The AH-6 Little Bird Gun, a light attack helicopter, has been tested and proven in combat. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. Privacy Statement Both Loach and Cobra have been in production, on and off, in one form or another ever since. Ace Cozzalio was among the most colorful characters of the Vietnam War. 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. The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. Army units this aircraft deployed with in Vietnam: It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. 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. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. The AH-1 is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Huey Cobra or The Snake. This eventually gave way to the loach nickname, and was intended to provide the US military with a light-class, rotary-wing craft that could fulfill a number of purposes: search and rescue, close air support, MEDEVAC, observation, transport, reconnaissance and attack roles. The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. In some areas, Purple Teamsone Loach and two Cobraswere also common, as were other variations.) Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to him then and what it means to him now. More from us: The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. That was about it.. Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Fitted with 1x 253-shp Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft, 4 bladed main rotor, and an offset "V" tail. The UH-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. Armed with a 40mm grenade launcher in a nose turret, and two 19-tube 2.75 inch rocket launchers, the "OH-6C" was ready to take on anything. Unknown as to mission impact. SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. 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. 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. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. When Chuck Gross left for Vietnam in 1970, he was a nineteen-year-old army helicopter pilot fresh out of flight school. 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. [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. During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. In support of the Helicopter Flight Mechanics syllabus, the USNTPS operates surplus Army OH-6B Helicopters which were refurbished by the Army National Guard, Gulfport, Mississippi in 1991. In response, a task force was developed originally designated Task Force 158 for the next attempt to rescue the hostages, Operation Honey Badger. s/n 66-07841. 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. Today, the Little Birds in use by special operations are MH-6Ms derived from a similar but more powerful helicopter. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. Accordingly, the U.S. Army's fixed-wing airplane, the Cessna O-1 Bird Dog, which was utilized for artillery observation and reconnaissance flights, would be replaced by the incoming OH-6A. In addition, an M60D 7.62mm machine gun could be mounted in the front port (left) or rear starboard (right) door openings. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. ", 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. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. 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. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. The Model 369 had a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that had strong crashworthiness properties and provided excellent external visibility. As of 2021, these records still stand. Robert Davis Travel Management Consultant, 2023 Executive Flyers +1 (512) 241-0795. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". [2] The pilot was provisioned with excellent external visibility via its large plexiglass windscreen, while its four-bladed fully-articulated main rotor meant it was considerably more agile than the preceding H-13 Sioux. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. 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. I followed footsteps. During the Vietnam War, it was mostly deployed for aerial combat and for conducting rescue operations in areas close to US Air bases. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,400. 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. Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. 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. Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. 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. The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. "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. [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. 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. Anthony comes from a military family and has served his country proudly in the military as a pilot. A.J. The Cayuse had a single articulated four-bladed main rotor, a metal two-bladed tail rotor, and a V-shaped tail. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. 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. 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. Helicopter took 1 hits from: to voice a complaint about any articles or image on this website, please This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. They would then call in scouts on the ground or infantrymen to hunt for the enemy in the brush while attack helicopters protected everyone. 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. Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. From the rear cockpit, the pilot fired rockets from launchers fixed to the stub wings on either side; the copilot in the front operated a chin turret that held a minigun and grenade launcher. 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. Development included test and training flights in Culver City, California (Hughes Airport) and at Area 51 in 1971. Total flight hours at this point: 00000496 The task force, which had been designated as Task Force 158, was soon formed into the 160th Aviation Battalion. 608th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support): Mar 72 The back plate was often not used owing to the weight, and even the chest plate was deleted. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. One, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times. Lt. Col. History | 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. Military operators included the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the Japanese Coast Guard. [19][20][21], In December 1967, the first OH-6As arrived in Vietnam. They were usually joined by Cobra gunships either in hunter-killer teams where the Loach hunted and the Cobra killed or in air mobile cavalry units where both airframes supported cavalry and infantrymen on the ground.
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