loach helicopter vietnam

Hughes Model OH-6A Cayuse or LOACH For other AH-6 and MH-6 variants, see MH-6 Little Bird and Boeing AH-6. 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. With all these benefits, several variations were developed. 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. and Images on this page are gathered from various sources. 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. 24 Helicopters Used in Vietnam (And Their Purpose) The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. ). You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. [27], During the early 1970s, Soviet-supplied SA-7 Grail shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles emerged amongst North Vietnamese troops; one hit could down a Loach, potentially dealing fatal damage before its crew were aware that they were under fire. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. 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. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. It was barely used in the Vietnam War because it was replaced by the more advanced Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw. 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 helicopter was UNK The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. Contact | Due to its unique shape, the Loach was given the nickname . While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206. MD-530MG/Defender: Has a mast-mounted sight, and incorporated upgrades of all previous variants. We were combat trackers, says Mills. MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) Your email address will not be published. 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. 10 Types of Helicopters in Vietnam (Vietnam Era Helicopters) - Aero Corner Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 That was about it.. 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. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. Your email address will not be published. (7.62MM) The flames covered my boots and lower legs. Loach come from the LOH which means Light Observation Helicopter. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. South Vietnam The "loach" was the LOH (Light Observation Helicopter) or OH-6A. The Incident - CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse | Military Wiki | Fandom Its effectiveness in battle allowed it to quickly replace the Bell H-13 Siouxs being operated in the country. Even trampled grass was a clue; it meant that enemy troops had passed through the area within eight hours, the time it took for grass to dry upright. External load capacity was approximately 1,200 Lbs (550 kg), and transport capability 2 or 3 troops or cargo internally. Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit Vietnam OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter The OH-6A made its first flight in 1963. Armed with guns, Hellfire missiles, and 2.75-inch FFAR, it provides armed helicopter support to both ground and air special operations. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. The Kaman SH-2 could extend and increase both shipboard sensor and weapon abilities against different types of enemy units, including submarines, ships, and patrol craft with anti-ship missiles. Pilot sold separately. The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives. Anthony comes from a military family and has served his country proudly in the military as a pilot. AH-1G Huey Cobra 'Snake' . [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). The NVA [North Vietnamese army] was everywhere. The first Loach arrived in Vietnam in 1966, and a total of 1,434 of the primary . Aircraft took off, fully flight capable. 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. Donald Porter served in Vietnam with the helicopters he writes about. 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. The OH-6 Cayuse was built with a rugged structure covered in light aluminum. Reportedly, 964 out of the 1,422 OH-6As produced for the US Army were destroyed in the Vietnam theatre, the majority of these losses being a result of hostile action, typically ground fire. So I engaged the enemy, but didnt make it out of that one. 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. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. 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. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. The OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) 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. The unrefueled range of the AH-6 is 250 nautical miles. s/n 66-07841. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. EH-6B, a previous version of the Little Bird, was used for command, control and radio relay. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 through 1970. By Richard Toops. Click on the hotlinks for more information. The Cobras high above had a few seconds of warningthey could spot the missiles exhaust plumebut were all the more tempting because at their higher altitudes they were more easily seen than the smaller Loaches. In photo #2 you can see the nice graphics. 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 AH-6 Little Bird Gun, a light attack helicopter, has been tested and proven in combat. 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. The light observation helicopter OH-6 Cayuse, or Loach (based on the LOH acronym), was a Vietnam-era helicopter designed with speed and maneuverability in mind. The OH-6/Model 369 was also license-produced overseas by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries for both military and civilian operators. Light Attack Helicopters 3. The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. 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. Hughes 500M: Military export version of OH-6 in mid-1970s with upgraded 278-shp Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, "V" tail. In terms of its basic configuration, the Model 369 had an atypical teardrop-shaped fuselage, a feature that led to personnel sometimes referring to it as the "flying egg". 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. Due to its designation LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), pilots and crew nicknamed this helicopter LOACH. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. During the testing phase, it became clear the Bell prototype was underpowered, so it was dropped. This. 2 Stinger AAM. This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. In order to reduce their acoustic signature, the helicopters (N351X and N352X) received a four-blade 'scissors' style tail rotor (later incorporated into the Hughes-designed AH-64 Apache), a fifth rotor blade and reshaped rotor tips, a modified exhaust system, and various other performance boosting modifications. 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. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 Vietnam Helicopters Museum. The Model 369 was submitted by Hughes, and competed against the two finalists, Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, for a production contract. Several Kawasaki-built Loach helicopters were also flown by civilian customers for a variety of reasons, including emergency medical services, law enforcement tasks and for work in the agricultural sector. The Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly designed to be used on ships that werent large enough to carry a full-sized helicopter. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. Instead of disbanding Task Force 158, the military opted to turn it into the 160th Aviation Battalion. (He later transferred to the Air Force and flew F-4 Phantoms, and eventually became an airline captain.) The Mil Mi-8 was developed in the later stage of the Vietnam War to counter the Bell Huey UH1. A saying among Army aviators was, If you have to crash, do it in a Loach.. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. [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. Scout pilots were a different breed of cat, says Cobra pilot Jim Kane, who likens his former colleagues to the airborne equivalent of the Tunnel Rats, soldiers who crawled head-first into Viet Cong-built tunnels without any idea what awaited them there. 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.

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