loach helicopter vietnam loach helicopter vietnam

But the Hueys proved too slow to do the job properly, and the need to replace both scouts and protectors was immediately evident. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. Other Army pilots, most of whom flew Cobras or Hueys, thought of Loach pilots as a little offbeat. 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. The Bell OH-58 Kiowa was an entire line of military helicopters with a single engine and a single rotor. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit [22], Following the April 1980 failure of Operation Eagle Claw (the attempted rescue of American hostages in Tehran), it was determined that the military lacked aircraft and crews who were trained and prepared to perform special operations missions. When the opposing forces exposed themselves, the crew would call upon an accompanying Bell AH-1 Cobra to attack. Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . The Chickasaw was a multi-purpose helicopter designed for both the US Army and Air Force. The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/18/2017 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com 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. History | In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like cabin, improving the survival chances of the crew and passengers. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. Hughes's price was $19,860 per airframe, without the engine, while Hiller's price was $29,415 per airframe, also without the engine. The OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. 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-6 Cayuse, by this point known as the Loach helicopter, made its way to Vietnam in December 1967. [8][9] It was reported that Howard Hughes had directed his company to submit a bid at a price beneath the actual production cost of the helicopter in order to secure this order. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. The AH-6 and its troop-carrying sibling, the MH-6, are still heavily used by U.S. special-operations forces, as everything from airborne sniper platforms to transports inserting small teams to expeditionary light attack helicopters. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. [17] On 26 March 1966, Jack Schwiebold set the closed circuit distance record in a YOH-6A at Edwards Air Force Base, California, flying without landing for 1,739.96mi (2,800.20km). Anthony is our resident military expert who uses his experience to write about all aspects of flying in the military, including what it takes to become a pilot and serve your country. Under enemy fire this nimble machine had to fly low to the ground, just above the jungle canopy. Some of them were able to tell how large a force was and how recently it had passed. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. [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. Hughes, without informing Real, raised the bid by $3,000, and thus lost the contract to Bell. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. See Also: How Much Does a Huey Helicopter Cost? Observation Helicopters 4. A saying among Army aviators was, If you have to crash, do it in a Loach.. All Rights Reserved. Multi-Mission Helicopters 6. 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 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). Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. 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. Army troops called the OH-6As Loaches, a contraction of light observation helicopters. The ship was unusually light and had plenty of power, perfect for flying nap-of-the-earth missions, and its 26-foot-diameter main rotor made getting into tight landing zones a snap. 79th Transportation Company: Jun 70 Jul 70 Sensing its growing battlefield requirements, the US Army then raised the production ceiling to 1,300 units in all. 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. "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. [27] During June 1972, they were deployed to a secret base in southern Laos (PS-44), where one of the helicopters was heavily damaged during a training mission late in the summer. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods 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. 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. It was also the right size to fit the necessary avionics and fuel stores, all while keeping the structure nimble and agile. The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. 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. The Model 369, with its Allison T63-A-5A series turboshaft engine, took its first flight on February 27, 1963, under the military designation YOH-6A. The Cayuse was Hughes' longest-running helicopter program and, during the Vietnam War, as many as 100 OH-6As were built a month. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Moses, a 19-year-old draftee, arrived in Vietnam in July 1970 for the first of two year-long tours, and later worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a therapist and administrator. Privacy Statement This was a Combat incident. Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. The armed OH-6s from Fort Rucker joined the training program in the fall of 1980.[30]. Your Privacy Rights South Vietnam 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 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. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. 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. 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. Home | Your email address will not be published. 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). 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. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. You were killed, shot down, or got scared and quit. Cobras rolled in and blew the downed aircraft uptaking with it about 15 bad guys standing around it.. I liked it because in the Bronx, I was a ghetto kid. Jim was unconscious when I helped pull him out of the burning aircraft.. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. Find Us on Facebook, Safety Standards Acknowledgement and Consent (SSAC). The OH-6 was largely removed from active U.S. Army service in favor of the Kiowa, but modified versions of the helicopter flew with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as the MH-6C Little Bird as late as 2008. 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. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Hughes is reported to have told his confidant, Jack Real, that he lost over $100 million to construct 1,370 airframes. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . [5] Accordingly, the bidding for the LOH contract came down to Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. Another flight competition was held, this time without a submission from Fairchild Hiller. Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH A.J. Almost as soon as production began, however, it was replaced by a competitors model. Operation Honey Badger was canceled after the hostages were released on 20 January 1981, and for a short while, it looked as if the task force would be disbanded and the personnel returned to their former units. However, the choppers frame ensured the crewmen within remained safe. 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. s/n 66-07841. 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. 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. In the hunter-killer teams, the Loach would fly low over the jungle, drawing fire and then calling for the Cobra to kill the teams on the ground. The OH-6A Loach (for "LOH") would find targets by flying low, "trolling for fire", then marking the target with colored smoke to lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. The Model 369 had a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that had strong crashworthiness properties and provided excellent external visibility. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. [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. (7.62MM) Disclaimer Photographs Books/Magazines [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. The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. 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. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. The unrefueled range of the AH-6 is 250 nautical miles. 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. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. Adopted after. Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . In 1960, the US Army issued Technical Specification 153 and established the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like . 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. 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.