Huey Helicopters: Workhorses of the War in Vietnam

Huey Helicopters: Workhorses of the War in Vietnam. . The helicopter you see here is pitched slightly forward with the nose down and the rotors angled. This configuration was the most efficient for straight and level flight at 70 knots, or roughly 77 miles per hour. , The sight and sounds of Huey helicopters became iconic images of the Vietnam War. Hueys served as utility helicopters, as medevac (medical evacuation) helicopters, as command and control helicopters, as air assault helicopters, as personnel and materials transports, and as gunships. Hueys typically had four crew members, with two officers as pilots and two enlisted men as crew chief and door gunner., Length: 57 feet , Height: 14 feet, 9 inches , Speed: 139 miles per hour , Maximum take-off weight: 10,500 pounds , Maximum range: 198 miles , Armament: Variable - two M60 machine guns (or variants), two seven-or nine-shot, 2.75-inch rocket pods , Medevac capacity: up to six stretchers and one medical support staff, One pilot's story: From July 1967 to July 1968, First Lieutenant Bob Ford from Shawnee flew more than 1,000 missions in Vietnam. After only his first six weeks in Vietnam, an exceptionally short amount of time, he became an aircraft commander and assumed command of a helicopter detachment stationed at Hue, 40 miles from the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). This detachment was stationed farther north than any other detachment in Vietnam., First Lieutenant Ford's tour of duty included the siege of Khe Sahn and the Tet Offensive in February 1968. During the offensive he and his men joined other base defenders on the base perimeter for three days and nights, enduring continuous ground attacks. These attacks are thought to be the bloodiest and most costly of the war. While Lieutenant Ford and his crew helped defend the base, his helicopter was destroyed on the ground during the attacks.