Although many were still teenagers, their survival depended on well-honed instincts and razor-sharp reflexes, along with plenty of luck. 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. I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. Observation Helicopters Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. The OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. The OH-6D was an improved version with more advanced electronics and heavier armament. More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. 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. This was a Combat incident. 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. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to. Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. Despite a strong outcry from crews in Vietnam, the Bell OH-58A Kiowa, powered by the same Allison T-63 engine as the OH-6, was being distributed to Army units. Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. Furthermore, the helicopter was also developed into a civilian helicopter, the Model 500, which was still in production into the twenty-first century under MD Helicopters as the MD 500. This helicopter was UNK s/n 66-07841. 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. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . 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). Vietnam Veteran and his Helicopter Reunited. The flames covered my boots and lower legs. Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program, The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. This aspect was further bolstered by the use of self-sealing fuel tanks that lowered the likelihood of a post-impact fire breaking out. The Army initially ordered 1,438 Hughes Model 369s, designated by the Army as the OH-6A Cayuse helicopters. Although most combat aircraft in Vietnam aimed for altitudes and speeds that helped them avoid anti-aircraft weapons, U.S. Army crews flying Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopters flew low and drew fireto set up the shots for the Bell AH-1G Cobras circling above. The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine transport and search helicopter. One time we ran into hundreds of enemy troops. 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. Krausz was ordered to Vietnam in April 1971, and today teaches Army students how to fly the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota, a twin-engine trainer. 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. It was pretty hairy, and we got the hell out of there. But Boucher got a rush from the missions, and stayed six months beyond what was required of a draftee. Towards the end of the conflict, the replacement of the OH-6 by the Bell OH-58 Kiowa was imminent across nearly all US Army units. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. Cobra Gunship, Huey and Loach OH-6 Members of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry dedicated an OH-6 Loach Scout helicopter flown by their unit during the Vietnam War In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. 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. Stepping away from her academic career, Samantha previously worked as a Heritage Researcher and now writes content for multiple sites covering an array of historical topics. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. [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. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse was quite effective when teamed with the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter as part of what were known as Pink Teams, combining the OH-6A Loach (white team) with a AH-1G Cobra atacke helicopter (red team). 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. Its formal name is derived from the Cayuse people while its "Loach" nickname comes from the acronym for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) programme that it was procured under. The Loach helicopter was pitted against what was then known as the Bell Model 206. Book A Flight | The OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. I have come home with blood on my windshield. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. All Rights Reserved. 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. 2 .50 cal MG pods 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. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. MD-530MG/Defender: Has a mast-mounted sight, and incorporated upgrades of all previous variants. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. See Also: How Much Does a Huey Helicopter Cost? In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. Systems damaged were: COMM SYS, STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENTS, PERSONNEL South Vietnam 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. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. Advertising Notice 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. History. About Us | On 1 October 1986, to help meet the increasing demands for support, the 1-245th Aviation Battalion from the Oklahoma National Guard, which had 25 AH-6 and 23 UH-1 helicopters, was placed under the operational control of the 160th. 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. His three tours to Vietnam included death-defying scouting missions piloting his Hughes OH-6 light observation helicopter (or Loach) as well as gunship runs inside his AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter.. Cozzalio was also involved in nine aircraft mishaps; he was shot down six times and suffered three hard landings. See his memoir Warpath: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60299643-warpath Posted as part of the \"War \u0026 Life: Discussions with Veterans\" project. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. Unfortunately, the weight of the armament kept the little bird from taking off. 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". The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. Books/Magazines The Korean War proved the necessity for such rotorcraft, particularly in regard to search and rescue operations. [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. 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. This was a Combat incident. The Cayuse (white) was used alongside the AH-1 Cobra (red) attack helicopters, forming (pink) hunter killer teams. These would be used to replace its fleet of Bell H-13 Sioux, a compact first generation rotorcraft. The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH In addition, an M60D 7.62mm machine gun could be mounted in the front port (left) or rear starboard (right) door openings. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. The US Army subsequently reopened the LOH program to engineering companies, offering a new contract for 2,700 additional airframes. [22] The remaining H-13s were promptly withdrawn in favour of the OH-6s. The Cobra was fast and deadly. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. Its four-bladed full-articulated main rotor made it particularly agile, and it was suitable for personnel transport, escort and attack missions, and observation. But even that armament combined with the Cobra escort couldnt keep them safe. 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. 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. The Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. In response, a task force was developed originally designated Task Force 158 for the next attempt to rescue the hostages, Operation Honey Badger. article/image or apply full credit information. At peak production, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. 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. Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 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. If you would like The US military primarily used the OH-6 for observational and reconnaissance purposes. The LOH program opened the floor to several companies to come up with their own designs. Cobras, nicknamed Snakes, flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the Loach found. 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. Select the first letter of the last name of the person you want to find: . Upon encountering enemy fire, Loaches were to leave immediately, dropping smoke grenades to mark the target so that within seconds, the Cobra could roll in. 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. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. 605th transportation Company (Direct Support): Nov . 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.
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