Hughes OH-6A – Photos & Video

V Hughes OH-6 Cayuse (vzdevek "Loach", po zahtevah kratica LOH — Light Observation Helicopter) je enomotorni lahki helikopter s štirimotornim glavnim rotorjem, ki se uporablja za prevoz osebja, spremstvo in napadene misije ter opazovanje. Helikopterji Hughes so razvili tudi model 369 kot civilni helikopter, in Hughes model 500, ki ga trenutno proizvajajo MD Helicopters kot MD 500.

Vir: Hughes OH-6A na Wiki

The Hughes OH-6A Cayuse is a single-engine light helicopter that was designed and produced by the American aerospace company Hughes Helicopters. It was developed for the U.S. Army’s Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program in the 1960s and entered service in 1966. The OH-6A has a distinctive teardrop-shaped fuselage that provides excellent visibility and crashworthiness. It is powered by an Allison T63-A-5A turboshaft engine that drives a four-bladed fully articulated main rotor. The OH-6A can perform various roles such as personnel transport, medical evacuation, escort, attack, and observation. It can also carry a variety of weapons such as machine guns, rockets, and missiles. The OH-6A was widely used in the Vietnam War, where it earned the nickname “Loach” from its acronym. It was often paired with the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter in “hunter-killer” teams to locate and destroy enemy targets. The OH-6A set several world records for speed, distance, and altitude in 1966. It was also license-produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan and exported to several countries. The OH-6A was the basis for the civilian Hughes MD 500 helicopter and the military variants such as the MD Helicopters MH-6 Little Bird and the McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender.