OH-6 Cayuse
Hughes Helicopters · United States · first flew 1963 · helicopter
The Hughes OH-6 Cayuse, nicknamed the Loach, is a compact egg-shaped light observation helicopter known for its agility and small footprint.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rounded egg or teardrop fuselage with a bulbous glazed nose |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Rounded egg or teardrop fuselage with a bulbous glazed nose
- Compact four-blade main rotor on a small light airframe
- Slim tapering tail boom with V-shaped tail surfaces and skids
The rounded teardrop body with its bulbous nose and small size mark it out, along with the slim boom carrying V-shaped tail surfaces.
Specifications
- The OH-6 Cayuse has a length of 9.24 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.03 m (26 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in February 1963, the OH-6A won the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter competition to replace the Bell H-13 and entered service in 1966.
Variants
Its civil and developed forms became the MD 500 and MD 530 family, including the MH-6 and AH-6 Little Bird special-operations versions.
Where you'll see it
It served extensively in Vietnam in scout and hunter-killer teams paired with Cobra gunships, suffering heavy losses. It is a US type and was not a UK military helicopter.
Related aircraft
- Hughes MD 500D
- Agusta / Westland AB 47G-3B-1
- Bell 207 Sioux Scout
- Fairchild-Hiller FH-1100
- FH-1100 Phoenix
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