Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1967

8/12/2019 Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1967

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UNITED

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFORDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYCOL Edwin L. Powell Jr .

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COMMANDANT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLMG Delk M. Oden

ASST COMDT, U. S. ARMY AVIATION SCHOOLCOL M. H. Parson

DIGEST EDITORIAL STAFFMAJ l J. Herman Jr., Edito r In -ChiefRichard K. Tierney, EditorWilliam H. SmithDiana G. WilliamsJohn P. Jones

GRAPHIC ART SUPPORTHarold G . linnHar ry A. PickelDorothy l CrowleyAngela A. Ak in

DIRECTOR , U. S. ARMY BOARD FOR AVIATIONACCIDENT RESEARCHCOL Wa rren R. Williams

USABAAR EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIVPierce l Wiggin, ChiefWilliam E. Carte rTed KontosCharles MabiusMary W. Windham

RMY VI TION1GESJDECEMBER 1967 VOLUME 13 NUMBER

LETTERSCONSTRUCTION POWER AND AIR POWER

MG Robert F. Seed lockV MAJ Robert D. Morgan and Mr. John Krickel

IN THE BALANCE, CW2 Stanley Q. CossMILITARY LEADERSHIP, SGM Glenn E. Owens17TH COMBAT AVIATION GROUP, CPT Barry J. NelsonAIRMOBILE ENGINEERS. CPT Gene A. Schneebeck and

CPT Richard E. WolfgramTHE IMPROVED CHINOOK, Truxtun R. BaldwinCOBRA NETTTALES OF A TIRED T-41 , CPT Steven E. SelmanCOURTESY AND COMMAND SENSE, CPT Adam E. Runk and

CW2 Carl L. HessCAN DO LTC Kenneth D. MertelCRASH SENSETHE HURRICANE, CW3 John G. DanekerPEARL STHE TA FUEL CONTROL: ITS OPERATIONSTATIC SPARKS, Ted Kontos

Th e mIssIon of th e U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to p rovide informa ti on of an ope ration al ofun cti onal nat ure conce rni ng safe ty and a ircra ft accident preventi on, tra in ing. mai ntena nce , ope rati onresearch and developm ent aviation I) lcdi cine . and oth er related data .Th e DIGEST is an official Depa rtm en t o f t he Arm y pe riod ica l pu blished monthl y und er th e supervisioof th e Command ant U. S. Army Aviati on School. Views exp ressed here in ar e not necessaril y th ose oDepartment of th e Army or th e U. S . Army Avi ati on School. Ph otos :lre U . S . Arm y unl ess oth erwisspec ified. Materi al may be rep rin ted provided cre dit is g iv en to th e DIGEST and to th e auth or, unl esoth erwise ind ica t ed .Articles ph otos, an d it ems of interes t on Army Aviation ar e invit ed. Direct communication is authorized to : Edi to r.inChie f U .s. Arm y A viat ion Diges t Fort Ru ck er Alabama.Use o fund s for printing thi s p ublica ti on has been ap proved by H eadquarters, Department of thArm y, 29 Decem ber 1964.Activ e Army units r ecei ve di stribution un de r th e pinp oint di stribution system as outlined in AR 310120 March. 62, and DA Ci rc ular 31057, 14 March 63. Comple te DA Form 124 and send di rec tly to COAG PublIcations Cen ter 2800 Ea stern Boulevard Baltimore, Md . 21220. For an y chan ge in distribu tiorequirements merely initiate a revise d DA Fo rm 124.Nati onal Guard and Army Rese rv e uni ts subm it requi rements through th eir st a te adj utan ts genera l anU. S . Ar my Corps commanders res pec tive l y.For those not e ligibl e for official di stribution or who des ire person al copi es of th e DIG ES T pa id subsc ri pti ons 4.50 domes ti c and 5. 50 overseas, a re ava ilabl e from th e Su perintend ent of Doc ument s, U . S

Governm en t Printin g Office, Washington , D. C., 20402.


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Sir:Wouldn't you like for your posterityto know what you've done for yourcountry? Sure, you say, I'd like that.think this fairly well sumes up the attitude of most men, specifically Army avia-tors, but the unfortunate thing aboutthis statement is that little is done otherthan simply talk about it.What we need in Army aviation todayis some action to preserve the accoun tsof heroic acts which are taking placedaily in Vietnam by Army pilots. Let usrecord this new era of the Army concept,

helicopters, and the men who are doingthese heroic deeds. Let's record it withpictures, names, and places in a placecalled the ARMY AVIATION MUSEUM.The Air Force at Wright-PattersonAFB in Dayton, Ohio, started the firstbig aviation museum. I've been fortunateenough to go through their museum andlook at the almost unending accounts ofthe great stories of the men and ma-chines who started flying on its way towhat it has become today. Their storytells of the first pilots in aviation, thenproceeds onward into World Wars I andII, the Korean War, plus their newestinventions in aircraft, flight suits forsupersonic speeds, outer space, etc.

Granted the Air Force has a muchlonger history than has Army aviation,it's about time we brought our history,deeds, and facts, along with whateverelse need be, up to date.I've also had the opportunity to wander through the growing Navy museumat Pensacola, Fla. Here again, the greatmen of the air are brought forth

through the mediums of pictures , writings and drawings. As I walked throughI could imagine myself at the place Iwas looking at. The museum takes youthrough all phases of the aviation program, the basics of flight training up toand including the combat eras of theprofessionals of both the Pacific andKorean campaigns. Here again the public has a dynamic program before theireyes to wonder about. This in itself

~ k e s the pilots proud to be pilots. Thisis their past.While strolling through the Navy

museum, I gained a sense of pride know-ing that pilots do overcome great oddsto do a job well-a job that directly af-fects the outcome of the conflict. Al-though I was proud to be a pilot, thereDECEMBER 1967

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still remained the fact that I wasn'tlooking at an Army display, but at another display of a sister Service.I started thinking that if the Navyand Air Force can have museums toshow all who come what they have done,then why can't we as Army pilots get usa showroom for the world to enter into?Why can't we be proud of what we aredoing now, have done, and I'm certainwill continue to do in the future? Let'sshow that we have conquered a few goalsourselves. Let's look at our past.Lastly, I went to the Army Aviation

luseum at Fort Rucker, Ala. We tellthe story of our program somewhat, butentirely too little is told. We aren't tell-ing the story of our men of aviation. Wemust include the people who are doingthe work for the Army. Also, we mustmake our static displays more presentable. The aircraft which ate our firstsare in bad need of help. They needthose new windows, blades, paint, etc.,that make them look like museum pieces,not antiques in a junk shop. We havemade great progress in our aviation program in the last 15 years, both in menand machines. We should show theseprogressions as we go along. We mustshow our past.I realize that we do not have all theglamorous, sleek jet aircraft, nor thespruced up flight suits that make every-thing a little more interesting. We can'taccount for enemy airplanes shot down,which brings forth the air aces, but wedo have men who have performed greatfeats with their helicopters. Let's recordthe actions of these men.

Let's take our heroes from the battlesof Ben Gia, Dong Xoai, and numerousothers and tell their stories. Let us tellabout the men who flew the medevacs inand out of the battle areas 24 hours aday the year around. We should tell ofall our men who for the first time sawthe Viet Cong thrown back in defeatbecause of the daring and hard workof Army aviators. Let's tell the worldthat we do exist through our new avia-tion museum.

Why shouldn't we have a museum sowe can get our firsts in helicopters inout of the weather? Put our greatspictures on the walls to show the worldwe do have people who can stand with

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the best? We must be aware of our past.Let's remember our heroes, our pride.CW2 CARL A. COYANFort Rucker, Ala. Great concern for the preservation ofthe history of Army aviation has beenexpressed in recent years. While amuseum has existed for some time, areal impetus was given the program lastyear with the hiring of a full-time mJ L-seum director and a curator. Whileawaiting acquisition of a larger moreadequate building, the staff is hard atwork developing plans for telling theArmy aviation story. History buffs hopethis will be the beginning of acquiringmore adequate facilities to build anArmy Aviation Museum that can reflectthe proud history of the Army's menand machines in aviation. The EditorsSir:I have just read the letter from SSGCampbell in the October issue of theDIGEST and agree with the answer thatCPT Ferguson gave in regard to theSenior Aircraft Crewman Badge. However, for the award of the Aircraft Crewman Badge the regulation reads a littledifEeren t I refer to the last sentence ofpara lOS.Sa, which says, Concurrentwith such assignment, these personnelare authorized to wear the AircraftCrewman Badge until relieved from suchduty or until such time as he fulfills themandatory requirements for the permanent award. Paragraph b states, Anindividual who has performed in oneof the duties specified in a above, fornot less than 12 mOhths (not necessarilyconsecutive) or is school trained for aprincipal duty contained in a above,will be authorized to wear the AircraftCrewmart Badge permanently.I interpret the regulation to read thatif an individual has completed a serviceschool for one of the principal dutieslisted in the regulation he can beawarded the badge, regardless if he isor has ever been on flying status.I would appreciate your commen t,as the words or in both paragraphstend to confuse me and other personnelin my unit.Thank you for your attention inthis matter and I hope you can makeclear the many different interpretationsthat we have. NAME WITHHELDContinued on page 64


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Construction power and ir power have been working hand and hand fromWorld War II through Vietnam. Above, an Army Cub supports engineers twork in the China-Burma-India theater of operations. Below, the Army sCH-54A Flying Crane lifts a bulldozer in support of engineers in Vietnam


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sance, command, and controlcould never have been effectedwithout the light L-5 aircraftavailable to my engineer planners, whom I praise as the finestany commander ever had theprivilege of working with.

By today s standards, we cannotsay that we had true airmobilityin World War II, but it was ahumble beginning from whichvaluable lessons were learned. Engineer construction equipmentcould be airlifted into isolatedareas, even if it meant flying inthe components and reassemblingthem on the site. As we shall see,sectionalization and rapid reassembly are common in the airmobile concept of today.

The traditional support ofArmy forces by their engineers iswell known-roads, bridges, obstacles, railroads, ports, and construction of hospitals, depots anda multitude of other facilities.From World War II on, airfieldconstruction became one of thelargest missions ever undertakenby engineers.

During the Korean War, engineers continued to reap benefitsfrom aviation support. In theearly phases of the war much ofthe engineer equipment and material was flown into Korea. InSeptember 1950, an M 4 floatingbridge was airlifted from Japanto Kimpo Airfield, Korea, by AirForce C-1l9 Flying Boxcars. Itwas erected across the Han Riverby the 62nd Engineer Construction Battalion. t is interesting tonote that the bridge equipmentwas transported by Marines fromKimpo to the river where the62nd was supporting the 1st Marine Division. This was truly ajoint effort.Army aviation s concept of usinglight aircFaft to support theground operation passed throughan important evolutionary phasein Korea. The helicopter camein to its own as the war progressed4

A C-47 the versatile workhorse of World War II lands on a Chinese airfieldin 1944. Army Air Forces P-40 fighter planes are in the foregroundand the use of fixed wing aircraftby engineers became more common than it had been in WorldWar II.

While three L 5 aircraft wereavailable to my engineers for theBurma Road mission, this was theexception rather than the rule.In Korea, however, Army aviationassigned light aircraft such as theL-5 and later L-19 in greaternumbers to engineer groups whoseconstruction and logistics missionswere scattered throughout theKorean Peninsula.Army aviation s contribution tothe engineer mission is not restricted to wartime uses. Its peacetime application is equally important. Some outstanding examples are found in surveying andmapping projects by the Corps ofEngineers throughout the world.I t was wi th the 30th EngineerGroup Topo Survey), now the30th Engineer Battalion (BaseTopo), in Alaska in the 1950s thataviation proved its value andemerged as a vital necessity to

survey operations. Throughoutsome of the mos t rugged and desolate terrain on the North American continent, the 30th EngineerGroup used fixed and rotary wingaircraft as part of the survey operations to accomplish a task thatotherwise would have taken yearslonger to complete.Again, across the Sahara Desertarea surveys were carried to successful completion under mostdifficult conditions. Where othershad failed to accomplish thiswork, the Army engineers andtheir aviation succeeded.Currently, Army engineers aremapping in Iran, Ethiopia andLiberia. The Inter-American Geodetic Survey is engaged in a successful cooperative operation inmost of the Central and SouthAmerican countries to accomplishurgent work for the developmentof these nations and the southernhemisphere.

The Vietnam war displays thegreatest advances of American airmobility ever seen. The rapid

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rise of Army aviation centersaround the helicopter, althoughlight fixed wing aircraft continueto play an important integral partin air support.The value of airmobility is theability to move troops into combat, relocate small units duringengagement, provide close-in firesupport, reconnaissance and surveillance, and to resupply thetroops. This involves large numbers of aircraft, which in turnrequire varied and extensive airlanding facilities from smallclearings for rotary wing aircraftto stabilized airstrips for fixedwing cargo aircraft. This is oneof the primary combat supportmissions of the Army engineersin Vietnam.U. S Army divisions in Viet-

nam are more mobile and responsive than ever through the use ofhelicopters, primarily the UR-l.The most mobile with organicequipment is the highly successful 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), the first and only airmobiledivision. It has less than half theground vehicles of an infantrydivision with about 350 additional aircraft replacing 1,500ground vehicles.

In praising the 1st CavalryDivision (Airmobile), Major General Robert R. Williams, when Director of Army Aviation, said, Ithas demonstrated ability to strikefar and fast, cover large areas andfight in widely separated areas. thas also demonstrated its stayingpower through its capability tosupport units in contact with the

The CH-47 Chinook, a troop and cargo transport cargo helicopter, unloadscombat ready troops in training exercises at the U S Army Engineer Centerat t Belvoir, VaDECElV:(BER 1967

enemy at distant locations for extended periods of time with itsown organic means for air resupply.

The task of supporting thishighly mobile force falls primarilyto the division's 8th Engineer Battalion. In addition to providingclose engineer support to the combat elements, the two missionswith which the battalion is mostcommitted are roads and airlanding facilities. Both tasks contribute to the mobility of thedivision-air and ground mobility-and the degrees of engineer success is directly related to the veryairmobility being supported.

One of the first tasks of theengineers is to provide landingzones for helicopters in assaultbattalions. Usually the only wayinto assault areas is by helicopters,and often small teams of engineersmust descend by ladder from thehelicopters to hack out initialclearings for further landings.Rand tools, explosives, and otheressential engineer items also arebrought in by helicopters. Lightengineer equipment, such as theTD-340 tracked dozer and the3414 front loader/backhoe, alsoare airlifted for extensive clearing of landing zones.

In addi tion to landing zones,the 8th Engineer Battalion hasconstructed airstrips for fixedwing aircraft throughout thedivision zone. Strips are provided atthe base camps, brigade forwardsupport elements, and as far forward as possible in support of theassault battalions.

Al though engineer troops,equipment and materials areoften moved overland to thesesites, much of the engineer support must be airlifted in becauseof terrain restrictions or enemyactivity. For airstrip construction,the heavier D6B dozers and Caterpillar 112 graders are used. These,too, are often airlifted.

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U.S CONTINENTAL ARMY COMMAND

At the U. S Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker,Ala., it is recognized that television s unique cap-abilities should not obscure the fact that its mainpurpose is to teach. This philosophy is inherent inthe development of instructional television pro-grams at the USAAVNS

Maior Robert D Morgan and Mr John Krickel

o LONGER can TV be regarded as a nice-to-have aidto the instructor since it hasclearly demonstrated its ability toconvey certain subjects better inless time or cheaper than conventional means.

With a greatly increased training mission demanding the bestlearning experience in the shortest possible time the use of television in instruction is growingrapidly at all major service schools.Since each school is developingindividual approaches to meet itslocal requirements this article isintended to explain the televisionphilosophy of the United StatesArmy Aviation School.Studies in recent years haveconfirmed that mere exposure ofstudents to television in the class-

room does not guarantee theirlearning. A television system musthave good quality equipment tooperate and this represents alarge investment; but even teleVISIOn studios with elaborateequipment may consistently produce educationally ineffective programs. Television does have certain unique capabilities but theseshould not obscure the fact thatits main purpose in a school is toteach. For this reason then the

M r. K rickel was TV EducationDi rector of I n s t u c t i o n ~Ft u c k e r A l a ~ when this articlewas written.MAJ Morgan is Chief FilmjETVDivision Dept of School SupportFt R ucker Ala.

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educational strategy employed inplanning television programs thatteach can and should be basicallythe sallie as the educational strategy employed in planning anyother highly effective learning actiyity, such as programmed instru(:tion, for example.Recognizing this s i ~ i l r i ty, theUnited States Army AviatjoilSchool has developed an approa(:hto ipstructional television whichis based on careful planning ofthe content and method in termsof specified student outcomes. An

i n t e g r ~ part of this approach isa philosophy of what television isand what its relationship shouldbe to our instruction. This philosophy influences both the forma and the classroom use of ourprograms.

The professional, dynamic instructor performs a vital motivational role in the learning processand television does not replacehim in the classroom. Rather, TVremains one of the instructor stools for communicating more ef-ficiently with his students. Programs are planned always to allowan introduction by the instructorand a discussion period afterward;often they consume only a fewminutes of a period which alsouses other media.

Our instruction makes maximum use of integrated visuals inmedia - including television - toreplace instructor words whereverthe visual will increase studentlearning at a savings in time.Thus, the visual assumes a sizableshare of tlle instructor s information-giving function. Where it isused, the television program becomes an integral, necessary partof the carefully planned learningexperience; omission of the television program would &ignificantlyl'edllCe the efficiency of the presentation.

Our instrllction is based onperformance-stated objectives derived from the graduate s job inDECEMBER 1967

the field. Television must materially contribute to the accomplishment of specific performance objectives for a subject and this contribution is measured and validated by criterion testing.

The content of our classes isprecisely organized within 50minute periods. Subjects are repeated frequently, and instructorsbecome very familiar wi th theorganization of each period. Atelevision program is integratedinto the segment of the learningexperience for which t wasplanned, and-after experimentation by t:p.e instructor-can beidentified as a specific time in theclass period. Each time the classis presented, the television program will be shown at this time.

Television ust contr ibutesome quality to the learning experience which cannot be conveyed as effectively by any of theother media available to the instructor to achieve the requiredlevels of student learning, or

will not be used. The televisionprogram is designed to fill a specific need in the learning experience. Wherever possible the subject is presented in terms of theterminal job for which the studentis training, with major emphasison those visual aspects impossibleto duplicate in the classroom environment. Television will not beused as a means of presenting anessentially verbal message whichcould be better presepted livein the classroom with an instructor.A learning situation which isdeveloped for maximum effectiveness must follow the intended se-quence in its actual presentationto be effective; therefore, detailedscript& are necessary for each television program. While we strivefor a relaxed, natural tone in narration and for situations withwhich the student can identify toproduce esthetically pleasing productions, the organization of aprogram is planned and produced

A class at US VNS receives instruction via television

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,vin terms of applied learningtheory. In particular our programs

make use of active student participation and reinforcement offeedback of student proficiency.

The initial allocation of personnel and equipment, and complexity of the subjects involved,limits production to 40-50 legitimate instructional programs peryear as a return on a capital investment of $300,000 in facilities.For the obvious economics involved, subjects for television programs are chosen carefully to provide maximum savings in manpower and equipment, or materially improve effectiveness of student learning in critical subjectareas. However, these savings canbe realized only if the televisionprograms actually teach. The effectiveness of a program is dependent not only on the creativenature of its production, but alsoon the validity of the educationalplanning which goes into it.Therefore, each television program is developed in terms ofspecific educational criteria as ameans of producing predictable,measurable benefits.

The procedure and agencies involved in carrying an instructionaltelevision program from idea tofinished product are outlined inUSAAVNS Regulation 350'-26. Ofmajor importance to implementing the philosophy of televisiondiscussed above is the recognitionof the necessity for three separate,but related, ingredients of an educationally effective television program.

First of these is the contribution8

of the subject-matter specialist,usually the instructor. This individual is highly competent in thetechnical details of a body ofknowledge and thus assures accuracy of content of a particularprogram. However, in the tase ofmost rriilitary instructbrs (andcivilian college instructors aswell), he is almost never knowledgeable in educational systemsdesign or television production.

The second ingredient is provided by the television productionspecialists and writers, who areresponsible for devising esthetically pleasing programs with highstudent attention-attraction. Likethe instructor, they are highlycapable specialists in a limitedarea, but of necessity can knowlittle of the subject matter. Further, few are trained in or havetime to devote t the design ofthe learning experience.

It is unfortunate that educational television at many schoolsdepends only on these two ingredients. This explains the mostcommon failures: programs whichare merely televised counterpartsof sterile classroom presentationsof an instructor talking to hisclass, or technically slick productions which entertain withoutteaching. The United States ArmyAviation School recognizes a third,necessary ingredient for effectiveinstructional television: the contribution of an educator to define,analyze, and design the frameworkof the learning experience.

Our instructional television reflects the interaction of these threeessential elements-subject matter,production, and educational design. Each one is indispensable.Roles of the instructor and teleVISIOn producer are generallyunderstood, but the educationaldesign which goes into each program is a relatively new concept.It is carried out by a specialistwho is concerned with achievingmaximum learning from televi-

sion. Specifically he is responsiblefor developing the ftamework ofthe television learning experienceinto a document called the Educational Criteria, which is usedto plan, wri te, produce, use andevaluate each program.

These educational criteria areprepared as the first step for eachtelevision project by the education specialist working with theinstructor, and are concerned initially only with the learning tasks,not the television format. Theyare the result of an analysis of thesubject block as a whole and anassessment of studeht background,immediate and termirtal rieeds.

These criteria serve several purposes. First, they clarify and definethe exact content of the programfor the instructor and t h ~ outcomes which can be expected as aresult of the tape. They objectively focus t t e n t i o ~ on the learningto be accomplished rather thanthe production treatment of thesubject. For writers and otherproduction personnel who basetheir scripts and production planning on the educational criteria,they give an exact description ofthe job to be accomplished, theelements to emphasize, the attitudes to be enhanced, and theexamination questions againstwhich their production must bemeasured. Later, the criteria provide a basis for judging how wellthe script and finished programmeet the objectives, and for recommending revisions. And finally,they offer a means of objectivelyevaluating the effectiveness of thetelevision program under classroom conditions.

For a typical television program, the educational criteria include seven elements: Scope, This is a list of theteaching points to be included inthe program, and the proposedlength, based on a careful evaluation of the total subject as well asthe individual hour. It prevents



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extraneous m t ~ r i l from beingin troduced into a production andgives a definite length to aim for.

Student background: It isimportant to know exactly howmuch experience the audience hashad in the subject. This statementdefines student background interms of previous courses and thephase of the present course understudy. Where applicable, an a-nalysis is made of the students'level of practical experience. Student background provides one ofthe guides to writers and producers on the amount of repetitionrequired in a program, the number of words which must bespelled out in addition to beingspoken, and tp.e necessi ty forbig-picture orienting scenes ina given production.

Terminal objectives: Mosttelevision productions tend toserve short-range goals of studentpreparation for practical exerciseor examination, but this statement identifies the ultimatefield-assignment task for which thestudent is being prepared. Itserves to suggest the setting inwhich the program will be laid tolend realism and provide audience identification. Planned use in instruction:This criterion specifies the bestlocation of the television tapewithin the hour of instruction. Itstates the specific informationwhich will be taught before showing the tape, to serve as a guideto the wri ter in preparing hismaterial and to the instructor inpreparing his students for viewingthe program. It indicates w h ~ t h e rqJ.e tape is to be followed by apractical exercise which students actually perform the skill,or if the television tape representsthe terminal learning experience.

ttitudes to be enhanced:Television has a strong motivational effect on students. Improperbehavior on the job has frequentlybeen blamed on t t i t u ~ e s ~ q q i r e ~DECEMBER 1967

Cameramen prepare to teleVise a course at US VNSduring training. Each tape is expected to reinforce certain desirable attitudes in addition toteaching factual information. Performance stated objectives:These are the heart of the educational design of the learning experience. In format these performance objectives are like thoseused for programmed instructionand all conventional instructionat USAAVNS. However, they apply here only to those exact, measurable student behaviors whichcan be reasonably expected as aresult of viewing the televisionprogram.

The writer and producer knowexactly the quantity of information and the degree of learningwhich must be reached; the instructor has a clear idea of howmuch return he can expect fromthe program. Further, they provide an accurate basis for measuring the manpower and ma terialresources saved as a result of usingtelevision to teach certain information as compared with the previous method. Performance check: This criterion provides not only a basisfor objectively comparing the ef-fectiveness of television to conventional instruction-which is inherent to the USAAVNS t e l ~ v i

sion philosophy-but it providesone of the most valuable guides tothe writer in preparing his script.

Each script is evaluated and revised several times, if necessary,in terms of how well it teachethe information on which the students will be tested. Later the testis administered to a control groupand an experimental group ofactual students receiving thetraining as a means of validatingthe finished television program.f resul ts warran the program isrevised until students viewing it

reach the desired level of proficiency.In conclusion, then, the UnitedStates Army Aviation School basesits approach to television on a

practical philosophy which demands maximum returns from themedium. Programs are the resultof a joint effort by subject-matterspecialists, television productionspecialists, and education specialists. All phases of planning andproduction are guided by educational criteria designed to ensuremaximum learning effectiveness.This concept of instructional television is designed to fit our ownneeds, bu t the principles underlying it can benefit any militaryor civilian user of television ineducation.

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IN THE B L NCEFor a fleeting second the copilot sees what appears to be several menmoving into the woodline let em have it CW Stanley Q oss

REBEL 41, this is Swift 6.Charlie has our lead elementpinned down just west of the railroad track From banana, downtwo. Bring your fire team in andsee what you can do for us "

This is just what our hero hasbeen waiting for. His whole purpose in life (for the time being)is to do just what he is preparingto do: zap Charlie

The excitement and exuberancethis fire team leader must feel,whether he is a young lieutenantor an old captain, is common toall soldiers. A man grows up playing at war. His childhood is filledwith miniature conquests.

Our hero is such a man; young,intelligent, and an ~ u t s t n d i n gleader for his experience level.He is well prepared to carry outthis mission. Especially today heis mentally prepared for thekill, for this is his first month of

combat; and thus far his chargershave been tethered to the post onstandby, snorting and pawing theearth with impatience.

He has visions of the pomp andpageantry, of the awards ceremony as he kneels before the CO,with the broadsword on his shoulder, and receives his knighthoodor would you believe-a DFCYes This is what our hero sees,that shiny bronze cross with thered, white, and blue ribbon

pinned on his chestWhat our hero does not see,

through the misty gloom, is threeyoung widows receiving graveflags and Purple Hearts for theirfallen husbands who died valiant-10

ly in close combat with the VC,and . . . yes, an armed helicopter.For at this very minute the fireteam leader is coordinating thedoomed mission wi th the gr"oundelement.

The Infantry company commander is on the group beside hisvehicle, looking across 150 metersof open ground to the railroadtrack which runs parallel to theroad his company is clearing. Hissituation is bad, for the VC havedevised a deadly ambush in expectation of the large resupplyconvoy which is moving north tothe Special Forces compound. fthe road clearing bogs down here,the coming nightfall will surelybring annihilation to the convoy.The CO has lost commo with hisright flank platoon. The RTO(radio-telephone operator) wasundoubtedly the first target of asniper. His PRC-25 was probablydamaged.

The right flank platoon leaderis another of our young heros.Upon receiving fire he sent asquad to outmaneuver the insurgents. He is preparing to send areport to the CO by runner, butheavy fire prevents the runnerfrom crossing the open ground tothe CO's position.To make a bad situatiqn worse,the CO is inexperienced in combat, and has never used the support of gunships before this _engagement. His agony at visualizing his company picked to pieceshere beside this road promptedhim to action. He could see fromwhere he lay that the right flank

platoon had taken up pOSItiOnSaiong the railroad embankment,a natural cover. He was not awarethat the second squad had crossedthe embankment in search of thesnipers.Explosions started eruptingwithin his perimeter. Was it amortar attack? Probably 60 mm,or rifle grenades, i-om the size ofthe burst. His mind becamefrenzied

Rebel 41, this is Swift Areyou on station?"Roger, Swift. What is the situation?"This is Swift. We are undersmall arms and mortar attack

from east of the railroad embankment. Make a run arid see if youcan relieve the pressure here "

Roger, Swift. What is the limitof your eastern flank?"All our troops are west of ther a i ~ r o a d I say again, west of therailroad.

Here our story is about to painta vivid picture for you-the manwho might be making the decisions in the future, for the decisions of the past are done. Someof them were good decisIons.Some were bad.

What will our young hero do?He has no time to dally alonglooking for the target. He mus rlay down a deadly blanket ofsuppressive fire to enabie theground troops to maneuver to amore favorable position, or perhaps he can neutralize the VC.CW2 oss is assigned to the Em-ployment Division, Dept of Tac-tics, Ft Rucker, Ala.

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The plank (his actions andorders) lies across the fulcrum.On one end of the plank arethree caskets; on the other end,pride in a mission well done. Hisdecision will be placed on theplank-on one end or the other.The fate of this squad of GIs liesin the balance.

Let those of us who have beenin the combat zone recall somesimilar experience. The generalidea can be applied to any number of circumstances. Pretend, ifyou will, that you are LieutenantHero, fire team leader on thespot What will you do now, myfriend? The situation is bad, andcould get worse. You are the greatequalizer, or can be, in this epics ory of ours.

Let us consider the following:Course of Action Alpha

The fire team s now orbitingthe area above the pinned downDECEMBER 1967

company. Lieutenant Hero seesthe bursts of mortar rounds ands sobered by the call from hiswingman.

"Rebel 41; 42 receiving fire "Not only is the ground unit inneed of immediate action, butnow his own fire team is beingjeopardized by ground fire.

For a fleeting second, Lieutenant Hero's copilot sees what ap-pears to be several men movingin to the woodline.

"There they are, about 50meters east of the tracks.""Swift, this is 41. We are goingto make a pass from north tosouth."

"Roger, 41. Let 'em have it "You know the rest of the story.

It has been aptly stated that"haste makes waste." LieutenantHero's fire team struck a devas-tating blow that misty afternoon.Only minutes later, after the runner finally got to the CO, did

Lieutenant Hero know"Rebel, this is Swift. Cease fireCease fire "

Course of Action BravoThe fire team is now orbitingthe area above the pinned down

company."Swift, this is Rebel 41. Wehave srotted some movement inthe treeline. Mark your eastern-most position with smoke."Say now This Lieutenant Herois really "on the stick"

"Roger, Rebel; wait "The CO now gets into the ac-

tion and sends a runner (lowcrawling) to the besieged platoonleader's position with the mes-sage. The message is yelled acrossthe 50 meters to the second squadin the trees.

Jus t as the fire team rolls infor its gun run, red smoke driftsup from the second squad's posi-tion. Wouldn't you know it Justwhere the CO said to suppress


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15/68

DE

- to free the NCO from certain details of his Lool< at your rank a moment as you peel offown living, to isolate him to a small degree for your shiH tonight. You're tired and maybe youthought and study, and to erect arou ,d h i m ~ , can think f a hundred places you'd rather be.modest individual niche and a low pedestill You ' have p i,vate worries - a wife, a girl, homefrom which to exercise the dignity of is func;tion s i c k n ~ s s l a y unger brother who needs yourto command. guiding hand, frightened o,ld mother. You areWhere does this noncommissioned officer of fed up with the stupidities you have had to con-today come from? tend with today. You'll be double-tied if you'llIn comparatively small quantities he still comes keep on training me and then have them cafrom civilian colleges an d' high sc\l60ls all over dred away from you or ~ n t to officers candidatethe country, where a less c o ~ n i n g and less school or warrant officers candidate school. (Youthorough 4 years' work has given him a bqrely young fool, you'll still be training in the midstadequate grounding in the ,.fundamentals of his / of combat, and this kind of expanding Armyjob. He comes from gra e'school, and his Army; w ~ e r e you lose your best men continually is thebackground .may be al)ything from enlistee long- best training for combat, where all men are exservice to a short-service selectee. He haS' all pendable.) And everyone else gets promotedvariet of e d u c a ~ o ~ , from merel high school to but you. 'throlJgh colle9-e to two or more deges-and All right - look at the rank again, Sergeantal variety r previous jobs. His age,,1s from 18 Major or Sergeant, look at it in the light of yourto 55 fo service with combat tr:c ops, but his blacked-out flashlight or your desk lamp in quarQveragl'age is about 26. t e r s ~ There it is still, like the Hound of Heaven.I;i(has, however, one thing :n common when You can't escapel A part of the fighting govern

he$frves with combat tropps. He will lead those ment of , he United Stotes - and it's on yourt r ~ s , in s9me c a s ~ personally into action, shirt. So take a r e l a x i n g ~ r i n k if you think youan d ion his s h o u l d ~ s w i l l rest the fate of the na- need it - but not the 20 that will put you on thetion Ana he wJIl be successfuJ in servJPg the road to town, staggering before your men -:- sitfutuie of t ~ i f n i t e d States only insofay as he is down and think of your responsibilities to yoursuccessfuL,in securing the present welfare, in all ,men. Have you given them that added somethingthings f his men. ie,/ / tilat is required of a military man? Are you pre-Np other job is left for him /- no excuse can pared for tomorrow, for next week, for combat?be qffered for not doing this"IOb. On 7 December Will some of them die ,pecause you are not ade-194J when. the first J.9peinese bomb hit Hickam quately equipped to lead them?F i e l ~ , tbe past, thVpresent, and the future of , Reach then to your bookshelf with the youngthe United Sta, es"'stood still - just as if a film { hand that is still clean of their blood ,ctld takehad stoppedr in a projector. The worth of the down that field manual for a few brief momentspast I ~ ) ~ e l y i.n how muc it could i n ~ p i r e if.- before you sleep, because you won''i ''be a ser

f l u e ~ e , and activate men to face the dally, sopl- geant forever - not in this Army. Next month,s e a ( ~ n g grind of ~ h e present ---: on all fronts. nexl spring;-'yotlll be a sergeant major, lieutenT h o ~ e .men faced It ~ n d ~ o r c e d It to final hard- ant , warrant officer, or maybe captain. And bewonl VictOry. Today In Vietnam some of those fore the last shot is fired, you may throwings a m ~ men are the NCOs who_lead a new r ~ y armies around. /to ~ g h t that a new future might unfold/ again: But ou won't be any of it o)' / do any of itFre:tddomththtrosughout tht wthorldt / unless ~ o u fortify your p r o f e s s i ~ n a l knowledgeM:n a ergean, IS, e s ory. , d . d' I . hThat insignia you wear on your sleeves is a part an . o ~ r Inner Spirit now a? a wa.ys agal.nst t eof the goY-ernment and the destiny of the United dark n l ~ K t when your deCiSions Will be right orStates. It is not yours personally for any grace wrong In terms of ,hot red blood - unless youthat is in you; it a symbol of the militant peo- spread your ~ n o w r e d g e everywhere you go, sopIe': the fighting government of your country. It that .9se wno are privates and corporals andimplies a special trust ,and confidence in the sergeants under you today mdY be }otnorrow'spattiotism, valor, fidelity, and abilities that are officers.in y;ou. ' Whether you face your job now, while the're isThe stripes of your sergeant first class and yet time, or whether you scotch it; whether youyour 'sergeants, the bars of your captain, and realize the worth of -fhis advice or dismiss it asthe stars or .pur general are also an integral the old malarkey, remember just one thing:part of the militant Reople and the fighting gov- Prepared or not, worthy or not, competent orernfnent of this country I 1 1 graduated plainly not, when the time comes, ThisRlatoon orin ferms of responsibilities, ac'(ountabilities, and squad will . . /1 /-,,;->,?,;,ccommand functions of the ageless military hier.-._ - and for better or for worse before the in-arc ies of armies. exorable gods of battle, you lead it, Sergeant.

13


16/68

7th Combat Aviation GroupHE nH COMB T AviationGroup is a tactical combat com-mand. It owns line companieswhich routinely face and trade firewith the enemy. It commits and deploys those units on mission-typeorders from higher tactical head

quarters, and it helps plan the operations that will involve its units,passing down its decisions as fiveparagraph field orders. A combat

Captain arry J Nelson

command operating in both I andCorps areas of South Vietnam since1 March 1966, the 17th CAG doesall those things.It is a busy command. ll of itscommanders have been Army aviators, charged with providing airmobility - the transport to victory -for the two brigades and three divisions of United States and Koreaninfantry that, in combination with the

17th CAG and the 1st Cavalry Divi-sion, form the I Field Force Vietnamstarting lineup. While its main mis-sion is to make airmobile these combat troop units under I FFORCEVdirection, 17th CAG also rendersvisual reconnaissance and armedhelicopter support to ground unitsunder enemy contact.That it does th is from a fixedheadquarters in Nha Trang, hundreds

A Huey arrives with troops before an assault in Vietnam


17/68

oftmJ;$ from many of its battleareas, $.fems from a need to be nearthe master planning commond in IICorps - I FFORCEV - andaettactsnothing from its ability to react tothe $tactical situation. Its far-flungc o m l n u n i c o t i o i G : n ~ t w o r k , coupledwith a modest stable of*tommandcontrol aircraft, enables the commander and staff to be ;nstantly in-forme8 an rapidly on the scene ifneeded.An exa e of till heCAG commander wlloflew combat assaults in Phan Thl.etl in the mo 9 and in Kontum in theafternoon C:I on tfle ,same dayviewed plans with commanderthe 4th Division and the 101command posts 250 miles aport.Aviation ..minded17th Group unitsmake combat asfGtWults with anyfriendly force that really needs nelp.Its air armada of choppers is sent, obattl ,tIl each of the republic's fourcorps iones to support nearjy every-one but the enemy., dIn the command post ofltlre 11thCAG commander sfands an impressivel), varnished tree stump, 4 feethigh. FdsterieqmOJ1 its bare, gleamingsurface are metal plot&\, namingmajor combat operations fought inYietnam since February 1966. Thecombined names form a total picture of . the War as waged by IFFORCEV. wTacked to the campaign tree areplates engraved with names like"Attlebor and "Junction City,"operatio ducted by I Field ForceVietnam i ~ t e III Corps tactical z ~ ' 1 eoutside the,17th's n o r m a ~ operatio'nalarea. There are plates labeling operations,eonducted by the 5th SpecialForce$ Group an er ppera,ionswhich, except for jation support,were strictly ARVN affairs. They rep

r e s E t ~ . obs the group has handledfor of"\r bosses, like COMUSMACYand the corps seriJqr advisor.DECEMBER 1967

Even the plate-bedecked stumpfails to tell the whole story; some17th CAG units receive their orders'Urough yet other channels. Theirexploits support the overall war effort involving the massive 17th incombat from the delta to the DMZ,adding to its total list of majoro p e r a t i o n ~ . 'Two l i b CAG Mohqwk surveillance airplane companies trackenemy movement and report themto higher headquarters. Bird Dogpilots sP lRorting I FFORCEV, the 3dMarineA' T1phibious Force, and theRVN Army blanket t ~ & n o r t h e 0corps areas with visual reco aisThey aim air strikes, armedrs, arti ,Navy batteries,and ir ow eket fire at theenemy in suppo . of groun ' bat.(Meanwhile, a 17th CA saulthelic;opter company, supporting the5t pecial F ~ r c e s GrouR, flies theGreen Berets' ~ o r k in tl1e northernhatf of South Vietnam. '0Few tactical commands short ofCY are so widely comll1itted.up output figures suggest the sizeof the load t corries. J i the period'from its inception on l ~ a r c h 1 9 ~ 4to the end of June 1967, the 17thCAG ama d nearly 650,000 flyinghours (th would take- one aircraftnearly years) and tarried oneand a half million passengers. Thirtythree planes hauling an average offive passengers apiece would , haveto stay ?Q'rborne all year, nonstop,to equal it; and f fytd have m ~ v e devery American in Vietnam threetimes.

h a ~ ,of > course, isn't how it isdone. To pick UQi and deliver theirpassengers - mostly i n f a n t ~ troopson combat missions - crewmen oftenhad to suppress or try to ignore thef i r ~ of enemy small arms, machinegUA, and antiaJr;raft weQRons. Muchof their f1ig ftime was cfccum 'ulatedin the anxiety of overloaded ships

at outlandish density altitudes, or atnight, or in miserable weather, orin ollthr . They were combat hoursfought and died in b , a breed ofsoldier whose debut in close combathas emblazoned his name in theannats ()f battlefield audacity - theArmy qviator.The 17th CAG f, ,has m0'l; than1,100 of them in five b a t t a l i o c : a t ..tered over 65 percent of the landmasslt.&f South Vietnam. It has over6 , 0 0 V 6 t h e r f'Q,embers who aren'tpilots, but nearly half a t ' flightcrewmen. The rest form a supporting , ~base of mechanics, POL spedalists, 'pathfinders, security forces, clerks,cooks and ' ies who . in variousways helps to 'p o u p ' s cloto 600 birds flying. The Group is stilowing; two more battalions are in

r o c ~ s s eing farmed.It is


18/68


19/68

expanding to five combat aviationbattalions with more than 7,000 personnel, and over 500 helicopters andfixed wing aircraft deploying fromcountless new airfields throughoutthe I and II Corps tactical zones ofSouth Vietnam. Now the next year,under COL Bill G. Smith, who assumed 17th CAG command on 29May 1967, should bring even moregrowth.A combat command. A tactical,fighting unit. Applied to the 17thAviation Group, those terms havebeen difficult for some nonaviatorsto accept. This is particularly true ofthose who haven't ridden to battlein a low-level chopper formation;or been forced to cover by a torrentof enemy lead and had the pressurerelieved by a gunship's rapid, sureaimed firepower; or been pulled froma hopelessly surrounded position bya chopper crew whose sh ip was being raked by gunfire on the approachbut kept on coming.But, for all that, Army aviation isstill considered only a supportingforce. And, of course, it is a supporting force in the sense that its worthhangs on what it can do for theinfantrymen, but its value to him inVietnam is comparable to armor'srelationship to infantrymen in theEuropean theater during WW II.Army aviation is firepower, mobility,and even shock effect. As did tanks,its gunships offer the riflemen covering and assaul t fire from a mobileplatform. More effectively than ar-mored personnel carriers, its machinegun-toting slicks speed the troopsacross uncontested ground to terrainthey must occupy.The similarities stop there. In theend there is no comparison, no precedent for the work of Army aviationin Vietnam, no description more telling than the words of gratefulground commanders.

For their operations are 17thGroup operations. Their units carrymost of the acclaim for success likeHawthorne and Paul Revere andIIJunction City and Task Force Ore-gon, but the battles were won byairmobile combat teams to which the17th CAG contributed the airmobility.

lieutenant General Stanley Larsen,former CG, I Field Force Vietnam,DECEMBER 1967

MG Stanley R Larsen left) and BG Willard Pearson center) have had high praisefor the 17th CAG Here they confer with LTC J. B Rogers during operation Harrison

said in an interview in February thisyear: The helicopter was developedat a time when we absolutely hadto have it, and the men who fly itare noth ing but courageous. Mostinfantrymen think the average Armypilot sticks his neck out more oftenthan they themselves do. To me, in-fantry, artillery, armor, and Armyaviation should be said in the samebreath, along with signal and engineers, of course, because as far asI'm concerned it's a combat arm. Wecouldn't be winning here without it- or perhaps even holding our own.Brigadier General Willard Pearson, CG, 1st Brigade, 1o st AirborneDivision, wrote to 17th CAG commander, Colonel Shea, in March966: I feel the tremendous contribution of your units is best summedup by the remarks of one of my bat-talion commanders, who described

the performance of the individualpilot as 'magnificent.' We on theground salute him for his valor. Thechopper pilot is a new breed of

soldier . . . and we are proud ofhim and welcome him as an essentialpartner in the combined arms team,to whom falls the ultimate task ofclosing with the enemy and destroying him.Colonel John Austin, CO, 1st Bri-gade, 4th Infantry Division, in aletter to the Group's 10th CombatAviation Battalion last January, said:We are highly mobile - but you are

our mobility You have beenfood for hungry men, munitions forvital weapons, water for dry throats,and mail from home. Your gunshipsare the arm that can hit at the fordistance. To us you are not a supporting force but a part of the totalforce. We are winning on the battle-field because of you.

We are winning because ofyou. A brief remark, but it leaveslittle unsaid. This winning war effortin Vietnam comes from just suchsupporting contributions as those

made to I Field Force Vietnam by the17th Combat Aviation Group.17


20/68

IRMOBILE ENGINEERShe equipment worked throughout the night underlights This did not make the 8th Engineer Bat-talion extremely popular with the Marines who had

been experiencing nightly sniper and mortar fireCaptain Gene A. ~ c h n e e e c k and Captain Richard E. Wolfgram

A S THE INFANTRY jumpsl1 into a new battle area in anisolated portion of Vietnam it isonly a matter of time before theymust be followed by a logisticalcomplex consistent with the sizeand momentum of the battle action. During the first part ofApril 1967, the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobi le) was called upon.to assume a portion of the I Corps(Marine) sector in southernQuang N gai Province.Because of the tempo of the 1stAir Cavalry Division s operationand resulting t O ~ l l l a g e of logisticalsupplies required it was n,ecessaryto immediately develop a logisti-18

:ai complex for supporting thisoperation. The overall plan included construction of an airfieldat Duc Pho starting with anUSAF C7 A (Caribou) strip andeventually increasing it to a C-130airfield, as well as constructionof a simple port facility on theSou th China Sea coast and a landline of communications (LOC)connecting the two by selectingthe route and constructing 6 kilometers of road through the ricepaddies between them.1st Cav Responsibility

Long before any operation wasenvisioned, the Duc Pho area hadbeen viewed as a potential airfield

site by the 8th Engineer Battalion s commander and consequently had been reconnoitered by acomposite intelligence/operationsteam early in March 1967. At thistime a centerline azimuth wasselected, a general estimate ofearthwork calculated, and decisions on equipment required forconstruction made. Since the DucPho area was outside the 1st AirCavalry Division s area of operations at that time, the plans werefiled away.PTs Schnee beck and Wolfgramare currently serving in Vietnam

with the 1st Cavalry DivisionAirmobile).U. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


21/68

In the early mDrning hDurs Dn7 April 1967, the 1st Air CavalryDivisiDn was Drdered to mDve abrigade intO the Duc PhD area.The 8th Engineer BattaliDn 1 -cated at English Airfield wassimultaneDusly Drdered to CDn-struct a C7 A battle area airfieldwithin Dne day in the Duc PhDarea and extend it to a C-123capable airfield in twO mDre days.A plan to Dpen a sea LOC wasalsO required. The recDnnaissancerepDrt Dn the Duc PhD airfieldwas immediately reviewed and bydawn that mDrning plans fDr themDve were in final fDrm.Dusseau irfield

The missiDn to CDnstruct theairfield was given to Headquar-ters and Headquarters CDmpanyand a squad frDm CDmpany A wasattached fDr piDneer engineer suppDrt. The remainder Df the nigh twas spent preparing the CDnstructiDn equipment Df the First andSecDnd Equipment PlatDDns fDrairlift. At this time, bDth CDmpanies A and B had Dne D6BcDmmi tted in the fDrward area.These dDzers were alsO readiedfDr airlift frDm their respectiveIDcatiDns nDrth and east Df English Airfield.

Late in the mDrning Df April7th, the battaliDn was directed tobegin its mDve. A survey teamwas airlifted by a UH-1D to DuePhD and began laying DUt whatwas to rapidly becDme DusseauAirfield. At nDDn the airlift DfHeadquarters and HeadquartersCDmpany began, and by midafternDDn Dne TD-340 bulldDzer, twOD6B bulldDzers, twO CAT 112graders, Dne Martin scraper (grader bDwl), Dne vibrapactDr, twO3/4-tDn dump trucks, and twO1/4-tDn trucks had been airliftedby eight CH-54 Flying Crane andnine CH-47 ChinDDk sDrties toDuc PhD and assembled. Theavailability Df aircraft was limitedbecause Df the simultaneDus airlift Df 155 mm and 105 mm artil-DECEMBER 1967

lery batteries, and all the equipment scheduled to be mDved cDuldnDt reach Duc PhD the first day.By evening, the airfield wascDmpletely staked DUt Dn a magnetic azimuth Df 19, and the twOD6Bs and twO graders beganstripping the 18 inches Df IDDse,silty Dverburden frDm the runway.The TD-340 tracked dDzer and3414 frDnt loader/backhDe wereput to wDrk digging hasty prDtective positions in the cDmpany bivDuac area. The equipment wDrkedthrDughDut the night under thelights Df vehicles and a flDDdlightset. This did nDt make the 8thEngineer Ba ttaliDn extremelypDpular with the Marines, whOhad experienced nightly sniperand mDrtar fire fDr the precedingthree mDnths. HDwever, the Dnlything that disturbed their sleepthat night was the rumble Df theequipment.By dawn the CaribDu runwayDf Dusseau Airfield was 50 percentcDmplete. The equipment crewswere rDtated and wDrk cDntinuedthrDughDut the day. AdditiDnalengineer equipment was airliftedto Due PhD frDm English Airfield.One D6B bulldDzer, three MRS-100 tractDrs, twO 8 cubic yardpans, twO CAT 112 graders, DneMartin scraper, Dne dDuble-drumsheepsfDDt rDller, Dne self-prDpelled pneumatic rDller, and a CDn-tact main enance truck weremDved by sixteen CH-54 and five

CH-47 sDrties, assembled, andplaced in DperatiDn.After 24 hDurs spent mDving7,000 cubic yards Df earth the1,400-fDDt cDmpacted earth C7Aairfield was cDmpleted. WDrkagain cDntinued thrDughDut the

night to lengthen Dusseau Airfield fDr C-123s. By the time theUSAF inspectiDn team had declared the C7 A strip DperatiDnal,the entire 2,500 feet Df the C-123runway had been stripped Df Dverburden and when the first C7Alanded at nDDn Dn April 9th, therunway was 1,800 feet IDng.

That day C7As began delivering 36-inch CMP culvert, and thesquad frDm CDmpany A beganwDrking arDund the clDCk assembling a 165-fDO t length to carry ama O r drainage channel under theairfield. The heavy equipmentcO ntinued cut, fill, and cO mpactionO peratiDns even thO ugh hamperedby heavy aircraft traffic.By evening Df April 10th, allthat remained to cO mplete theairstrip was installatiDn Df theculvert. The twO 3414s cut atrench thrO ugh the drainage channel while the squad cO mpletedthe culvert assembly. Because thedrO P frO m the culvert invert toO U tIet was O nly 0.3 feet, the culvert bed was carefully prepared byhand under the watchful eyes Dfa survey team wO rking by flashlight. TwO D6Bs slDwly mDvedthe culvert intO PO sitiDn and care-

A CH-S4 li ts a 3414 ront loader/backhoe to usseau Airfield in Vietnam

19


22/68

fully pushed it into the trench.The culvert was backfilled andcompacted and by dawn the2 500-foot long by 50-foot widecompacted earth surface C-123runway was completed.

Within a 72-hour period 25 300cubic yards of earth had beenmoved by helicopter transportableequipment Shaping and compaction operations continued to improve the runway throughout theday and a USAF inspection teamdeclared Dusseau Airfield a TypeI C-123 strip. The airfield met allthe criteria of a Type II C-123strip; however a barrier fence atthe north end which could notbe moved immediately because of

20

a local village restr icted the glideangle and only 2 000 feet of theairfield could be used.

On the following day a parking area for three aircraft wasconstructed adjacent to the westside of the runway. The area surrounding the airfield was landscaped and a 16-foot high controltower was airlifted 100 kilometersfrom Camp Radcliff at An Khe toDue Pho by CH-47.The Second RunwayTo allow the 39th EngineerBattalion to lengthen DusseauAirfield for C-130 use a secondC7A runway was required to allowcontinuous operation of fixedwing aircraft. On April 13th construction of this runway began.The edge of the strip was placed145 feet west of the centerline ofDusseau Airfield so that it could



23/68

be used as a taxiway for the futureC-130 airfield.An additional squad from Com

pany A was airlifted by CH-47 toDuc Pho, and both squads beganrelocating 1,000 meters of barrierthat cut diagonally across theproposed runway. The fougasseand claymore mines were removedfrom between the two belts oftriple standard fence and, withthe aid of two D6Bs, the fencewas removed. Construction of thenew barrier progressed rapidlyacross the open terrain, and bynightfall it was complete.Because there was no requirement for exceptionally rapid construction of this airstrip, workprogressed only during daylighthours. By the evening of April15th, after 24 working hours werespent moving 7,000 cubic yards ofearth in stripping, cut, and filloperations, the runway was complete. The following morning thetwo runways were connected by ataxiway at the south end and byextending the parking ramp onthe north end. That afternoon aC7 A landed on the new runway,and Headquarters and Headquarters Company prepared for airliftback to English.Brigade Engineer ActivityBy April 9th, Company -) hadmoved by air to Duc Pho to provide support to the 2d Brigade,1st Air Cavalry Division whichhad deployed for OperationLejeune. Nine CH-47 sorties wererequired to move six 3j4-tondump trucks, three 1/4-ton trucks,and personnel. Immediately, oneplatoon was deployed in supportof the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalrywhich was conducting search anddestroy operations in the hillssoutheast of Duc Pho. This platoon supported the infantry bysending minesweep teams alongwith the elements searching theViet Cong dominated territory.Numerous cave complexes andtunnels used by the enemy wereDECEMBER 1967

located and destroyed by the platoon s demoli tion teams.At LZ Montezuma, the brigadebase and site of Dusseau Airfield,

Company B engaged in numerousgeneral support tasks. The finesoil of the area presented an extensive problem to the helicoptersof the division, not only as a safety hazard because of the limitedvisibility but also because theangular soil particles rapidly erodehelicopter engine turbine blades.Three asphalt distributors, anAnthony crane, and a 2Y2-tondump truck were flown to DucPho by two CH-47 and fourCH-54 sorties and 38,000 gallonsof asphaltic dust palliative wereplaced on helicopter parking,sling out, and refueling areas ina 1 day period.

Other general support tasksundertaken by Company B werethe construction of helicopter revetments for aircraft that remainedat Duc Pho during the night, theconstruction of 150 meters ofpioneer road at the top of Hill15 using hand tools and demolitions, the installation of 5,500meters of triple standard concertina barrier, and the constructionof a 30-foot timber bridge as acivic action project.

One of the 8th Engineer Battalion s airmobile water pointshad been airlifted to Duc Pho onApril 8th. Because the only suitable source of water was in insecure territory, Company B conducted a minesweep along 500meters of road to its si te everymorning. During one 3 day period, a 250-pound bomb with an82 mm mortar round booster,three 1 5 mm rounds, one 155 mmround, one 106 mm beehive round,and two M18s (claymores) werefound emplaced as mines alongthe short route to the water pointsite.

On April 16th the SecondEquipment Platoon -) of Headquarters and Headquarters Com-

pany was attached to Company Bto execute portions of the basedevelopment plan for LZ Montezuma. This plan had been devisedby the 8th Engineer Battalion inconjunction with the 2d Brigadeand the Division Support Command. The two D6Bs and twoCAT 112 graders remaining atDuc Pho constructed a two laneroad encircling the airfield andimproved existing roads withinthe base complex. The next daythe equipment was placed in support of the 39th Engineer Battalion and pioneered the openingof 2 kilometers of the road Ilnking Duc Pho with the South ChinaSea.

On April 19th, Company B wasairlifted from Duc Pho to LZ U plift, between Bong Son and QuiNhon, thus terminating its rolein Operation LeJeune. The Second Equipment Platoon -) remained at Duc Pho to assist the39th Engineer Battalion untilApril 25th, when its remainingelements were airlifted to EnglishAirfield.ConclusionDuring the period the 8th Engineer Battalion was employed atDuc Pho, the 39th Engineer Battalion landed on the coast of theSouth China Sea and after a jointreconnaissance with the 8th Engineer Battalion, began construction of a road inland to Duc Pho.By the time the airmobile engineers had completed their tasks,the 39th Engineer Battalion wasmoving their engineer equipmentoverland to continue the engineereffort.

In this respect, Operation LeJeune was a classic example ofthe widely known, but seldompracticed, concept which calls forthe employment of airmobile engineers to an otherwise inaccessible location to accomplish a mission and their subsequent reliefby conventional engineer elementsas soon as possible.

21


24/68

THEIMPROVEDHINOOK

Truxtun R aldwin

T HE u S ARMY CH-47 Chinook helicopter isundergoing a redesign and requalification program aimed at achieving its full potential as amedium transport helicopter. A number of structural aerodynamic, and installed power improvements are being incorporated which will enablethe Chinook to take advantage of its inherentgreater productivity through increased speed andpayload. The program gives recognition to thehelicopter s new tactical role in the Army s airmobile concept and is keyed to new operationalrequirements which have resulted from combatoperations of units employing this new concep.t.

The Chinook was first deployed to the RepublIcof Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in September 1965. In 22 months since initialdeployment Chinook units have flown over 88,000hours and 238,000 sorties, averaging more than 44flight hours per month per helicopter. Over 1,350downed aircraft have been evacuated by Chinooks.They have transported over 610,000 tons of cargoand 671,000 passengers in RVN.

Exposure that has seen accomplishment has alsouncovered areas which could be improved. InDecember 1965 the 1st Cavalry Division submittedan urgent request for increased military payloadand airspeed capability. The request was promptedby effects of the Southeast Asian environment onperformance of the helicopter. In moving from therelatively favorable United States ambient conditions, where the air assault exercises took place,to the severe high temperature and high density22

altitude conditions of the South Vietnam plateauregion, the Chinook gross weight to hover becamematerially less and airspeed was reduced.,A further reduction in payload resulted fromthe necessity to carryover 2,200 pounds of combatequipment made up of suppressive fire weapons,.30 cal. dynamic component armor pilot and co-pilot seat armor an additional crewmember, armorvests and miscellaneous rescue and survival gear.Where loads of 10,000 to 1l,000 pounds were com-When he wrote this article Mr Baldwin was aTechnical Director in the Office of the hinookProject Manager



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monplace in the air assault exercises, in its newenvironment fully configured for combat, the Chinook was able to carry 7,000 .to 8,000 pounds andthen at an airspeed of only 95 knots.

Need for increased RVN capability was confirmed by USARV in November 1966, identifyingthe requirement for carrying a complete howitze'rgun section in tactical operations, which was twicethe available payload, to enhance resupply of forward elements. The Chinook h ~ s the unique


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FIGURE 2 CH-47 HELICOPTERSPEED CAPABILITY

5000 FT IST D48

ALT. DESIGN GR. WT.44

ALT. DESIGN GR. WT./) 40III...J

0036

CI MAX. APPROVEDW:t 32 GR. WT. ?r/) ~/) I C H 4 7 A ~ t;aCI 2824

2 o L 6 o 8 o 1 o 0 ~ 2 0 4 0 ~ 6 0 ~TRUE AIRSPEED IN KNOTS

Notes1. CH-47A speeds per opere man. flight ellvelope.2. CH-47B speeds limited by normal power based on APEI testing or by flight envelope.3. CH-47C speeds limited by normal power based on

Army test results or estimated rotor aerodynamic limit.

FIGURE 3 DROOP SNOOT BLADE

WEIGHT SUPPORT tHANHE I

PRESENT BLADE

24

AF 30 ~ ~ I V E BOND~ 7 J i : - ' - - - ( O f r r I I E STEP BONDING

DROOP SNOOT BLADEDES . LOAD 28 .5 l BS / IN.

evolution of the helicopter system has seen theinstalled power steadily increase from 3,880 shp to5,300 shp and marty structural changes made, suchas to the landing gear with its attendant higherflotation. This evolution has fostered continualincreases in the operating gross weight of the helicopter to 33,000 pounds. However, the rotor systemhas remained until just recently sized to the original gross weight of 24,500 pounds, thereby imposingsignificant aerodynamic and structural limitationson the opera tor.

Figure 2 shows the gross weight versus airspeedenvelope in effect for the CH-47A and CH-47B andprojected for the CH-47C model at 5,000 feet derisity altitude. The CH-47B and CH-47C have increased alternate gtoss weights to 40,000 poundsand 44,800 pounds respectively. In comparison withthe power limits entailed with the T55-L-7 seriesengine, the airspeed of the A model is severelylimited by the present symmetrical blade aerodynamic limits which may not be exceeded withoutretreating blade stall, high control loads, and serious reductions in fatigue lives of critical dynamiccomponents.

The more direct relief to this limitation is toprovide increased blade area which is a characteristic of the new blade by virtue of its 6 inch increasedradius and 2.25 inch increased chord. The resulting12 percent increase in blade area provides approximately orie-half the improvement in lift capability.The remaining lift comes from adopting a cambered droop snoot) leading edge and reflex bentup) trailing edge airfoil configuration to replacethe symmetrical section.

Droop snoot blades are not neW; they are beingpursued by Bell and Kaman, and are now in production on the Vertol Marine CH-46D. However,the approximately 20 percent greater lift coefficientthan the symmetrical blade combined with the increased blade area yields rotor aerodynamic limitsthat are compatible with the engine normal ratedpower curveS in figure 2

The new droop snoot blade is based on the samestainless steel D spar extrusion with increasedtransition wall thicknesses and shot peening forincreased fatigue strength. Improved assembly andbonding techniques and greater bonded areas arefeatured together with a fiberglass covered trailingedge fairing, which is honeycomb filled as a changefrom the former aluminum ribbed boxes fig. 3).Additional reliability and maintainability iinprovement changes have been made to the trailingedge and tip cover. Details of both blade constructions are shown in figure 3



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FIGURE 4o enable the higher speed potential of the improved helicopterto be realized, measures weretaken to improve the stability andvibration characteristics consistentwith the increased airspeeds. Withrespect to stability, providingpilot with a I second time delaybefore having to respond to apossible stability augmentationsystem SAS) single-axis hardoverwas a controlling consideration.

STABILITY IMPROVEMENT CH-47B1 DIRECTIONAL STABILITY

To reach this objective, a development program was completedduring 1966 in which a considerable increase in directional staticstability was achieved. This wasattained aerodynamically byblunting the trailing edge of theaft pylon, adding spoilers to theforward pylon, and attachingafterbody strakes to the fuselage.Figure 4 illustrates the improvement in the static directional sta-

FORWARD PYLONMODIFICATION AFTERBODY STRAKES BLUNTEDAFT PYLON2. SUMMARY-DIRECTIONAL STAB.IMPROV. TEST RESULTS

G.W.: 28,550 LBS CENTER OF GRAVITY: 18 AFTSTABLE .8CH-47 SAS-ON R Q U I R M ~

.4 CALIBRATED AIRSPEED-KTS.bility derivative of the CH-47Brelative to the CH-47A model.Improvement in the inherent directional stability permitted theSAS authority to be reduced,which in turn increases the re-

STATICDIRECTIONALSTABILITY(NBf I 22- l ISEC2.1 1400 80 12 1600 r ~ = = = ~ = = = = = = ~ ~ = = =. v

sponse delay time or the speed atwhich a I second response timecan be obtained.

-.4

A vibration absorber networkhas been installed in the cockpit,cargo compartment and aft pylon.UNSTABLE -.8

The absorbers, 90 and 120 poundsprung weights, are tuned to thenatural forcing functions of therotor and are installed one each under the pilotand copilot s seats, one at the nose enclosure andtwo in the aft pylon beneath the canted deck. Atwo to one reduction in three per rev vibrationlevels has been obtained. The absorbers will beretuned for the C model s 243 rotor rpm.

Two changes, not initially programmed, havebeen adqed to the CH-47B configuration. t wasrecognized that the CH-47B would be at least 1,000pounds heavier than the A model due to the heavierblades, flbsorbers and component strengthel1ing. Tooffset this increflse in weight empty, until such timeas the 108 B models would be retrofitted tomodels, an uprating of the L-7 engine from 2,650shp to 2,850 shp was introduced.

This engine, termed the T55-L-7C, was qualifiedDECEMBER 1967

CH-47B(SAS OFF

ip September 1966 and primarily (:onsists of a newatomizing type combustor. Its more even burningpermits higher temperatures and power. Better altitude and cold starting characteristics and muhifuelcapability are additional advantages of the L-7C,making it attractive to update all L-7 engines to

t i ~ version at overhaul.The most recent addition to the CH-47B modelis the incorporation of structural provisions for

additional fuel cells that make up part of the Cmodel. Although the qualification schedule for thecells themselves is too long to make the B model,future retrofit incorporatiop h greatly facilitatedby putting in the backup structure while the helicopters are being initially manufactured.

End objective of the Chinook improvement pro-25


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The Improved hinookgrain is the CH-47C. The C model is built aroundthe installation of the 3,750 shp 155-L-ll engineand is the eventual marriage of the increased thrustrotor in the interim B model with the higher powerengine. t is this combination that meets both operational requirement objectives of increased payloadand s p e ~ d plus range performance.

The 1.-11 engine piCl


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overhaul TBO) intervals on dynamic components.Because of later qualification of the L- enginein August 1968 deliveries of CH-47s with L-llsinstalled will begin in December 1968. Interveninghelicopters between March and December willbe delivered with L-7C engines which are interchangeable with L-I Is. The interchangeability feature between engines is an inherent strong pointof the program which makes it feasible time-wiseto respond to the requirement. The program tochange out engines will await the productionbuildup of L-II engines to a level which will support both production aircraft delivery and retrofit.

It should not be assumed that the mating of agrowth product improvement program with expanded military requirements will happen as amatter of course without foresight and planning.The inherent capability of an aircraft needs to berecognized during its early service life and stepstaken to provide for its fruition. Such was the casewith the Chinook, both its airframe and engine.The structural potential of the Chinook was uncovered during its static test program at WrightField in 1962 where it was determined that muchhigher load factors could be sustained with butminor strengthening of two components. Thesetwo noncontractual changes were made and sinceDECEMBER 1967

Mission De.crlptlon ,1. Warm up 2 min. @ NIP.2. Take off, crul.e out @SL/St d.3. Land, drop payload, re-

load 2 outbound pay-load.

4. Warm up 2 min. @ NIP.5. Take off, crui.e backSL/st d.6. Land with 10 fuel re-

.erve.

crul... @ fitenvelope .peed .

2. CH-471 C crul.e @99 be.t range .peedexcept ~ h r limited byfit envelope .peed .

3. Weights:CH-47A CH-47B CH-47CEmpty:17,932 19,375 20,016

F U L :719 719 787

that time other engineering changes to the Chinookwere incorporated with an eye toward future growth.Similarly the engine development has followedthe same approach. Redesigns incorporated in theT55 engine to enhance its altitude capabilitieswere initiated in 1964 and constituted the earliestactions which became the T55-L-II configuration.

Applying the technical vision which recognizesgrowth potential does not penalize the helicopterwith significant cost or weight penalties. On thecontrary the Chinook program is an example ofgains in mission


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Three members of the Army sNew Equipment Training Team(NETT), who are to introduce theHueyCobra to Vietnam, undergoground training at the Fort Worth,Texas, facility of Bell HelicopterCompany, which is manufacturing 53 of the high-speed, tandem-seat gunships for the Army.Seated in the pilot s cockpit isCWO John D Thomson. Inspecting the ammunition bay are CPTJames T. Pratt, left, and CPTJerry W Childers

obra NETT New Equipment Training TeamPERSONNEL who will be thefirst to fly and maintainAH-IG HueyCobras in Vietnamare receiving in-country trainingfrom a 55-man New EquipmentTraining Team NETT).

First contingent of the team leftthe United States for Vietnam inMarch of this year. This part consisted of four specialists in theT53-L-13 engine. Three weretrained by the Lycoming Divisionof the AVCO Corporation, makerof the engine. The other teammember was trained by the Chandler Corporation, maker of thefuel controls.

The Cobra uses the T53-L-13engine, which is the same engineused in the uprated version of theUH-ID. This engine differs fromthe T53-L-ll, used in many Hueys,in that it incorporates a secondcompressor and power turbine, avariable inlet guide, and an atomizing nozzle.The other 51 members of28

team to introduce the Cobra toVietnam left the United States inAugust and began their teachingprogram in September. This partof the team consists of 13 officerand warrant officer pilots, 25 enlisted men, 6 Bell HelicopterCompany civilians, 3 men fromthe u S Army Weapons Command and 4 from the U. S. ArmyElectronic Command.All members of the team alongwith their six HueyCobras andtraining aids were airlifted toVietnam. The training aids wereespecially made for HueyCobratraining and are the same onesused by the team in their owntraining.The Vietnam NETT was a partof 350 Army helicopter specialistswho were selected to receive initial HueyCobra training. Most ofthis training was conducted by theBell Helicopter Company at theirplant in Hurst, Texas. It includedflying, maintenance, stability, aug-

mentation systems, avionics, andtrainer maintenance. Some members of the team received turrettraining from the Emerson Electric Company.

Other members of the team alsoreceived gunnery training in sys-tems used on the Cobra. TheCobra can carry mixed ordnanceloads of 1,525 pounds of 7.62 mm,40 mm, and 2.75 rockets on atypical mission of 2Y2 hours endurance, half at cruise speed ofabout 150 knots and half at loiterat 90 knots.

Those trained in the specialschool who did not go to Vietnamwill remain in the United Statesas instructors or as specialists connected with the HueyCobra program.

The NETT in Vietnam willhave its own maintenance capability and will teach some sevencourses simultaneously, includingboth flight and ground courses.



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Tales of aTired T 41

Captain Steven E Selman

N OW LOOK DOC, it's like this. Well, firstof all, I've got family problems; besides, I

didn't ask to get drafted. Basically I'm a civilian.Sure, I was beefed up for this job. Yeah, I've gotmore zing in the old motor and all. But sometimesI feel like these guys are wearing me out. Up at thebreak of dawn and then go, go, go until sunset, dayin and day out.

I'm not thinking of burning up my 2408 card,Doc. I'm patriotic and all. Even as a civilian I wascalled 'Hawk,' not a 'Dove.' Yeah, they always callme 'Sky Hawk.'

Well, OK, I'll get to the point. Like it says onmy -13 over there, my 'brake handle came loose.''Came loose,' my landing gear That ape yankedit loose. I know these guys are taught that we aredesigned to have the lowest possible weight; thatif the weight of any of my parts, like my brakehandle for example, were increased by 1 pound mygross weight would have to be increased by 10 or20 pounds for me to give the same performance."You know, Doc, more weight means more fuel,more landing gear, more thrust, more engine, requiring more wing, and so on. Well, that studentknew that. But just because it looks like the brakehandle on a Mac truck doesn't mean it's built likeone.

Remember two months back when that sadistrounded me out about 6 feet too high. Well, I heldon with every last rivet, but heck I'm not th tbeefed up. I can still feel the pain. I was in surgeryfor almost a month. Guess that government medicalinsurance is one advantage to being in uniform.Isn't there an old aviation expression 'Fly like alover, not a gorilla' or something like that?

I've got to admit it, Doc; it's the little thingsthat have really been getting me nervous lately.Sometimes I can't even keep my chip light fromgoing on.DECEMBER 1967

When I'm on the ground, I'm supposed to bet x i e d ~ not driven. Just because cars are designedto look like airplanes doesn't mean that I shouldbe driven like a car. I keep wanting to yell, 'Hey,I've got wings out there.' Doc, maybe you couldput a placard on me that says THIS IS AN AIRPLANE.

' 'I'm not unfriendly, but I didn't enjoy shakinghands with that tree at 5 mph. And I was nevermore embarrassed than when that student slid mywing onto Gertie-Gas-Tanker's backside - they eventook pictures of that scandalous affair.

Now take the handle of my window latch, forexample. The checklist says 'window locked beforetakeoff,' not half locked. I f it isn't fully closed, thatold window could rip loose on takeoff and getcaught on my elevator control surface. And sometimes they slam my door like they were closing upthe Bastille. Ouch, that hurtsBut it's those clear days with good visibility thatget me as nervous as a long tailed cat in a roomfull of rocking chairs. That's when 4 out of 5 midair collisions happen. I've had more near-missesthan some of my solo pilots know about. The wayone or two students fiy I'd like you to requisitionplexiglass stomachs for them."

What about your family problems, Sky?"Heck, do I have to get into that, Doc?"I t might help.Well - shoot - OK. It's my granddaddy and my

cousin who keep bugging me When do I get togo to Vietnam? My granddaddy Bird Dog can doit, can't he? And you ought to hear my cousin Moebrag about his heroics."

Your cousin Moe, Sky Hawk?""Yeah, I sure wish that loudmouth Mohawkwould layoff me.""You know, I feel much better now that I've gotit off my fuselage, Doc. Sometimes, deep down inmy fuel pump, I still feel like a civilian."

29


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Construction Power and ir PowerContinued from page

The helicopter has brought anew dimension to airmobility andairlift concepts. The short-haulmobility in the battle area is almost exclusively by helicopterwhile the long-haul heavy lift isstill provided by fixed wing cargoaircraft. The UR-I is used to greatadvantage by engineers for roadand airfield reconnaissance command and control and to lift engineer troops into isolated areas.In all the divisional engineer battalions in Vietnam the UR-l isused almost continuously for reconnaissance much of whichwould be impossible without thehelicopter.Airlift of engineer equipmenthas come a long way since dozersand graders were disassembledinto numerous loads and flowninto China. CR-47 helicopters liftTD-340 dozers and 3414 frontloader/backhoes in and ou t ofroad and landing zone si tes wi thgreat regularity. Sectionalizationof engineer equipment is still pro-

gressing with greater efficiency anddetailed plans for rapid disassembly transport and reassembly.

The Caterpillar 112 motorizedgrader is sectionalized into onlytwo components the front portion being lifted by a CR-47while the rear portion is lifted bythe CR-54 Flying Crane. The D6Bdozer is sectionalized into onlythree components the track andblade each lifted by the CR-47and the power unit by the CR-54.

An important feature in airliftof engineer equipment by helicopter is that the equipment isplaced where it is needed not ata distant airstrip as it was in thepast.

Engineer troops and cons truction equipment are not the onlyrequirements for airlift support.Construction materials are liftedinto isolated areas when necessaryand fuel for motorized equipmentis delivered in 500 gallon fuelbladders as helicopter slingloads.The five water purification sets of

A CH 47 places a common cap on corbels of a 200 foot Bailey bridge in Vietnam

the 8th Engineer Battalion aretransported almost exclusively byUR-ls as far forward as possiblein support of assault battalions.

General Williams has pointedout that the integrated use ofairmobility in Vietnam and thesplit-second timing afforded bymodern communications systemshas resul ted in a command andcontrol situation that militarymen have always dreamed of. Engineer responsiveness in infantrydivisions in Vietnam is evidencedby their ability to fly into an areawith only the bare essentials determine the engineer effort required call for necessary materialsand equipment and have it onthe site with a rapidity never before thought possible. This is theairmobility that provides the bestpossible engineer support to thecombat mission.

From the Burma Road on theChina-Burma frontier to SouthVietnam 25 years later the U. SArmy Engineers are again providing construction power in Asiaand again air power is playing avital role. From the L-5s to theUR-l Rueys and the CR-54 Flying Cranes there are 25 years ofprogress which give the engineers in Vietnam mobility neverdreamed of by those of us engagedon the Burma Road.Increased tactical air andground mobility has not lessenedthe requirement for engineer support as many believed it might.On the contrary it has increased.But thanks to air support engineer construction power is moreresponsive to the needs of militaryoperations than ever before. Withthe continued bright future ofArmy aviation and airmobilityArmy engineers will not only riseto support it but will gain maximum benefit from it as we continue our primary mission of combat and construction support ofthe greatest United States Armythat has ever taken the field.

. ~ _ U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


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COURTESY ND COMMON SENSEh ~ l e turning on final a reflection on the plexiglass caught his eye-and a Huey autorotated into position smack in front of him

Captain Adam E Runk nd CW Carl L Hess

T WAS THE end of the day. and several helicopters were returning to their field. The pilotof a H uey was told to report turning left base for landing bravopanel north. Before turning baseleg the aviator scanned to his leftand noted one Sioux on short fi-nal. The pilot reported turningbase leg and was cleared to landnumber three. Once again theman iooked carefully and informed the tower that he only hadone other aircraft in sight. Thetower operator nonchalantly reported the unseen aircraft wasunder the number three aircraft.Needless to say a go-around wasimmediately initiated by the number three aircraft.

The pilot looked down and reported that the number two aircraft was at treetop level a halfmile from the field. Except for analert tower operator, the chanc

Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1967

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Transcript of Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1967