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History of N888US

History of N888US

Formerly U.S. Army helicopter 66-14401


This helicopter was originally registered with tail number 66-14401 and was purchased by the U.S. Army in February 1968. The OH-6A saw combat in Vietnam with the 355 AVN and first took enemy fire on June 12, 1968 while on an armed reconnaissance mission. Despite damage to the fuel system, the helicopter continued flight and accomplished all mission objectives. 66-14401 sustained damage from additional combat incidents, having been shot down in July 1968 and hit 9 times with small arms fire in January 1970.

The helicopter returned from Vietnam in 1973 and served out the rest of her military career in the National Guard. She had been completely reconditioned in 2001 and received a standard category civilian registration, N888US.

OH-6A
Use of the XM-27 minigun sysem left little room for passengers or crew in the rear cabin. This Loach of C/7/17 is seen at Camp Holloway in February 1972. (Steve Shephard/VHPA)

Information on U.S. Army Helicopter OH-6A

The Hughes OH-6A was designed for use as a military scout during the Vietnam War to meet the U.S. Army's need for an extremely maneuverable light observation helicopter (LOH program). Initially fielded in Vietnam in early 1968, the Hughes OH-6A was used for command and control, observation, target acquisition, and reconnaissance.

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". The OH-6A "Loach" (for "LOH") would find targets by flying low, "trolling for fire", then marking the target with colored smoke to lead in a Cobra, or "Snake", to attack. The Cayuse could absorb an extensive amount of small arms fire and still bring the crew home safely. The OH-6A could be armed with M27 armament subsystem, the port (left) side mounting M134 six-barrel 7.62mm "Minigun" or a 40mm grenade launcher on the XM8 armament subsystem.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas (Hughes)
Type: Light Observation Helicopter (LOH)
Year: First Flight 1963
Crew: 2
Engine: Allison T63-5A turboshaft, 252.5 shp

Dimensions:

Rotor Diameter: 26 ft. 4in.
Overall length: 30 ft. 3.75 in.
Height: 8 ft. 1.5 in.
Empty Weight: 1,229 lb.
Max Takeoff Weight: 2,700 lb.

Performance:

Max range: 380 miles
Max speed: 150 mph (cruise) at sea level
Load/Armament: 4 equipped troops or 1,000 lb. of stores/cargo

Books About the OH-6A

LOACH!LOACH!
The Story of the H-6/Model 500 Helicopter.
Wayne Mutza

LOW LEVEL HELLLOW LEVEL HELL
A Scout Pilot in the Big Red One.
Hugh L. Mills, Jr.