Very nice! I'm up again this weekend...just need to figure out if I want to fly when it is 100 degrees out or 99.5...
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Random Griz Aviation Musings
- Thread starter Griz882
- Start date
YOU, my friend, at least have a choice.
The photo above brings to mind a question based on what I have learned about Huey driving in Vietnam. Most Army slicks were flown by the aircraft commander from the left seat, not the right. The panel is cut off at about the right knee and has just basic instrumentation. Full panel and instrumentation is on the right where the AC would normally fly. The slick bubbas did this so they could look down through the chin bubble unobstructed by the instrument panel when making landings in high grass, rice paddys, and other obstacles, or making a running takeoff when heavy with wounded. The Huey gunships flew with the ac where he belonged because of the installed sight location. Right seat had guns and rockets. Left seat had the sight for the 40 mm grenade launcher. Those H-34s could not see shit when landing. And I am wondering if the H-34 had a port side troop door. There is a USMC H-34 in the local CAF museum close to our UH-1B Gunship. a starboard door is open like shown in the above photo and I don't recall seeing a left door, just a position for a gunner. I can't find a picture of a large troop door open on the left side of a H-34. The H-34 could carry a few more troops/Marines over a Huey, but with just one door it would take much longer to deploy them and limit your immediate formation on the deck.
The CH-34 did not come with a left side door in any model I have seen. I did read somewhere that the helicopter was landed with the port side facing any known enemy fire in a hot LZ. Keep in mind that the Marines considered the -34 a stopgap aircraft between older Korean War helicopters (CH-19) and what would become the CH-46. Still, it did serve in VN until 1970 as did the funky old Hiller OH-23 as a scout ship even though we tend to think only of the Johnny-Come-Lately OH-6’s.
Or Kiowa for more recent generations.
Heard a similar one from the GWOT generation about calling in a nine-line: "target is marked by a flaming Kiowa."
Edit: Simo run, simo run . . .
Echo what @Griz882 said; H-34 was older in design than the H-1 (piston vs turbine motor).
The KW guys had one of the toughest jobs in Iraq. Their recon routes were known, their flying hard, and their in-contact actions demanding. I did a few strap-hanging/Hollywood flights in Iraq with the 3D Cavalry birds. Those were some good dudes flying the Kiowa!
...and the Army shit canned their entire community. Hundreds of dudes either out on the street, offered retirement, and the lucky few/willing converted into other platforms. I have met more than my fair share of former -58 drivers flying EMS now that have a bitter taste in their mouths. Huge waste of talent and experience.
No doubt. That entire episode left a lot of bad feeling across army aviation.
Ah...I am aware. Kinda my thing now. Question was about the door. How does recip vs turbine bear on that? It now occurs to me that the H-34, like the H-3 was designed for ASW. I am sure that is why, like the H-3, it only had a right side door. Even the Westland license built Commando (Utility/troop H-3) wasn't modified with a second troop door. The Huey was purpose built for utility/transport, so a second door made sense.
My point was that the H-34 was older, as evidenced by the revolutionary change in powerplants, and that perhaps other changes in doctrine, tactics, threat, etc had resulted in changes in requirements. Since the H-1 replaced the H-34 in both the Army and USMC perhaps experience with a single door troop transport led the users to want a door on either side (like the minivan).
Squad leader: "I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you."
Door gunner: "SIIIIIRRRRRRR!"
HAC: "I swear, if you make me come back there . . . "
