Towards the end of the conflict, the replacement of the OH-6 by the Bell OH-58 Kiowa was imminent across nearly all US Army units. Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. 24 Helicopters Used in Vietnam (And Their Purpose) 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. A "Loach" (Helicopter) Scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969 Queer John was famous not just for crashing, but for keeping the crew safe while it did so. Kane recalls, The vibrations were so harsh I had to return to base camp at Khe Sanh, seven miles from the Laotian border. Upon encountering enemy fire, Loaches were to leave immediately, dropping smoke grenades to mark the target so that within seconds, the Cobra could roll in. I could see a cigarette butt still burning. Some units were modified during the war with machine guns to act as gunships. While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0060 feet and 010 knots. Ive seen them, whites of the eyes, and theyve seen me, whites of the eyes. The Bell H-13 Sioux were used for multiple roles, ranging from transporting troops, conducting medical evacuations, and performing reconnaissance and observational activities. 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. Helicopter took 2 hits from: Since 1968 this helicopter saw combat in Vietnam. 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. 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. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. [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. This chopper is mostly known for having been used to spot enemy artillery. 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. The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse was a revolutionary rotorcraft operated during the Vietnam War. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. 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. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. https://warandlifediscussions.weebly.com/Any veteran who served in any combat zone in any capacity is invited to contact Preston Jones: pjones@jbu.edu / (479) 524-7488 The UH-1B/C was used sparingly during the Vietnam War. Historical Snapshot: OH-6 Cayuse/Hughes 500 Helicopter 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. Pilots called this helicopter as the Loach. Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 67-16304 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. We thought they were ARVNs [Army of the Republic of Vietnam] until they started running. 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. Read the harrowing story of what happened on that tragic mission. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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). Underneath, a fixed twin-skid undercarriage was supported at two separate points. Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 Heavy Attack Helicopters 2. 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. It was nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant during the war. Unit: DIR SUP / TRAN The-21C was extensively used by the US Army to transport troops and supplies. The enemy was moving toward us when a [command and control] ship picked us up. The Sea Stallion is a variant of the Jolly Green Giant, but its used only for sea transport. The OH-6A replaced the Korean era OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. Despite its strong offensive abilities, the SH-2 Seasprite was mostly used for rescuing downed friendly aircrews instead of direct combat. The Incident - Operation Triumphus (7.62MM) 13456, "History of Rotorcraft World Records, List of records established by the 'YOH-6A'. Fortunate son intensifies : r/memes - reddit The Bell UH-1 Huey & the Hughes OH-6 Loach Kawasaki Heavy Industries produced 387 OH-6D Cayuses under license in 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. Can a Helicopter Fly to the Top of Mount Everest. 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. [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. A little gory but thats how close we were. As the Loach flew among the trees, the rear-seat pilot in the Snake circling above kept a close eye on the little scout and the front-seat gunner jotted down whatever the Loach observers radioed. The Army officially adopted the Bell OH-58 Kiowa in 1969. MD-500MD/Scout and TOW Defender: Improved military version of the model 500 with 5 main rotor blades, 375-shp Allison 250-C20B turboshaft engine, and T-tail. This helicopter was chosen by the US Army over the proposals of a number of other helicopter manufactures, designated the OH-6A Cayuse, and entered service in 1965. 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. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. By Richard Toops. Despite Being Prone to Crashing, the Loach Helicopter Was Favored By The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. 608th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support): Mar 72 This simple design made maintenance easy, while the choppers 26-foot rotor made it much easier to maneuver in tight landing zones. OH-6A/Cayuse: Developed initially by the Hughes Aircraft company (later McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company) in the mid-1960s for the US Army. 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. 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. ). Cookie Settings, pilot. However, the U.S. Army subsequently chose to include Hughes's Model 369 for further consideration as well. Mills, who served two tours in Loaches and one in Cobras, was shot down 16 timesall but once in OH-6s. 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. In this theatre, it was commonly operated in teams with other rotorcraft, such as the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, using so-called "hunter-killer" tactics to flush out and eliminate hostile ground targets; the OH-6 would act as bait to draw enemy fire and mark targets for other platforms such as the AH-1 to attack. That was about it.. OH-6A Cayuse ('Loach') The OH-6A "Cayuse" is a small tactical helicopter flown by units of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment [SOAR]. I tried to move the stuck controls and prayed for a place to set down. It took all of Kanes strength to pull out of a steep dive, and they crash-landed with a horrific thud. The Sea Knight is a medium left-tandem rotor helicopter used for transport. 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. 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 back plate was often not used owing to the weight, and even the chest plate was deleted. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. . I got shot down on my 22nd birthday, March 27, 1971. Also: LNOF, 90119, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. "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. Moore served as an Army OH-6A "Loach" scout in IV Corps, South Vietnam, 1968-1969: Fort Apache, Vihn Long Province. After around 10 hours at the controls of a Loach, the pilots were deemed worthy of flying in combat. [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. Pilot sold separately. Its effectiveness in battle allowed it to quickly replace the Bell H-13 Siouxs being operated in the country. The Cobra is a single-engine attack helicopter produced by Bell Helicopter as a primary attack helicopter in the Vietnam War for aerial assaults or as air cavalry. Following a competitive fly-off and a sealed bidding process, Hughes lost the contract to Bell, resulting in the competing Bell OH-58 Kiowa being produced. Graphics are very well done, the whole model is very well done. In the Vietnam War, these choppers were used to recover downed aircraft. In Vietnam, These Helicopter Scouts Saw Combat Up Close It was used for transporting personnel, escorting other aircraft and naval vessels, attacking enemy units, and acting as an observation post. The Hughes (Model 500M) international military version was sold in ten countries and built under license in Italy and Japan. If the OH-6 came under fire, the nearby Cobra would then strike at the revealed enemy. 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. In 1966 it entered military service with the US Army. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 45-4703737We Fly for Our Veterans!. Vietnam Helicopters Museum - OH-6A "Cayuse" Helicopter s/n 66-07841 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. To this day I am closer to those guys I flew with in Vietnam than my own brothers, says Mills. The OH-6A helicopters used for transporting personnel became the MH-6 aircraft of the Light Assault Company and the armed OH-6As became the AH-6 aircraft of the Light Attack Company. The UH, nicknamed Huey is a utility military chopper that was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuation, and sometimes for military purposes. [2] This shaping, combined with the provision of internal bulkheads, has been attributed as giving the rotorcraft its uncommonly strong crashworthiness properties. Onboard UH1 Huey helicopter (SN 66-163-56) was Aircraft Commander, WO William H. Seaborn Jr., myself as . Army headquarters developed doctrine by building on what worked in the field, rather than the other way around, and each unit in-country did things slightly differently. 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. [8][9], A total of 387 OH-6/Hughes 369s were produced under license in Japan by the Japanese aerospace company Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Its like a street cop going into a bad neighborhood. 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. 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. (Scouts were known as White Teams and Cobras as Red; the two colors combine to become pink. Book A Flight | Shaffer, 63, rode in the military helicopter as a door gunner with Charlie Troop 1/9th, 1st Air Cavalry while . History. 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). [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). Kane was dispatched to the crash site in another Cobra with copilot Jim Casher. A recontoured nose allowed for greater leg and head room. Hughes Model OH-6A "Cayuse" or "LOACH". 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. Despite a strong outcry from crews in Vietnam, the Bell OH-58A Kiowa, powered by the same Allison T-63 engine as the OH-6, was being distributed to Army units. It was used prolifically because of its unique hovering abilities. [22][23] Prior to the arrival of the AH-1, "hunter-killer" teams often relied on the firepower from armed models of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopter. Upon returning to the United States, he established a career in the construction industry and settled in rural Sierra City, California. 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. Vietnam War helicopter pilots bring stories and aircraft to Topeka 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. Privacy Statement Although most combat aircraft in Vietnam aimed for altitudes and speeds that helped them avoid anti-aircraft weapons, U.S. Army crews flying Hughes OH-6A Cayuse helicopters flew low and drew fireto set up the shots for the Bell AH-1G Cobras circling above. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys reading, knitting, and hanging out with her dog, Chowder! Date: 03/25/1970 US Army Loach OH-6 Helicopter Vietnam War Era - YouTube He shares memories of his service and reflects on what the war meant to him then and what it means to him now. On 27 February 1963, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. We were combat trackers, says Mills. Following the Second World War, significant advancements were made in the field of rotary-wing flight. The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse was the fourth line of tandem rotor helicopters developed by Piasecki Helicopters. The Bell H-13 Sioux was developed as a light-weight single-engine and single-rotor helicopter. Here are the 24 helicopters used in Vietnam. ", 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 Bell AH-1J was also used for various subsequent assaults and military operations conducted by the US Marine Corps. Has a mouth full of pointy teeth and a pair of eyes. Advertising Notice Built by Hughes Tool Company, it was designed to be a scout helicopter during the Vietnam war. With all these benefits, several variations were developed. 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. Modifications were also made to the rotor assembly by way of a five blade main rotor which increased stability. SA-7 Grail heat-seeking missiles could down a Loach before its crew even realized they were under fire. Cobras rolled in and blew the downed aircraft uptaking with it about 15 bad guys standing around it.. A.J. A shaft ran to the tail and powered the two-blade rotor at the back. Vietnam following a morning mission with the 11th Special Forces (SF) at Long Than North, South Vietnam. It was mostly used to transport troops and cargo during the Vietnam war. During the Vietnam war, the HH-43 Huskie was used for more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined. OH-58 "Kiowa" light observation / scout platform. In 1961, twelve companies submitted proposals to meet U.S.Army requirements for a four-seat turbine-powered light observation helicopter (LOH). Light Attack Helicopters 3. The high-low hunter-killer combination gave way to uniform-altitude missions, with all helicopters flying nap of the earth. 2 Stinger AAM. I was flying wing and just dropped into the AO [Area of Operations]. The AH/MH Little Birds were lifted by a single C-5 Galaxy, and two C-130 Hercules, along with all support kits for the battalion. A rescue operation for the crew of a downed Loach helicopter doesn't quite go as planned and the rescuers become victims themselves. Troop C, 1st squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division: Oct 68 Jan 69 They would then call in scouts on the ground or infantrymen to hunt for the enemy in the brush while attack helicopters protected everyone. South Vietnam 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. I went up in a Loach with an M60 machine gun to get used to firing the weapon. [16], Early on in the OH-6's career, the type demonstrated its performance in a particularly prominent manner via the setting of 23 individual world records for helicopters during 1966 in the categories of speed, endurance and time to climb. The AH-1 is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Huey Cobra or The Snake. Upon landing, an inspection revealed a damaged pitch link, a rotor head component so critical that had it failed, they too would have crashed. For this, a small rotorcraft capable of landing in restrictive locations and easily transportable via US Air Force transport aircraft was necessary. which many are taken will be available from our shop to 60th Assault Helicopter Company: Mar 72 Jun 72, Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16304 A.J. The Huskie was used by the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. 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. The Model 369 was submitted by Hughes, and competed against the two finalists, Fairchild-Hiller and Bell, for a production contract. 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. They went down in the jungle, and both [members of the crew] survived. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (Loach) - Military Factory Hughes OH-6 Cayuse Light Observation Helicopter - MILITARY TODAY The Cayuse was publicly introduced in 1966 and set several records, including record for endurance, speed and rate of climb. The OH-6 was also exported as the Model 500 Defender. I was wounded three times and shot down nine times, Romero reports. While they were circling the wreckage, enemy rounds hit their ship. Fewer than 2,000 of the type were produced though the original went on to spawn a plethora of viable performers including the Hughes 500 "Defender" and the special forces-minded MH-6 "Little Bird". 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. Overtop of the fuselage was the OH-6s single engine, attached to a four-blade main rotor assembly. For most of the war, there was no formal Army training to prepare scout pilots and observers. Optional and variable (attack and special forces versions only). [22] All American rotorcraft in the theatre had to be operated more cautiously following this development. Although many were still teenagers, their survival depended on well-honed instincts and razor-sharp reflexes, along with plenty of luck. Infantrymen would also launch an assault from the ground. Cobras, nicknamed Snakes, flew circles 1,500 feet above the scouts, waiting to pounce on whatever the Loach found. Typically missions were flown during the daylight, starting at dawn; common roles included the clearance of landing zones and general intelligence/observation flights. 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. In January 1968 PFC Richard Toops went on to Infantry OCS at Ft. Benning, Ga. graduating in September 1968. 2 .50 cal MG pods Most of our engagements [we] were 25 to 50 feet [away] when we opened up on [the Viet Cong], Mills continues. The Gyrodyne company built the Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) to combat submarines from a distance. It was deemed, based on Hughes' estimates, his units would be most cost effective in the long run. Loach crews regularly walked away from crashes that would doom others. The Cobra was fast and deadly. The OH-6A would find targets by flying low, trolling for fire, and lead in a Cobra, or Snake, to attack. It served in Granada and Panama during the 1980s, as well as in the . 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. In the event of a crash the tailboom and engine separate from the egg-like . The Hughes OH-6 "Cayuse" (popularly recognized as the "Loach") was a revolutionary light helicopter mount primarily in service with the United States Army and saw combat service during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The Loach could be terrifying since it was often used with the AH-1 Cobra in hunter-killer missions, where the Loach would go out and find the enemy positions and the Cobra would go in for the kill with rocket, grenade, and minigun fire. In 1965, the concept of helicopter-borne fighting forces was still new and largely untested, and units in Vietnam invented tactics on the spot. Crews trained side by side with the 160th for all operational concepts. Once enemy positions opened fire at the Cayuse, they were destroyed by the mighty firepower of escorting Cobras. It gained impetus with the advent of the Vietnam War, and was aided by advances in helicopter technology, specifically the development of the turboshaft engine. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine The unrefueled range of the AH-6 is 250 nautical miles. Both the Pilot and Observer/Gunner positions were equipped with carbon fiber side panels and seats. Hughes OH-6 Cayuse - Wikipedia They could also use grenades and on occasion even homebuilt explosives; more aggressive units mounted forward-firing miniguns. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. OA-6A 'Loach' Scout platoon. Hughes developed the Model 369 as a prototype for the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Adopted after. Her research focused on Victorian, medical, and epidemiological history with a focus on childhood diseases. EH-6B, a previous version of the Little Bird, was used for command, control and radio relay. It had no hydraulic system and its electrical setup was used primarily to start up the enginesimple even by 1960s standards, which for practical purposes meant it was easier to maintain and harder to shoot down than other helicopters. The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit 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. We got hit by incendiary .51-caliber rounds, and the phosphorus ignited the Cobras hydraulic fluid. During the Vietnam War Era, different types of helicopters were crucial for providing support for ground forces, scouting locations, and deploying or retrieving soldiers. It can cruise at speeds of 150 mph. The Aircraft Division of Hughes Tool Company came up with the Model 369, which became one of three finalists, alongside designs from Bell Helicopter Company and Fairchild Hiller. When the Loach debuted in 1966, it broke records for speed, endurance, and rate of climb, all important attributes for a scout helicopter. Table of Contents 1. The CH-53 Tarhe was another heavy-lift helicopter designed to transport and recover downed aircraft. As well, its tough frame made it safer than other helicopters during crashes, as its aluminum skin absorbed the energy and the structure protected the crew. 29 of the best politically incorrect Vietnam War slang terms 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.