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As the H-13s were phased out, Loaches were paired with Cobra gunships. Flight Hours in Vietnam: 1,318 Jim Kanes Vietnam tour abruptly ended one day in February 1971. ", 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. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) - Military Factory 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. The OH-6A could be armed with the M27 armament subsystem, the M134 six-barrel 7.62mm minigun or the M129 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem. A.J. They underwent two weeks of qualification training and an additional two weeks of mission training. Thats why the majority of pilots who served in Vietnam shared the opinion that, if you were going to crash, it was best to do it in a Loach. 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. Two (2) Crew: one Pilot, one Observer/Doorgunner. The following two-week mission was to Yuma for night operation training. The Bell UH-1 Huey & the Hughes OH-6 Loach 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. 2 M134 7.62-mm 6x barrel, Gatling type twin MG pods Hunter-killer team - Wikipedia Total flight hours at this point: 00000265 The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. The Loach's main role was reconnaisance and observation. 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). 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. I could see a cigarette butt still burning. 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. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. contact us here and we will remove the Home | An author of aviation books, his latest is Howards Whirlybirds. Though Cobra pilots were trained Stateside, most Loach pilots didnt take control of OH-6s until arriving in Vietnam. They were employed in hunter-killer tactics, wherein they flew low over the jungle as bait to draw enemy fire. The OH-6/Model 369 was also license-produced overseas by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries for both military and civilian operators. The back plate was often not used owing to the weight, and even the chest plate was deleted. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine The Korean War proved the necessity for such rotorcraft, particularly in regard to search and rescue operations. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. It would often be crewed by a pilot and an observer; up to five passengers or up to 1,000lb of cargo could be carried internally. Search and Rescue Helicopters 5. 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 Seasprite was an anti-submarine and anti-surface helicopter that had over-the-horizon targeting facilities. The Army requested 714 helicopters in May 1965, a number that was later increased to 1,300. The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse, was designed for use as a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) nicknamed LOACH, military scout during the Vietnam war to meet the U.S. Armys need for an extremely maneuverable observation helicopter. Loach and Cobra were in constant radio communication, and because of the intensity of hunter-killer missions, it wasnt long before pairs in each type knew each other well enough to anticipate the others moves. Served in Vietnam War during 1968 and 1970-1972 605th transportation Company (Direct Support): Nov . Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. When the training was completed, C-141 Starlifter airlifters transported both rotorcraft and crews to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for two weeks of mission training. Some crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the OH-6, however, the transition proceeded while scouting doctrine was changed to emphasis operations from greater distances. Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in Japan. To remedy this shortcoming, the Army began developing a special aviation task force to prepare for the next attempt to rescue the hostages: Operation Honey Badger. Boucher quickly discovered that life as a qualified crewman was extremely dangerous. 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. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. Donald Porter September 2017 Pilot Clyde. The OH-6A could be armed with the M27 armament subsystem, the port (left) side mounting M134 six-barrel 7.62mm minigun or a 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem. Scout crews argued that the Kiowa was nowhere near as nimble as the Cayuse, but scouting flights were changing. Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 67-16304 The UH-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. Cobras rolled in and blew the downed aircraft uptaking with it about 15 bad guys standing around it.. The Bell UH-1B/C was modified from the UH-1A Cobra to include a set of machine guns for attacking ground targets. I spent more time with them.. I still have scars on my legsit was terrifying. They were operated by a number of military organizations, including the Japanese Army, Navy and Coast Guard. 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. [23][22] Such a team would have normally comprised a single OH-6 that would fly relatively slow and at a low altitude while attempting to spot the presence of enemies. 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 Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. We were combat trackers, says Mills. [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. During 1964, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a memorandum directing that all U.S. Army fixed-wing aircraft be transferred to the U.S. Air Force, while the U.S. Army transitioned to solely operating rotor-wing aircraft. The Bell AH-1J was also used for various subsequent assaults and military operations conducted by the US Marine Corps. 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 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. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. Primarily, it was used by the Marine Corp to transport personnel and cargo. Warrant officer John Shafer was 21 when he arrived on October 16, 1970, to fly Loaches. 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. Once enemy positions opened fire at the Cayuse, they were destroyed by the mighty firepower of escorting Cobras. It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. Nate Shaffer has restored a Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopter. 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. While in Vietnam, Loach helicopters operated as part of air mobile teams. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. The US Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) trains and graduates qualified engineering test pilots, flight test officers, and flight test engineers to conduct test and evaluation (T & E) at the Naval Air Warfare Center-Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD) Patuxent River Maryland and other activities. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable. The Army purchased this helicopter 0968 A "Loach" (Helicopter) Scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969 The Mojave is a large heavy-lift helicopter that was deployed in the Vietnam War in 1965 to assist in recovery of downed US aircraft, but it proved ineffective. 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. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/18/2017 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. The Marine Corp used it for the sea-based interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1972. In contrast, of the nearly 1,100 Cobras delivered to the Army, 300 were lost. During 1966, the OH-6 entered service with the U.S. Army, it promptly arrived into active combat in the Vietnam War. This was a Combat incident. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse - Wikipedia Due to its designation LOH (Light Observation Helicopter), pilots and crew nicknamed this helicopter LOACH. The helicopter Continued Flight. Your Privacy Rights 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. article/image or apply full credit information. It was reasonably fast, very crashworthy, comparatively easy to maintain and fly, and extraordinarily maneuverable. 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. I have come home with blood on my windshield. I spent more time with them., Kids Start Forgetting Early Childhood Around Age 7, Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar, Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds, 5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq, The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars. Disclaimer Photographs It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Cobras generally attacked with rockets, preferred for long-range accuracy, switching to the less-accurate chin-mounted machine gun and grenade launcher only if they were far enough away from friendly troops or if the rocketsAH-1s could carry as many as 76 rocketsran out. The 'Loach' was one of the riskiest helicopter assignments in Vietnam Reportedly, Hughes had consulted at the last moment with Real, who recommended a bid of $53,550. Hughes 500M: Military export version of OH-6 in mid-1970s with upgraded 278-shp Allison 250-C18 turboshaft engine, "V" tail. The aircraft, dubbed 500P (penetrator) by Hughes, began as an ARPA project, codenamed "Mainstreet", in 1968. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). Up against Fairchild Hiller, Hughes Tool Company purposely undervalued its cost estimates, earning the company favor and the contract. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. 2 TOW missile pods (2 each) The high-low hunter-killer combination gave way to uniform-altitude missions, with all helicopters flying nap of the earth. Loach History - Fly in a Vietnam War Helicopter 2 Stinger AAM. Today, the Little Birds in use by special operations are MH-6Ms derived from a similar but more powerful helicopter. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Vietnams mountainous terrain stressed the underpowered, obsolete helicopters to their limits: They could neither fly fast enough to escape enemy fire nor carry enough armament to pose a meaningful threat. 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. 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. You can have all the guns, vests, and radios you want, but you need street smarts or youre going to be dead within an hour.. [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. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. Casualties = 01 WIA . The Model 206 was mostly employed as a general utility helicopter, but at times it was also used for transporting troops and high command, in addition to serving observational and reconnaissance roles during the Vietnam war. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. In some areas, Purple Teamsone Loach and two Cobraswere also common, as were other variations.) Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit The prototype first flew in early 1963, and production began two years later. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . which many are taken will be available from our shop to 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. | The following text is exclusive to this site. The Huey descended gingerly into a clearing smaller than its main rotor diameter, the aircrafts rotor blades chopping tree limbs as it descended. Historical Snapshot: OH-6 Cayuse/Hughes 500 Helicopter The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a light helicopter with a single engine and a four-bladed main rotor. The OH-6 was developed in response to the United States Army issuing Technical Specification 153 in 1960 to replace its Bell H-13 Sioux fleet. Kane and Casher were pulled aboard and returned to Khe Sanh, but the Huey barely made it back; slicing trees had left its blades shredded, and the tail section had almost separated. 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. You had a couple of flights in the Huey, then you rode front seat in a Cobra, scout pilot Allan Krausz recounts. [4] The prototypes were delivered to the U.S. Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where they competed against the other ten prototype aircraft produced by Bell and Fairchild-Hiller. 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Light Observation Helicopter - Wikipedia South Vietnam 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. During the Vietnam War the OH-6 helicopters served in huge numbers and were used for light observation and utility roles. Setting 23 world records for speed, distance, and altitude, the Hughes Tool Company OH-6 entered service in September of 1966. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. [3], On 27 February 1963, the first Model 369 prototype performed its maiden flight. Click on the hotlinks for more information. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Russian soldiers calls back home reveal horrifying experiences in Ukraine, broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen, could carry everything from 7.62mm miniguns to 70mm rockets and anti-tank missiles, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times, modified versions of the helicopter flew with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as the MH-6C Little Bird as late as 2008, 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms. The United States deployed all types of helicopter, ranging from massive troop transport choppers, to smaller multipurpose and attack helicopters, and even helicopter drones. Shop | While Loachs were vulnerable to enemy fire, they were famous for surviving crashes like John did. 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. 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. It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. 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). 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. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. 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. Cookie Settings, pilot. Kanes commanding officer flew his command-and-control Huey to the ravine where Kane and Casher huddled. 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. 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. One, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times. Observation Helicopters 4. While Hiller did not participate in the rebidding, Bell opted to, submitting their redesigned Model 206.