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. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. ", 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. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. "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. 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. Stanley Hiller complained to the U.S. Army that Hughes had used unethical procedures; therefore, the Army opened the contract for rebidding by all parties. Casualties = 01 WIA . Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. The Sea Stallion is a line of heavy-lift transport helicopters. 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. It was used to look for and find the VC/NVA troops in Vietnam. Missions began every day at dawn, when crews were briefed on where to fly and what to look for. 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. The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. contact us here and we will remove the The Loach-derived MD-500 and other civilian variants still roll off the assembly lines at MD Helicopters, Inc., while Boeing produces an upgraded variant, the AH-6 Little Bird, for military forces (including an autonomous drone version). MD-500E/MD-500MG/Defender II: Had a more elongated nose for streamlining, and an optional 4x blade tail rotor for reduced acoustic signatures. 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. 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 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. Front left side view of the Hughes OH-6 Cayuse helicopter; color, Right side view of the Hughes OH-6 Loach in flight; color. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close Cobras and Loaches, two vastly different aircraft, relied on each other to fight the enemy. Another such gunner was 19-year-old Joel Boucher, drafted and sent to Vietnam from 1967 to 1969. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. The Hughes 369 was redesignated the OH-6A "Cayuse" by the U.S. Army. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft were returned to the U.S., where they were dismantled and converted back to a standard configuration; they continued to be operated as such for a time. The task force, which had been designated as Task Force 158, was soon formed into the 160th Aviation Battalion. NVA troops shot down a Cobra, killing the crew. The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport chopper used both for civilian and military purposes. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/18/2017 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com We were combat trackers, says Mills. It was mostly used as a transport chopper, but it could also deliver supplies to troops. Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program, The US Air Force Panicked When Its Top-Secret Stealth Fighter Crashed Into the California Wilderness. It was a joy to fly. Kane, who today sells securities in Richmond, Virginia, flew AH-1s in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971. [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. 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. Its first overseas deployment, as well as into frontline combat, was the Vietnam War. Provision for packaged armament on port side, including an XM-27 7.62mm (0.300in) machine-gun with 2,000 - 4,000 rounds of ammunition; or an XM-75 grenade launcher, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and Task Force 160, List of military aircraft of the United States, Hearings on military posture and H.R. It later turned out that Howard Hughes purposely undervalued his estimate and deceptively won out against Fairchild-Hiller - his reasoning being that a long-term US Army commitment to his helicopter would, over time, make the deal profitable at some point. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. 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 prototype first flew in early 1963, and production began two years later. 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. The Bell Model 206 is a line of both single and twin-engined helicopters with two primary rotor blades. Just as I set it down, the tail rotor spun off. In addition, an M60D 7.62mm machine gun could be mounted in the front port (left) or rear starboard (right) door openings. AH/MH-6J: US Army Special Operations variant derived from the MD-530MG. The Hughes (Model 500M) international military version was sold in ten countries and built under license in Italy and Japan. 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. s/n 66-07841. 2 .50 cal MG pods document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 Vietnam Helicopters Museum. 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 Cayuse was organic to division, brigade, and battalion size units. Trademarks and copyright information is respected. The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. 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. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. Systems damaged were: COMM SYS, STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENTS, PERSONNEL 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. South Vietnam 605th transportation Company (Direct Support): Nov . Fitted with 1x 253-shp Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft, 4 bladed main rotor, and an offset "V" tail. EH-6B, a previous version of the Little Bird, was used for command, control and radio relay. The Huskie was used by the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. The Mil Mi-1 was a Soviet-made light utility chopper with three or four seats. We flew down along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, he says of the supply route that wound through Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia. I had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. Observation Helicopters 4. One, nicknamed Queer John, hit the dirt at least seven times. The Gyrodyne QH-50 was mostly designed to be used on ships that werent large enough to carry a full-sized helicopter. Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. Your Privacy Rights During the Vietnam war, the HH-43 Huskie was used for more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined. 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). I have come home with blood on my windshield. The Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor chopper that was developed by Vetrol and built by Boeing Vertol. Loach come from the LOH which means Light Observation Helicopter. It was powered by a 285-hp engine but the helicopter weighed less than a Volkswagen. OH-6A/MD-530F Super Cayuse/Lifter: Upgraded engine to a 425-shp Allison 250- C30 turboshaft, and avionics in 1988 for the US Army.