Army Aviation Digest - May 1967

8/21/2019 Army Aviation Digest - May 1967

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UNITED

DIRECTOR OF ARMY AVIATION, ACSFORDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMYMG Robert R Williams

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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 ., Editor-In-Ch iefRichard K Tierney, EditorWilliam H SmithDiana G. WilliamsTina Johnson

GRAPHIC ART SUPPOR THarold G. LinnHarry A PickelDorothy L CrowleyAngela A Ak in

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

USABAAR EDUCATION AND LITERATURE DIVPierce L WigginWilliam E. CarterTed KontosCharles Mobius

ARMY AVIATION1GESM Y 967 VOLUME 3 NUMBERLETTERSDUSTOFF, CPT Jerry W ChildersHELICOPTER GUNNERY TRAINING IN VIETNAM,COL Raymond _ Campbell, Jr.ADVERTISING-THE KEY TO SELLING YOURSAFETY PROGRAMWHEN IS IT A FORMATION? MAJ Charles C FrankTHUNDERSTORMSMY FRIEND FUTURE AND HIS CHARIOT,CW3 Valentine HamptonCLOUDS OVER SOON LON VALLEY,CPT Robert S. Fairweather, Jr.MAGNETIC CHIP DETECTORS, COL Edward J. Chrys lerM-22s IN COMBAT, CPT James R ForemanTHE WEATHER S FINE, MAJ Donald R DrummCAYUSE IN VIETNAMTHE FINE ART OF AERIAL OBSERVATION,CPT Mark L BellamyARE YOU STANDARDIZED OR MECHANIZED,MAJ Herbert H. GuderianCRASH SENSE

DITCHING THE HUEY, Gerard BrugginkTIGER BY THE TAIL, Ted KontosPEARL SA SURPRISE FOR WILMA, Pierce Wiggin

YEAR OF THE MINI

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The mission of the u. S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide information of an ope rationafun ctio nal nature concerning safety and aircraft acc id en t prevention training mainte na nce ope ratiresea rch and development aviation medicine and ot h er rela ted data.Th e DIGEST is an official Dep a rtm ent of th e Army periodical published monthly uncl er th e superviof th e Commandant , U. S. Army Aviation S cho ol. Views e xp ressed he rei n are not necessa ril y thoseDep a rtm e nt of th e Army or th e U. S . Arm y Aviati on School. Photos a re U. S . Army unless otherwspecifi ed . Ma te rial may be rep rinted provided credit is gi ven t o th e DIGE ST and to th e a ut hor unotherwise indi cated.

Articles, photos a nd items of int ere t on Army Avia t io n ar e inv i ted . Direc t com munication is aUli:ed lO: Edilo r.in Chie f. U S A rm y A violi on Diges l F ort Ruck er Alabamfl.Use of fund s for p rinting th is publication ha s bee n approved by Headq uarters Departm en t o fArm y, 29 Dece mb er 1964.Active Army uni ts re ce ive distribu t ion u nder th e pinpoin t distribu t ion sys tem as outlin ed in AR 320 March 62, and DA Cir cular 3105i 4 Ma rch 63 . Complete DA Form 12 4 a nd se nd di rec t l y toAG P ubl ica t ions Cent e r , 2800 Eastern Bou levard Bal t imore , Md. 21220. Fo r any ch ange in distribureq uir emen ts me re ly ini t ia t e a revise d DA Fo r m 12-4.National Gu a rd and Army R eserve un i ts submit requireme nts th rough thei r s ta te adjutants ge ne ra lU. S. Army Corps co mman ders respectively.Fo r th ose not elig ible fo r official dist ributi o n or wh o desi re persona l copi es of th e DIGEST , pa id ssc riptions 4 .50 do mes ti c and 5.50 overseas a re ava ilab l e from th e Superintendent of Doc um ents U.P r in t ing Ofhce Wa sh ington D. C . 20402 .


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:F

Sir:The article Lieutenant by-the-Bookappearing in the October issue of ArmyAviation Digest has caused U-IA aircraftoperators to become understandablyalarmed.The article implies that the currentemergency procedures in TM 55-1510-205-10 for propeller failure (oil supplybreakdown) are completely incorrect.To say that the procedures are incomplete rather than incorrect would be

more accurate.Since it is virtually impossible to include procedures for all emergency conditions that may occur, only those witha high probability of occurrence are included. As in any emergency condition,time is of great importance; therefore,effort is made t keep the proceduresshort and concise.The present emergency procedures areadequate for all cases of propeller failure(oil supply breakdown) with the exception of failure of the oil line (governorto propeller) and a broken propellerdome. The propeller lines are manufactured from either stainless steel or 1500

psi teflon tubing. The probability oftheir breaking is extremely remote. (Themagazine article does not indicate exactly how failure occurred. An attempt toobtain more information regarding thefailure is being made.) A condition thatwould cause cracking of the dome is inconceivable. However, if the dome doescrack, oil being pumped from the governor could be conserved but oil beingpumped from the engine would still belost.Most propeller failures are due tofailure of the constant speed governor.When this occurs, normally the propellerwill go into full low pitch (overspeed).The initial efforts on the part of theoperator should be to reduce this overspeed because destruction of the enginecan result. The current emergency procedures are written to accomplish reduction in overspeed as immediately aspossible. Regardless of the possibilitythat oil may be thrown overboard, theseare the initial steps to be taken.

Although breaking of the oil line(governor to propeller) is considered

extremely remote, act ion was taken inJuly 1965 to include this possibility in afuture issue of the operator's manual.MAY 1967

E= .In a forthcoming issue of the operator's manual, emergency procedures forpropeller failure in flight will read asfollows: Propeller Failure in FlightPropeller Lever-RetardThrottle-Adjust to reduce airspeedto 60 knots lASWing Flaps-TakeoffOil Pressure Gage- Check continuously. f oil pressure drops andremains low a broken oil line

is indicated. Return propellerlever to Low Pitch.Land-As soon as practicableAn important fact to bear in mind isthat all oil leakage emanating from thepropeller is not oil supply breakdown.Oil may be slung on the windshield fromthe propeller because of defective seals.Please do not con ider oil on the windshield as a sign that oil is being thrownoverboard and place the propeller leverin low pitch. Remember the indicationthat oil s being pumped overboard iswhen the propeller is in an overspeed

condition, the oil pressure drops and remains low when the propeller level isplaced in high pitch.

We are hopeful that this informationhas added clarity to the U-IA aircraftemergency procedures for propeller fail-ure.

COL EDWARD J CHRYSLERDirector of Research, Development and EngineeringU. S Army Aviation MaterielCommandSt. Louis, Mo. 63166

The AVIATION DIGEST s alwayshappy to receive letters from its ,eaders.These denote real interest and understanding of our publication .

Lt Bythe-Book has apparentlyprompted further study and evaluationof the emergency procedures of the U-lA.We are gratified to learn of your actionsto revise th e operator s manual.- The EditorsSir:

The three articles on torque andtorque wrenches in the January 1967 issue of the Aviation Digest are excellent.Copies have been made of these articles an .d are required reading for ourtechnical inspectors and supervisors oftechnical inspection.

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There is one error in the article Using the Torque Wrench I would liketo bring to the author's attention. Noharm is caused by this error, but futurearticles may be changed a little becauseof it. The statement On the rigidframe and presetting audible c l i c ~ t y p ewrenches, the point of force applicationmust be in the center of the grip asshown in figure 6 is in error. In the olddays when we had to use a fish scale onthe grip of a plain wrench it was important to measure the distance of thelever length accurately. However, thetwo wrenches mentioned in the abovestatement are constructed and tested toindicate the actual torque applied at theconcentric point. For mathematical calculations the torque wrench is s p e ~ i f i e das a 10 inch , 12 incb, etc., or measuredfrom the concentric point to the centerof the handle i f length is not known. Itmakes no difference if an extension isplaced on the handle end of the torquewrench. The dial indicator or audibleclick will still indicate the amount oftorque applied at the wrench's concentric point. Figure 7 is invalid as it isnot an improper way of applying force,but is an improper method of figuringlever length.Articles of this type are very beneficialand appreciated by this reader.

WILLIAM S ANGLEChief of Technical Inspectionand Test FlightPage Aircraft Maintenance, Inc.Ft Rucker, Ala. 36360

Sharp-eyed reader Angle s right. Whenusing modern torque wrenches (rigidframe with dial indicator, click type,etc.) it does not matter at what pointon the handle pressure is applied oncethe correct torque value the dial is todenote or the wrench set to break athas been established. t is important toproperly compute this value when usingextension wrenches . As Mr. Angle pointsout, figure shows an improper methodof figuring lever length. This length susually designated by the manufacturer.If not, it can be computed by measuringfrom the concentric point to the centerof the handle.

Many thanks tor bringing this to ourattention.-The Editors


4/68

USTOFFCaptain Jerry W Childers

To the officers of th e 197th Aviation Company (U TT) the professionals who leadth e way in appreciation for your unselfish efforts which time after time, have insuredthe completion of Dustoff s mission so many of your fellow men have courageouslysacrificed life and limb in order that others might live; no man could ask for more.

SO READS a plaque that Sai-gon's famed armed helicoptercompany proudly exhibits in theSaber Lounge of their officers'villa. Presented in October 1965,by the 57th Medical Detachment(Dustoff), it tells a story of unparalleled mutual respect. Dust-off, a fraternity dedicated to sav-ing lives, and Saber, dedicatedto the destruction of the enemy,have combined forces on countlessoccasions in this witr without frontlines to extract wounded soldiersfrom the very midst of the enemy.

Pilots of the 334th AviationCompany Escort):II: will readilyadmit that escorting Dustoff intoa hot area for a medical evacua-tion is their most dangerous mis-sion. The friendly ground troopsare usually in contact with theenemy and Dustoff, helpless to de-fend itself, is fuliy dependent onSaber's 40 millimeter grenadelaunchers, rockets and machineguns for protection.

The North Vietnamese and theViet Cong are keenly aware of theSouth Vietnamese soldier's poostin morale when he sees hiswounded buddy whisked away toThe 197th Aviation Company was re-designated the 334th Aviation Company(Escort) .2

the hospital and will react withfanatical determination whenDustoff's big red cross comes intoview. The exci temen t of closecombat, the ,requirement for closecoordina tion and perfect timing,and the satisfaction that comesfrom saving a comrade s life com-bine to produce the armed heli-copter pilot s most satisfying assignment. The mission recountedbelow, chosen solely because it istypical, illustrates the teamworkof Dustoff and Saber.

On the morning of 1 October1965 four armed helicopters fromthe 334th's i r ~ t platoon (Play-boys) reported to Tay Ninh, afriendly village about 70 milesnorthwest of Saigon, to providesupport for a ground operationtaking place northeast of there.The Playboy pilots found theDustoff pilots already there. Onkidding them about unshavenfaces, they found that Dustoff hadbeen there all night. The Play-boys refueled and two of thearmed helicopters, the Playboy I-Ifire team, took off to begin theirmission. The Playboy 1-7 fireteam remained behind to be readyto assist and eventually replacethe 1-1 fire team when it got lowon fuel.

Shortly after Playboy 1-1 ar-rived in the operational area thefriendly unit, about 160 SouthVietnamese special forces troopswith American advisors, werepinned down by enemy fire. TheViet Cong occupied the almostvertical sides of Nui Ba Dinhmountain and were firing directlydown on the Vietnamese whowere deployed in rice paddies be-low. Playboy I-I began an attack,but seeing that the Viet Congwere well dug in immediatelycalled for the assistance of the 1-7fire team. Making repeated passeson the sides of the moun tain, 1-1had completely expended his am-munition when 1-7 arrived. Fireteam 1-7 ripped into the enemypositions immediately, using hisammunition sparingly in an at-tempt to sustain his attack until1-1 could return.

While 1-1 was rearming and re-fueling, 1-7 was contacted by theground troops s a ting tha t theyhad several wounded and re-quested an immediate aeromedi-cal evacuation. Dustoff arrivedjust behind 1-1 and requested in-structions.CPT Childers is assigned to dutyat the Bell Helicopter Company,Ft Worth, Texas.

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A UH l arrives to evacuate wounded soldier in ietnamRealizing 1-7 was low in fuel

and ammunition and that theevacuation attempt was going tobe extremely hot, 1-1 stated thathe would perform the escort. Heslid in behind the med-evac shiparid turned all weapons systemsto the ready position.Playboy 1-7 this is I- I , maintain about a 1,000 foot orbit andplace your fire directly down onthe Viet Congo I'll remain at treetop level and shoot directly intothem.

The Playboys started firing assoon as they were in range. AsDustoff landed, not 50 metersfrom the side of the mountain,they started a left hand orbitaround the defenseless aircraft.MAY 1967

This allowed one aircraft to keepin firing position at all times.

We are receiving heavy fire somake it snappy Dustoff, 1-1 saidas a round shattered his windshield and filled the cockpit withfiying plexiglass .

Roger, we have one more patient to load, said Dustoff. Wewill be ready in 30 seconds.On the third orbit I-I was di ve.rted when his wing ship washit. As the Playboy rolled aroundagain, I-I expected to see Dustofftaking off but he was still stationary.Dustoff had found anotherwounded American and neededanother 30 seconds.1-1 called the fire team that was

in high orbit. 1-7 this is 1-1 comeon down, buddy, if you have anything left. Both my choppers havehad it and we are out of bullets.

I-I had begun to wonder abou this own aircraft when he noticeda hole in the engine compartmentfrom a head-on hit. As 1-1 swungaway from the battle and headedfor a forced landing area Dustoffannounced it was ready to comeout.

Fire team 1-7 rogered and recommended that he come out lowand fast. As the flight started toclimb out, they were informedthat another wounded Americanhad been found and requestedDustoff come back.

Once more the flight went backinto the deadly enemy fire. Thisone was quick, and Dustoff tookoff almost as soon as he landed.Playboy 1-7 expended every bitof ammo he had left out of over12,000 rounds.

Back on the ground at TayN inh, Dustoff found he had notreceived a single hit. Playboy 1-7found three holes in his aircraftand both of I-I's aircraft weredown about 3 miles from the opera tional area, damaged beyondimmediate repair. But Dustoff hadthe prize: two Americans with serious head wounds and three Vietnamese wi th severe body wounds.All five are alive today because ofthe teamwork and intense devotion to duty of the courageouscrewmembers of the five airGraftinvolved.

Such mutual respect and admiration between units is whatmakes the United States Armyunique among military organizations of the world. Someone oncesaid, It is not primarily a causewhich makes men loyal to eachother, but the loyalty of men toeach other which makes a cause.Whether it be cause or loyalty,these factors will always providethe difference between victory anddefeat.

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Helicopter unneryTraining in Vietnam

O N 4 OCTOBER 1966, the12th Combat Aviation Groupculminated an intensive 4 montharmed helicopter gunnery refresher training program by recognizing the group top gun at anawards ceremony at Bien Hoa,RVN.The requirement to deliver livegunfire support for our groundtroops on VC targets in proximi yto friendly troops or villages is ademanding task which the 12thGroup armed helicopters do withgreat accuracy and effectivenessevery day. Replacement gunshipcrews from the continental UnitedStates (CONUS) are all welltrained products of the Fort Benning system. But the differencesare many between targets and fly-ing conditions found in the Vietnam conflict and on the gunneryrange in Georgia. Therefore, incountry indoctrination and refresher training is a must afterthey arrive here. Old-timers, theaircraft commanders who haveconducted themselves with suchdistinction, instruct the new crewsby example and demonstration.By this means the methods of providing effective helicopter gunfire support to the ground troopswhich have proved so successfulin the group's years of combat inVietnam are passed along.4

Colonel Raymond P. Campbell JrCO 12th Combat Aviation Group

Setting up an aerial indoctrination and refresher training program, one which could be handled consistent with the combatmission of the units, was the firststep in standardizing the gunnerytechniques and crew teamwork.

This was formalized in earlyJune 1966, and outlined a program which started at companylevel, proceeded through battalionlevel, and culminated in a grouplevel meeting of the resulting topcrews. By providing a defini te goaltoward which crews could train,such as group level standardization firing, we felt that greatereffort toward precision in marksmanship and control of weaponswould result. Companies didmuch of their indoctrination ontheir way back to home station,using the small amounts of ammunition left over from combatmissions. Selected fire zones knownto be inhabited only by VC, approved by U. S. and ARVNground controllers, were used asimpact areas, giving a doublebenefit.

During the period 15 through22 September the assistant S 3supervised and conducted theground finals of the armed helicopter refresher and indoctrination firing. His goal was to determine effectiveness of the program, and incidentally the top

gun from the group, by testingeach assault helicopter company'sbest crew.Firing took place at an ap

proved point at a remote part ofthe Dong Nai River, 1/2 milewide, about 10 miles northeast ofBien Hoa airbase, using 55-gallonbarrels as point targets. The latterwere selected as being intentionally very small targets for helicopter weapons. We felt that anycrew trained consistently to hit atarget of this small size would beable t provide more effectivecombat fire when called on, withsignificantly greater safety forfriendly troops, than i bigger targets were used. Also, when suffi-ciently full of small 7.62 mmholes, the barrels will of coursesink. The more holes in theshorter time, the sooner the barrels will sink.U sing all machineguns on theXM-16 equipped armed helicopters as well as six 2.75 rockets,the selected crews made firingpasses against time in an attemptto sink their barrels. Ground rulesprohibited overflying the target,going below 200 feet absolute,and flying at an airspeed less than60 knots. Maximum time allowed,or charged, for sinking the bar,relwas 15 minutes. This allowedcomputing meaningful averagetimes, since a complete miss on



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anyone run cost the competingcrew only 15 minutes. That waythey could remain in the running.Each crew was required to makefiring runs against four separatetargets, each one being droppedfrom 1,000 feet by the controlleraircraft. Stop watch time frombarrel drop to barrrel sinking wasthe measure of crew effectiveness.No opinion factor" could enterinto this system under these rulesfor scoring.

Participating crews and otherobservers were able to observe atclose range the tactics and techniques of other crews, therebyprofiting from this exposure. Inaddition much infonnal exchangeof information took place on theground. For the first time proponents of the various techniqueswere required to demonstrate inpublic the good points (and insome cases the bad points) oftheir procedures. When the timesand comments came in, the educational process was swift andeffective.Some of the general lessons wedemonstrated were: Anned helicopter machineguns can, in fact, be used to hitand destroy point targets. Thispoint target accuracy can be usedin all armed helicopter daily operations to further ensure that norounds will hit friendly personnel.Since we engage running VC inthe open from time to time andoften must ire very close to

PLACE1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7t h8th

UNIT118th BAN DITS68th MUSTANGS] 16 th STINGERS173 rd CROSSBOWS197th SABERS128 t h GUNSLINGERS162nd COPPERH EADSA/5 01st FIREBIRDS

UNIT

friendly units, this pOSItIVe control of gunfire is vital. Firing machineguns into awater background graphicallyshows the dispersion found ineach set of aircraft weapons, goodor bad. The weapons, of course,are boresighted on the ground before takeoff. Check firing, or "zeroing," however, is not possible athome stations, due to their friendly surroundings. Zeroing over water in flight, therefore, is the onlyeffective method for checking the

s i ~ of shot groups of both rocketsand machineguns for later correction of boresighting. The best crews had muchbetter crew integrity and cooperation than the less effective crews.The pilots, for example, flewshort teardrop courses, ratherthan long race tracks for minimum time off target. Their doorgunners fired longer and more ac-curately. The best pilots held asteady attitude and airspeed during the firing runs to give alltheir gunners the best chance tofind and adjust on the target.Good preflight boresightingand weapons check by groundcrews contributed materially tokeeping the weapons firing. Thebest crews also had made severalingenious modifications in theloading of ammuni tion, in thefeed chuting and belt drive, andin disposing of spent cases, all ofwhich led to a material improvement in weapon effectiveness.

Times for sinking barrel, Preliminary Firing Runs:

They also found out that the M 5boresighting telescope, when usedwithout its 40 mm adapter, fitssnugly into the flash hider of theM 60 machinegun and penni sprecise boresighting. All our uni s benefi t fromgunnery refresher training at regular periods, both to maintain ahigh degree of proficiency and toindoctrinate the large number ofreplacement crews they are receiving.A final thought to come ou t ofthis period of training and demonstration is that the advent ofthe new weapons systems for theUH-IB will indeed be a blessingto gunship crews. The HueyCobra(AH-IG), when it comes, and i tives up to its promises, shouldbe revolutionary. We await thesedevelopments eagerly.The idea of having a competitive armed helicopter gunnerymeet along these lines in CONUSseems to have much merit. Resultant training value and competitive spirit derived would far outweigh its cost. The need for anuncomplicated, definitive scoringsystem in that meet seems to be amust. A particular value of sucha meet would be proving or disproving the many personal notions which crews build up as to

better ways to do it," which maybe different from the approvedsystems. Innovation is desirablebut must prove itself in practice.

1ST RUN 2ND RUN .3RD RUN 4TH RUN AVERAGE6' 24.6 6' 2.6 6' 9.3 2' 44.1 5' 20.1IS' 4' 42.9 4' 1.3 6' 11.3 7' 28.9

10' 28.4 6' 3.6 7' 5.3 8' 5.6 7' 55.713' 10.9 11' 20.3 12' 6.9 6' 33.4 10' 47.9IS' 12' 49.4 I I 14.0 4' 29.5 10' 52.7IS' 7' 19 .9 I I 9.9IS' 15' 10' 19.6 7' 9.6 I I 52.3]5' IS ' 15' 12' 38.4 14' 24 .6

Times for sinking barrel, Final Firing Runs:1ST RUN 2ND RUN AVER AGELACE

1st2nd3rdl l8 th BAN DITS

68th MUSTANGSll6th STINGERS4 ' 1.83' 27.05' 19 .2

3' 17.64' 11.76' 40.3

3' 39.73' 48 .85' 58.8

MAY 1967 5


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ADVERT/S/HeTile / ey ff sellingYfJlIl sdfefy plfJgrdll1

T PAYS TO advertise isan old adage. Considering all

the money spent by modern mer-chants in publicizing their prod-ucts, there must be something tothis saying.

Ad vertising can do wonders forthose who have something to sell.t causes new car and new homefever, peddles soft drinks and softsoa p, and even makes a consumer

want something he never knewexisted before. In short, it createsa desire for a product and keepsthe desire going.

Given a chance, advertising cando even better than just sell mer-chandise. It can and does makepeople contribute hard earnedcash to chari ty, be careful abou tforest fires, attend church, votefor a particular candidate, bethrifty, and join the Army.

And advertising can put overyour safety campaign.Advertising is an intangibleforce hard to define. Most diction-aries say it's a method of telling

people about or praise, as throughnewspapers, radio, etc.This suggests that advertisinggoes further than just a paid

handbill or announcement andcomprises all publicity, regardless

of the form t may take. Includedare news and feature stories innewspapers and on radio and TVand safety contests and suggestionprograms.To understand why advertisingwill help your safety program it'snecessary to go all the way backto the driving forces that makehumans tick. We are all influ-enced by motives, desires, needs,and wants. Therefore we are al-ways seeking food and drink, restand comfort, protection and safe-ty, prestige and admiration, etc.Professional advertisers know thatall they have to do is key a cam-paign to one of these and we goafter their product like a hounddog after a jack rabbit.

Almost an y of man's needs canbe used to motivate aviation per-sonnel but the best is protectionand safety. To sell safety to yourunit, grab hold of this one andhammer away. Through it youcan make safety wanted.

The media or vehicle to be usedin a local safety program aremany and varied, even in the lim-iled area of an Army installation.There are bulletin boards, postnewspapers, stickers, outdoor ad-vertising, lectures, signs, cartoons,

contests, slogans, and many otherways of carrying the message tothe troops. To create a continu-ous exposure, use many 01 theseat the same time.

N ews ers Editors of postnewspapers will help you in pl an-ning the part of the campaign tobe run in their papers. Sincemoney is seldom available foryour use, you must use free pub-licity such as news and featurestories. The editor will write thestories if you do not feel quali-fied. But he will need help. Youmust still find the ideas and fur-nish the material.Sources for ideas are unlimited.Take, for instance, the locality.Ordinarily airstrips are all thesame, or at least the untrainedsafety propagandist thinks so. Butin your area is there a dangeroushill or high ridge? You can telleveryone to look out for it and

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some of them will listen to you.But make it interesting and youraudience will be larger and remember longer. Write a featurestory about the hill. Tell themthat although it is called a hill itis actually as high as so-and-somountain, that it's covered withfog so many days a year, thatump-t-ump number of aircrafthave hit the hill, and any other

interesting fact you dig up.Prominent and interesting aviators visiting the field make goodcopy, and it will help if you can

get them to talk about somehairy experiepce. f they have

had no accidents write a storyabout their many hours of flyingwi thou t an acciden .Any new type aircraft visitingthe area will make interestingcopy that will be widely read.Bring in such safety points asspeed and backwash.

Many other subjects are useableas newspaper feature articles.Don't forget safety at home, safetywhile driving, and safety whileparticipating i 1 sports.

Radio and TV Some posts havetheir own radio and TV stationsor arrangements with commercialstations. Ideas for radio safetyprograms and spot reports areabout the sa'me as for newspapers.

However, ear appeal is importantand stories for these media mustbe written differently from thenewspaper story. Short, simple,easily pronounced wcrds are best.

Outdoor Outdoor advertisingaffords you the first and lastchance to advertise safety to aviators. It's first because billboardscan be placed at the entrance tothe field. It's the last because theycan be placed in such a way thatthe aviator sees them as he leavesto board his aircraft.To be effective, billboards mustbe brief - some authorities sayseven words or less and no morethan one simple illustration. Andmake only one point. One safetyofficer had a very effective se-,ries of one word ads such asPREFLIGHT, GLOVES, andCHECKLIST on his last chancebillboard.A truly last chance billboardcan be found at an airstrip in Korea. At the end of the runway aretwo hills. Several aircraft didn'tget off the ground in time and hitthese hills. A billboard has beenplaced at the end of the .runwayjust outside the fence. It saysThat's All Brother.Transportation f there is a

bus or regularly assigned automobile that goes from the main post

to the airfield, or perhaps regularly assigned transportation fromoperations to the aircraft, youhave the opportunity to advertise safety through transportation advertising.

Transportation advertising canbe either indoor or outdoor. Indoor is placed inside the automobile, bus, or truck. Outdoor ishung on the side or the back ofthe vehicle.

These two types of advertisinghave advantages you can use. Forinstance, your indoor ad willcatch the aviator while he is in arelatively relaxed and impressionable mood. Outdoor transportation advertising is able toreach ou t to those not in t4e ve-hicle. Both afford you repetitIOnand give you another chance atthe a via tor.

Outdoor transportatiop advertising should be treated like regular outdoor advertising. Since itis moving about, it will usuallybe seen only for a split second.Therefore the message must beshort and the layout simple.

Indoor transportation advertisements can say more, with messages running up to 36 words.The layout must be simple or itconflicts wi th the mood of thereader.

Overcrowded bulletin boards (left) fail to m ke your point. A single display right> is much more effective-- ' 11

MAY 1967

DHL TE SHOREUTERINe THISRE

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ADVEI TISINO

Telephone Directories Posttelephone directories don't uSllally run paid advertising. A safetyad run in this media will have nocompetition and will thereforehave great appeal. The frontcover is the prime spot bu t a fullpage somewhere inside is almostas good. Another good idea is touse little box ads scatteredthroughout the directory. Theseare best if placed at strategicspots, such as by the telephonenumber of operations, post taxi,and the airfield.

While we are talking abouttelephones, don't forget the telephone dial or the cradle underthe telephone receiver. These aregood places for a one o r two wordsafety message.

ulletin Boards Bulletin boardsare old standbys for safety officersand are very effective when prop-erly used. Unfortunately they areoften neglected and their effectiveness ruined.

Have at least two bulletinboards - one wheue aviators concentrate and the other wheremaintenance people can see it.What safety information you postis limited only by your ingenuityand initiative.8

Don't let the material on yourboard become stale. Nothingshould be left for more than afew days. When the impact hasbeen made, take it down and replace it with something else.

And for goodness' sake don'tlet your boards become overcrowded Nothing drives peopleaway faster than a board full ofpapers, crying for their atten-tion (and none of them gettingit).A refreshing treatment is to usethe board as a single display,treating the whole thing as oneposter. Another innovation is toconvert your bulletin board intoa display window with glass infront ard a stage in back. Backlighting makes it very effective.Your imagination can really runwild here.

Many techniques are involvedin decorating bulletin boards andwindow displays, and many bookshave been written on the subject.Your local library can furnish youwith these. f you have no moneyor no professional draftsman tohelp you, don't feel that you can'tdo this sort of thing. In this daywhen everything must be professional looking, a rough unprofessional but interesting display hasgood drawing appeal. Use cutoptsfrom magazines for your illustrations. Letter your headlines byhand and don't worry if they arenot perfect - just as long as theyare neat and have a good message.

Posters One of the best meth-ods of getting short safety messages across is through safety posters. They can be placed in keyspots, such as on a door leadingto the field, on the wall by theoperations counter, and otherconvenient places. Or they can beused on your bulletin boards.Posters allow you to make a definite point at a definite time andin a definite place. At the entrance to the snack bar you canadvise the eating of a balanced

meal before a flight. At the entrance to the tool room you canadvise the mechanics to use atorque wrench.

f you can't find the right poster to drive home a point, conHruct your own. And again keepyour pos ters fresh. Remove themregularly. Save them for later on;don't throw them away.

Many other ways abound to advertise safety around your airstrip.Stencil on toolboxes the adviceCount your tools." On clocks

place the advice It's time to practice safety." On the bottom ofthose glass paperweights remindthe aviator to Watch yourweight."

One or two words of caution:You can overuse the word "safety" until it becomes obnoxious.Sell your product by occasionallyreferring to it as education,"professionalism," or pilot knowhow.

Also don't overuse the numberof media in anyone campaign.Advertising men know that it ispossible to advertise a product somuch that the effectiveness is lost.Use only enough of each of yourvehicles to cover areas not coveredby some otheu vehicle. Save therest for use later on.

Sometimes it's a good idea totie them all together. For instance, in summer one whole campaign can be on thunderstorms.In winter another campaign canbe about the dangers of coldweather flying.

Remember everyone is inter-ested in their own safety. Youshould not have to sell them onthis. But you do have to sell themon the idea of operating in a safemanner for their own safety. Remind them of the many littlethings that make for a safe operation. Keep your advertising current, interesting, and in goodtaste and much of your safety battle will be won.

U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


11/68

How many TIME International readers in business have adirect hand in company purchases?

6 out of 10.Mosl of TIME s reade rs In bUSiness are at the execu,II nfluence and bUYing power vastly out of proportiont.ye and management levels - men who determine TlJv E to their numbers. To them. TIME Magazine s weeklypolicy and pu rchases . Almost twothlrds of them are evaluations o f world busines s and of world affairsei th er directly responsible lor. or re consulted on, II are a necessity. To you , TIME IS equally necessary 10company bUYing decisions. As bU Si ne ssmen and as ny selective marketmg plan-In ny world mark et.fam ily men, these TIME Int ernational readers exert Talk to the fight people n the fight place n TIME

Reprinted by permission from TIME copyrig ht Time Inc. 1966.

FOR SAFETY S KEHORSES

DON T LW YS H VE TO BE npRE-RODE;BUT

YOU MUST PRE-FLIGHT AHELICOPTER

Cutouts from magazines can be turned into excellent safety posters. For example, a magazine ad (upper left) is converted intoa preflight safety poster (upper right). Below, an illustration from a magazine makes a safety point oLit of the annual physical.Reprinted by permission from Business and Commercial Aviation.

hvsiologV TH MOM NT OF TRUTH

MAY 1967 9


12/68

When Is t Formation

ISUALIZE, if you will, aflight of UH-I aircraft departing Lawson AAF with I-minute separations between aircraft.The flight leader listed all five aircraft on his flight plan, and theyare departing according to his instructions. The aircraft are tomaintain 90 knots airspeed.

Twenty minutes later, the flightleader breaks the radio silencewith instructions to the aircraftcommanders to increase airspeedt6 100 knots and slowly close onhim, forming a V formation.

At what point during this flightwill this group of aircraft becomeengaged in formation flight andthus subject to the restrictionsand prior requirements that areimposed by regulations controlling formation flight?

Army Regulation 95-2 definesformation flight as: Two or moreaircraft fiying in proximity toeach other under the direction ofa designated flight leader. Fromthis definition it is apparent thatwe must have a flight leader, atleast one follower, and that theyfly in proximity t each other.

But what is proximity? Webster, the Ann Landers of thespoken word, defines it as thestate or quality of being near;nearness in space, time, etc. This)0

Maior Charles C Frank

only makes matters worse thanever, for what is near when yourefer to space and time? Websteragain offers us inspiration by defining near as: closely, intimately; and, close in distance or time;not far.

We all concede that two UH-Iaircraft separated by two rotordiameters are near. But whatabou t the I Y mile separationsbetween the aircraft departingLawson AAF?

The key to this puzzle must l?esomewhere other than in the definition of space and time. Specifically the criteria for formationflight must depend on the .relationship between the leader andthe followers. We must temperour thinking between the AirCorps B-17s depicted in 12O'Clock High and the typicalUH-I mission that might startout, as in the example above,where the formation flight commenced with the pull of thepitch.

To establish a common basisfor thinking in the 10th AviationGroup, we have applied our owndefinition, which is:

One or more aircraft whichmaintain a station on the leadaircraft under the direction of adesignated flight leader, regard-

less of the physical separation between aircraft, are engaged information flight.

Webster supports us in the se-lection of station, which he defines as The place where an[aircraft] is located, especially anassigned . . . position or location f the firs t aircraft leadsthe second from takeoff to des tination, and controls the actionsof both, even though the stationis simply behind, in front of, orabove or below, this flight of twois maintaining a formation.You may be wondering why somuch effort is being expended inpinning down a formation. Theobvious answer might be to maintain legality and avoid violationswhich stem from misinterpretations. A good soldier will do whatis right if he knows what is expected of him. But a more important reason is to emphasizethat designated flight leaders mustbe fully cognizant of the responsibilities that are being placed ontheir shoulde.rs.Single sortie flight preparationsare basically an exercise of a mental checklist for the aviator. Inhis mind he checks off maps, flash-MAl Frank s Aviation Safety

f f i c e r ~ 1 th Aviation G r o u p ~ Fte n n i n g ~ Ga



13/68

anyform tions begin with the pulling of the pitchlight, route, helmet, weather, -13scan to ensure radios he will needare operational, and so on. Thisflight preparation may be accomplished without utterance of asingle word.

When four more aircraft areadded to this aviator s flight plan,with him in charge, he must scanAR 95-2, and in the case of ThirdArmy personnel, TUSA Reg 95-4.The requirements for formationflight are extracted below:

AR 95-2: Before takeoff thevviator in command will-1) Insure that each pilot isqualified and proficient in formation flight techniques.2) Brief each pilot on theweather, flight plan, and otherpertinent information (includingflight altitude).3) Insure that each pilot is inpossession of necessary maps andcharts.(4) Assure that each pilot holdsMAY 1967

the required instrument pilot certificate if any portion of the flightis to be conducted under IFR.5) Certify in the remarkssection of DD Form 175 or FAA

Form AGA-398 that the aboveitems have been accomplished.Third US Army Regulation95-4, to the above list of require

men s, adds:1) Positive voice communication exists between all aircraftof the mission.2) Each aviator understandsand is proficient in the proceduresfor changing or breaking formation.3) The troops to be transported are informed on emergency procedures in event of accident(include smoking, belts, seating,placement of loose items).After reading the requirementsof AR 95-2 it becomes evidentthat they are basically the sameitems the aviator on the single

sortie mentally considers, withthe exception of the notation onthe remarks section of the flightplan. The significant factor is thatthe flight leader must assemblethe other aviators and exercisethe checklist orally. In addition,he must be satisfied that his aviators are trained in formation flying and that all have a commonunderstanding on changing positions or breaking formation, especially if the leader or insidemen lose radio communications.A straight-forward flight of aircraft that begins as the Lawsondepartees did, with every intentto maintain wide separations,often tightens up due to missionchanges, weather, darkness, orsimply the tendency to bunch updue to poor flight discipline.Thorough preparations initially,which would be required for allmulti-aircraft flights, by our definitions, will insure preparednessfor the unexpected, which onlytoo often must be e x p e c t e d ~

11


14/68

THUNDERSTO MSo Something bout hem

T HE BEST THING to doabou t thunderstorms is - stayout of them This is obvious, butnot always possible. So the nextbest thing an aviator can do is tostudy all that's available concerning thunderstorm cause and behavior.

Cloud formation requires theseatmospheric conditions: unstableair, a lifting action, and highmoisture content. Other cloudformations require this three-waysituation, but the thundercloudneeds t in a greater degree.

It is not always possible to recognize a thunderstorm. From adistance it may look like a tall

cumulus cloud, or a mass of surrounding clouds may disguise it.When one can see a thunderstormclearly, however, it does have certain characteristics to help identify it.

s the thundercloud builds itself upward, it forms puffy, rolledlooking sides. When t extendsupward to great heights it isknown as towering cumulus.Through growth and change, itstop spreads out in an anvil shape.Below it, this anvil seems to be asolid, horizontal cloud stretchingout in front of the storm. Direction of the storm movement isshown by the direction of this

ere is the enemy busy growing to killer size

horizontal anvil, since these highclouds are pushed out by the upper winds.

An ominous clue to wa tch foris the squall cloud," or rollcloud," which extends downwardfrom the main base of the thun-derstorm. This turbulent cloud isalong the front and at the bottom of a violent thunderstorm. tmeans there is plenty roughweather within the storm whenever this cloud appears.

Agitation between a strongdowndraft coming out of thestorm and a swiftly rising air current at the leading edge of thestorm causes the roll cloud. Belowthe storm cloud, winds are gustyand strong. They are usuallyblowing up and into the stormfrom the front and down and outof the storm behind the rollcloud. These winds precede heavyrain.

Getting too close to the rollcloud may result in the aircraft'shurtling into the storm itself. It'spossible not to see it in time, asthe tricky roll cloud may be hiding behind other clouds surround-ing the storm.

In considering thunderstormsgenerally, it would be a hazardous choice to try flying under one,particularly in mountainous country. Under the roll cloud suchsudden changes in wind direction,strength, speed - or abrupt gusting - can easily result in a pilot'S

U.S. ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


15/68

Thunderstorms mean business and so should you Respect and study their dispositionsloss of control. Obviously, a land-ing or takeoff under such conditions would be quite dangerous.f possible, such a takeoff should

be postponed, and a landing madeat some airport other than the one

ith such conditions.Most thunderstorms occur overontinents during summer months

and daylight hours. This is fortunate, since pilots can see andavoid flying 'into the towering

clouds associated withthem.Radar, of course, can give a pi

lot the picture ahead when hehecks weather. However, itbe remembered that even

the clear air outside the cloudscontain severe turbulence -

nd radar can't detect that.Wide thundercloud fonnations

be avoided by a distanceMAY 1967

of 2 miles, if possible, and smallones, which usually produce littleturbulence outside the clouds, by5 miles.Clouds can grow quite rapidly,often going as high as 60,000 feet.Since it would not be feasible totop them, the aviator will haveto fly around them.

It is important for an aviator toreport any air turbulence, keeping in mind that even if you havea report of light turbulenceahead, the situation could havechanged quickly since the previous pilot reported it.

How does a thunderstorm getall that turbulence, anyway? Well,a thunderstorm is made up of oneor more units of convective circulation called cells, which areconstantly changing. These cellsmay dissipate or develop as units,

distinct from adjacent cells. Theydevelop through three stages.These are the growing stage, withall the air rising - and this risingair can reach the velocity of 60knots - the mature stage, inwhich the currents both rise anddescend, and the anvil stage, men-tioned before. This last stage hasweak downdrafts through the cell.

Depending upon their stage ofdevelopment, thunderstorms cells,in their horizontal, oblong formation, can extend from 1 to 5 milesin diameter and as high as 67,000feet.As the thunderstorm continues,new cells build as the old onesdie out, and each cell's life isindependent. This life is fairlyshort, usually less than one hour.The time of greatest turbulencein a particular cell is at the end

13


16/68

hunderstormsdem nd respectof the growing stage and the beginning of the peak or maturestage. Cell turbulence is usuallyleast below 10,000 feet, and heaviest between 14,000 and 20,000feet.

Maintaining a given flight attitude during heavy turbulencemust be attempted with greatcaution. A diving attitude increases wing stress. The possibility of stalling is increased by aclimbing attitude. It is preferableto use recommended power settings in turbulent flight and maintain attitude by the attitude gyrorather than correct for immediatechanges in altitude.

When thunderstorms are associated with a cold front, thestorms may be organized in longbands and progress ahead of thefront. These are called squall linethunderstorms. They may extendhorizontally for a hundred ormore miles, and vertically toheights of 60,000 feet or more.

But sometimes a thunderstorm

does not follow that pattern. Theupdraft and cloud formation willtilt with the wind. Clear airunder a tilted thundercloud, orbetween thunderclouds slantingtoward each other, must be avoided. Hail or turbulence may befound in these areas.

With thunderstorms comeslightning. While it may be moredisconcerting than dangerous, itis a factor with which to reckon.The metallic structure of aircraftacts as an electrostatic screen, anddeflects the curren ts around theplane s occupants, which is somecomfort. However, a strike can result in burning small holes in thesurface skin or rudders, elevatorsand wing tips. It can also burn offradio antennas or other protrusions.The danger of sudden, momentary blindness after being exposedto a flash of lightning at nightcan be of serious consequence.Wise pilots turn up the rheostatson the cockpit lights, and fly by

t night bright lightning fl shes c n blind n vi tor

using one eye while keeping theother closed. Others put on darkglasses and avoid looking outwhen flying in thunderstorms.

The phenomenon of static electricity, or St. Elmo s Fire, canadd to the concern of an aviatorflying in a thunderstorm area.When St. Elmo s Fire appears,and static builds up rapidly in theradio, there is a much greateJ.chance of the plane s being struckby lightning. The temperaturerange usually associa ted wi th thiscondition is somewhere between-25 0 C and +2 0 C.

t is important to understandthe effect of static electricity onradio equipment. Though it haslittle or no effect upon VHF andUHF, such navigational aids asnondirectional beacons (NDB)must be used with extreme caution due to the fluctuating or erroneous indications that occur.

Icing and hail are two morehazards that can be associatedwi th thunderstorm's Icing can bevery dangerous. Even if the aircraft has deicing or anti-icingequipment, the pilot must get outof the area as soon as possible.

As to hail, as yet no reliablemethod has evolved for ,recognizing or forecasting a storm thatwill produce hail. t is probablybest to assume that hail will bein the thunderstorm at someplace, at some time. Although hailencounters are usually of shortduration, damage to the aircraftcan be severe.

t pays to be prepared for everything - turbulence, rain, hail,snow, icing and lightning - whenin a thunderstorm. As was observed earlier, the main thing isnot to enter it. But if you findyourself in the middle of a toughspot, maintain your original heading - and don t make any turns.

The way straight ahead is usually the quickest way out. Andthat s what you ll be interested infinding. ~



17/68

yFriend Future and His hariotCW Valentine Hampton

The author presents his views on what a fighter helicopter should beThe drawings of the fighter helicopter contained in this article weremade from a model designed by the author t s in no way intendedto resemble any aircraft in existence

IT WAS LATE fall of 1963when I got to know Future. Hewas a young, energetic captainwith a determined look in hiseyes.We had met at one of the southwestern airports while on a cross

country RON stop. Since neitherof us had ever been in that citybefore, we decided to sample somesouthwestern hospitality. Soon wefound ourselves in the commonmeeting place of all aviators.The subject of discussion, without exception at first, was tentered on the opposite sex. However, as the tension relieving li-

quid began tb take effect, itchanged to flying and flying machines.It was then that I first heardabout the FH-l (fighter helicopter). The whole thing soundedfantastic as Future described thisnew breed of heiicopter. He evenpromised to show it to me thenext morning.

Unfortunately the next thingI recall was the feel of a wet towelover my face as my faithfui copilot and crewchief desperateiyattempted to awaken me aboutnoon the following day.After expressing my dissatisfac-

I s w a clearing th t looked ideal for a dead stick landing

tion for such uncivilized treatment I inquired about Futurebut neither knew anything ofhim. Future was gone just as unexpectedly as he had come. However, I could not forget the storyhe told me about the FH-l. Since,I have traveled wide and far insearch of the FH-l but alwayswith negative results until one dayin Vietnam.

t was a hot humid early summer day over the jungle when Iwas jolted by an unexpected sputter of my Bird Dog s engine. Thiswas followed by a total absenceof that familiar humin. Afterquickly checking the fuel, ignition and boost pump I attemptedto restart the engine. The only response was an occasional backfire.

After turning off the fuel andall but emergency radio switches,I checked my parachute harness.Then I saw a clearing in the jungle which looked ideal for a deadstick landing.As I neared the clearing onfinal, I saw tents, vehicles, and

what at first appeared to be ordinary helicopters on both sides ofthe clearing along the edge of thejungle.

After my Bird Dog slowedCW Hampton s now serving nVietnam

5


18/68

My riend uture and His hariotdown on ground roll, I turnedfrom the clearing and let the aircraft roll to a stop under cover ofgiant trees, alongside one of thehelicopters.I noticed that these helicopterswere strange. I had never seensuch helicopters. Yet, all had U.S.ARl\1Y markings.I sat there, wondering aboutthe whole thing, when I was interrupted by a young sergeant,Welcome to the 25th Aerial Artillery, sir. Our operation is onlya few yards from here. I supposeyou would want to get in touch

with your unit.Yes, yes thanks. I better dothat, I replied as I was getting

ou t of the Bird Dog wi thou t letting my sight wander rom thestrange helicopters.

What are they? I asked my escort.They are 'Chariots' , sir, replied the sergeant as he looked atme with surprise.

Chariots, Chariots, I keptmumbling to myself as we approached the tent.The se.rgean t pulled the mosquito screen aside and let me passhim into the tent. I ducked myhead as I went in. As I straightened, I saw my friend Futurestanding in front of me with abroad smile on his face.

He hadn't changed in appearance since I saw him last, exceptthat he was a major now. What'st he idea, sneaking in like thiswithout a flight plan or power?he said jokingly.By this time I accepted thewhole thing as reality and threwwhat I felt at the time was a hu-

morous reply. Just thought I'dcome up to see the FH-I whichyou promised to show me threeyears ago.Future squinted his eyes andsaid with a smile, As 1 recall, I

told you that FH-l stands forfighter helicopter. But we decidedto name our helicopter 'Chariot.'We feel it sounds better and ismore appropriate. Now, i f you'reready, I will give you a grandtour of the Chariot.

No sooner had he said this thanI was already ou t the door.As Future led me to the nearestChariot, he proceeded to describeit. This is the Chariot, twin turbine, single seater, 18,000 poundsof gross ter,ror. t is highly maneuverable at all speeds up to 170knots, and handles like the bestof sports cars.It was an impressive sight.There was a narrow cockpit witha single piece canopy which hadno obstruction to vision. Thiscockpit sat on a dual wheel noselanding gear. In front of the noselanding gear was a spherical machinegun turret. I noticed thatthe machinegun had five barrels_ . a minigun type. I said, Wheredo you have room for ammunition for a weapon with stich ahigh rate of fire?

No problem, answered Future. This machinegun is designed to use only projectiles anda solid form of propellant, whichof course eliminates the weightand bulkiness of cartridges andammuni tion belt links. This allows us to carry 20,000 rounds ofprojectiles and propellant whichcomes prepacked in disposable

coI1tainers specifically designed forthe Chariot. Each container holds2,000 rounds of p r o j e t i l e ~ andpropellant. There is a compartment holding five containers oneach side of the aft section of thecockpit. From here the projectilesand propellant are fed by gravityto the receiving chambers of themachinegun. The machinegun iselectrically driven and can be setto fire at any rate from one to5,000 rounds per minute.

Do you have any problemswith misfire? I asked.So far none has come to mya ttention. You see this machinegun is designed so that very littlecan go wrong with it. The receiving chambers and barrels aremounted on a rotating drum. Asthe drum rotates, it brings the Ieceiving chamber of each barrelunder a chute which delivers aprojectile and propellant to theirrespective chambers, which areconnected by a narrow gas port.As the drum rotates to the threeo'clock position, the propellant isigni ted by a high tension electrical spark, and the projectile isfired. In the event of misfire, theprojectile and propellant continue to rotate to the 6 o'clockposition where they simply fallou t of the receiving chamber. Inevent of a jam that chamber simply refuses to accept a new projectile and the machinegun continues to fire only four barrels.Fantastic, I remarked.

Well, this is not really a newidea. However, when it was firstconceived, there was no methodof producing anything like this.So the whole thing was labeled asimpossible and forgotten until ayoung gunsmith defied the experts' opinion. Now it works likea clock. The pilot can controlthis gun 60 vertically and 120laterally, which is more than adequate for the Chariot's speed.

Here, aft of the cockpit, suspended under the fuselage we



19/68

have two rocket pods. Each ofthese pods is made up of two sec-tions which are hinged at the top,clamshell type. Within each sec-tion is a continuous belt transporter upon which are mountedthe rocket tubes. Each belt transporter will accommodate twentyfive 4.5 rocket tubes or twenty5 rocket tubes. This means thatthe pilot has at his disposal eitherone hundred 4.5 rockets or eighty5 rockets, or he can carry onepod of each.The pilot can select whateverpod he wishes. Whenever the sys-tem is armed, the selected podswings open at the bottom, placing two firing tubes of each sec-tion outboard of the helicopterfrontal profile. The pilot can firefrom one to four rockets a atime, seconds intervalbetween firing. As soon as therockets have been fired, the transporter mechanism automatically

r i n g s new rockets in to the firingposition.By the way, these rocketscome in various types-fragmentary, armor piercing, phosphorusand chemical. The pilot can se-lect any of these types for a specific target, or he can fire at random on large concentrations oftroops and equipment. Of coursethese pods are jettisonable. Forrearming, we simply .remove theempty pods and replace them withMAY 1967

loaded pods. Besides these we canalso carry one large pod wi th sixheavier rockets.Don't you think this is a ratherexpensive piece of artillery? Iasked my host.If it were only an aerial artillery piece, it probably would have

been somewhat expensive, replied Future. However in thecase of Chariot, I must say thatthis is the first helicopter in theArmy's history which gives everydollar's worth of performance.The Chariot is used not o ~ y asan ;:terial weapons platfo.rm butalso as a work horse. It carriesexternal loads up to 8,000 pounch;it carries chemical spray t;:tnks,wire laying pods, and just aboutanything other than troops. However, the real savings to the Armycomes through the use of Chariot'ssister ship.Yoq see there across the clearing? and he pointed to a helicopter in the shadows of the jungle across the landing strip. Everymajor component on that helicopter is exactly the same as onthe Chariot. The only differencebetween them is that the sistershi p is specifically designed ; ts atroop carrying helicopter, and itwill carry 28 fully equippedtroops. Do you realize to whatextent this minimizes and simplifies our logistic support? We usethe same major components, sametools, same maintenance personnel, and even in some cases, thesame pilots.

Well, let us get back to themain subject, said Future as heproceeded to describe the Chariot.

The engines are mounted onthe upper deck, which is calledthe power rain deck. Under thepowertrain deck we have fueltanks that give us nearly 3 hoursof endurance. All this, includingthe pilot compartment, is protected by armor, which is probably somewhat different fromwhat you have seen. We call it

'fish scale.' It is made up of individual saucer-shaped pieces ofsteel mounted in such a way thatthey overlap each other just likefish scales. The theory is that aprojectile fired from any anglewill ricochet at an 80 to 1 ratiorather than penetrate this type ofarmor. t is also much lighter thansolid armor plates.By this time we were on theother side of Chariot. This tricycle landing gear is Ifetractable,continued Future. The maingear folds under the fuselage andto the rear of the aft pod, whilethe nose landing gear is retractedinto a well under the cockpit.How about the wings? Iasked Fu ture as we came to shortstubby wings, which were no morethan 8 feet in length.Oh yes, replied Future.

These wings are not rigi9lymounted. They are connectedthrough push-pull rods to thelongitudinal cyclic controls. Inforward flight at speeds upwardof 7 knots they unload the rotorsystem up to 20 percent, whichallows us to attain speeds up to170 knots without getting into aretreating blade stall. At forwardspeeds over 7 knots, the angle ofattack on the left wing is increasedby movement of the cyclic stick.This produces more lift on theleft side, allowing us to reducethe angle of attack on retreating

17


20/68

yFriend Future and His hariot disarm the guns in half theamount of time lapsed to ensurethat the pilot does not inadvertent y return to his home fieldwi th armed systems. So, if after20 minutes from takeoff the pilotarms his weapons, he would knowthat they would be automaticallydisarmed 10 minutes later. f heneeds more than 10 minutes, hecan rearm the weapons in asplit second.

blade. t is quite simple.Well, let me show you thecockpit, Future said as he opened

the canopy by pulling it forwardon the tracks.

I climbed into the cockpitwhich was very comfortable andto my surprise not excessivelycramped with unnecessary equipment. Everything was within easyreach. Immediately to the left ofthe pilot sea was the circui tbreaker panel; on top of it on a45 incline was the armamentcontrol panel. On the left side ofthe instrument panel were engineand transmission instruments, andimmediately below them was theengine starting and fuel controlpanel. In the center of the instrument panel were flight and navigation instruments and belowthem the caution light panel. Allnavigation radio receivers weremounted on the right side of theinstrument panel while communication equipment control panelswere mounted on a 45 inclinedquadrant to the right of pilot seat.

This cockpit is made up ofsix separate, individually replaceable units. When you remove thecanopy, you can unbutton theentire cockpit in three sections.This approach greatly simplifiesmaintenance and reduces downtime due to maintenance. Forexample, in event of battle damage to any of these components,the entire unit be replaced.

Many times our Chariots comeback from a mission with damagewhich would keep an ordinaryhelicopter out of commission forweeks or months. With this newapproach toward simplified forward area maintenance, ourChariots can go out on a missionin topnotch condition, repairedby the time they are serviced withfuel and armament. Of course weare not doing this for minor re-18

pairs which can be accomplishedin less time than replacement ofa complete unit.

Now, let me start on the inside. On the left quadrant yousee the machinegun control panel,and to the right of it the rocketsystem control panel. The machinegun control panel is relatively simple. It has only thearming switch and a rate of fireselector knob. When the pilotplaces the machinegun armingswitch into the 'armed' positionhe energizes all circuits in themachinegun system provided thatthe rocket system is not in use.You see, the rocket system overrides the machinegun system, because some of the electrical circuits are used by both. I will explain this as we go on.Anyway, once the system hasbeen placed into the 'armed' position, the pilot uses the thumbswitch on top of the cyclic stickto control the machinegun movement vertically and laterally, andthe trigger on cyclic stick grip toactivate the firing mechanism.

Of course we have a number ofsafety features built into thearmament system. First of all, wehave a latge illuminated sign infront of the pilot on the upperportion of the instrument panel,telling him which one of the twosystems is armed. Then we havean automatic attitude limiterwhich automatically disarms theweapon system whenever the pitchattitude of the helicopter changesmore than 10. Also, 'we have thetime limiter, which works something like this. A timer beginscounting the moment the pilotpulls takeoff power at the start ofa mission. When the pilot activates his weapons, the timer automatically notes the time lapsedsince the start of the mission (say20 minutes). It then sets itself to

How about the aiming of themachinegunt I asked.

Well, this is the only primitivemethod we have on our Chariot,and we are definitely convincedthat it is the best of anything that

~ have tried. The aiming systemfor the machinegun is relativelysimple. F.rom the lateral azimuthtraversing mechanism of the turret, we have mechanical linkageto a vertical shaft, which extendsthrough the cockpit floor, behindand above the instrument panel.On top bf this shaft, right overthe dashboard, or the instrumentpanel visor as you would call it,we have a simple arrow which always points in the same direction the machinegun is pointing.As you can see, from where thepilot is sitting, regardless as todirection into which this arrowis pointing, it is always alignedso that without moving his headthe pilot can see along the lineformed by the arrow.

We do not have an aiming device for elevation. However, wehave a tracer projectile spacedevery eleventh round. This givesus a tracer for each barrd every55 rounds, and this we found tobe quite effective in bringing thefire on target. For rocket sys-tem, however, one needs a goodsight. Now, here we have therocket system control panel, whichincludes a two position armingswitch, marked 'armed fore' and'armed aft: The function of thisswi tch is to select either of thetwo pods and to activate all eIec-



21/68

trical circuits of the selected sys-tem.Next is this five position knob-type switch which is marked

'armr,' 'frag,' 'phsp,' 'chern,' and'all.' This switch is to select thetype of rockets the pilot desires touse on a particular target. Whenone should run in on a heavyconcentration of troops and equip-ment, then he simply places thisswitch into 'all' position and spitsfour rockets every four seconds.Here we have another four posi-tion knob switch marked fromone to four. This swi tch is toselect the number of rockets thatthe pilot wants to fire in salvos.Of course, whenever the type se-lector switch is in 'all' position,the sys tern will fire four rocketsregardless of the position of thisswitch.

And now we are at the heartof the whole system, Future saidas he reached up and pulled downa small box which was about 8high, 5 wide and about 5 indepth, with a 4 by 4 inch plate ofglass through which one couldsee everything in front of the heli-copter. The glass was bisected ver-tically and horizontally by hair-lines that formed a cross right inthe center. This box was sus-pended on two curved rodswhich conformed to the curvatureof canopy and were attached inback of the cockpit over the pilot'Shead.

This is the rocket sight. Thewhole system is relatively simple.It consists of a radar unit (whichis located in the forward sectionof the cockpi t and is similar tothat used in radar altimeters) ra-dar locking gyros, an attitude ref-erence gyro, programming com-puter, and finally, this displaybox or sight. When you place theselector swi tch on the con trolpanel into either 'fore' or 'aft'position, you activate all electri-cal circuits of that system, includ-ing the sight system. In otherMAY 1967

words, you placed everything onstandby. Then as you pull downthis sight, you have overriden themachinegun system. The thumbswitch now controls the ,radar discpositioning mechanism rather thanmachinegun traversing and eleva-tion, and the trigger is used forfiring rockets rather than the ma-chinegun. At the same time youhave extended the selected pod.Actually you could fire rocketsright now. f you had to place abarrage fire on a good size area,you probably would do so by look-ing through the glass plate androughly aligning the right centeron the center of target area. How-ever, i f you were tackling a smalltarget such as a gun emplacement,a vehicle or a pillbox, and if youwanted to score a hit on the firstgo, then you would do as follows.As you pull down this box,you have also activated the radarantenna. You look through thissight and align the cross formedby the hairlines with the targetby maneuvering the helicopter.Then you would see a red ligh teddot somewhere in the glass; thisrepresents the radar disc antenna.As you keep the hairline cross onthe target, you bring the radardisc also right over the cross bymanipulating the thumh switch.Once you have it there, you pressthe red button which is to theright of the thumb switch. In do-ing so you have locked the radaron target, and at the same time ablue dot circle appears somewhere

in the glass plate. This is yoursight. Now all you have to do isto align this sight with the targetand the crossed hairline in thesight, and fire away.Now let me go over this indifferent terms. When you havealigned and locked the radar ontarget, you have locked it in spaceby locking gyros. From that mo-men t the radar is pointed on tar-get and feeds into a computer thedistance from the target and therate of closure. The attitude ref-erence gyro also feeds into thecomputer the relative angle atwhich the helicopter is at alltimes in relation to the base linefrom the target. The computercombines data received from theradar and reference gyro and pro-vides a continuously changing tri-angulation which is represented inthe sight as a blue lighted dot.

This is amazing, I said. Ofall the complicated things now-adays, it is beyond my compre-hension as to how anyone couldcome up with such a simple andyet such an outstanding combina-tion of systems and put them intoone thing called Chariot.

All it takes is someone namedFuture, ,replied my friend as hesmiled.Doggone you u y s ~ When will

you get civilized and start usingsome means other than wet towelsto awaken me?By the way, was Major Futuretrying to get in touch with me?9


22/68

Ghost Weber contemplates his future in the Far ast

louds ver Soon Lon ValleyCaptain Robert S Fairweather, Jr.

The CO chose Ghost for the mission because he hada lot of confidence in his ability .especially in the soup.HE SETTING SUN lent itslast glory to the fiery orange

cumulus puffs on the horizon asthe shadows of dark finally captured Soon Lon Valley. The busysounds of daytime had long become hushed and the only soundsnow heard were the subtle noisesof people preparing for sleep,punctuated occasionally by thebarking of dogs or the swearingof men tripped by misplacedequipment.

Ghost Weber hardly noticed thepassing day as he sat on the pileof empty ammo boxes, lazilypuffing away on a pipe that hadseen better times. His thoughtswere in another world, a worldinhabited by dream people whowere once very real to him, but

who now existed only in lettersand photographs.

Ghost was not his real name. twas just a name he had gainedfrom a previous escapade. Threedays after being assumed dead inan air crash, he had walked intothe camp, bedraggled, but alive.Actually, the U. S Army knewhim as George P. Weber, CW3,Army Aviator. A tall, sparse manof 39 years, he walked with thespring of a young athlete, but hisaged showed in the hard set ofhis bronze tanned face.

The approaching GI shookGhost out of his reverie.Sir, the Old Man wants to seeyou in the tent, squeaked theyoung PFC.

As he slowly rose to his feet

and returned the salute Ghostthought, Was I that young once?The CO's tent still held thewarmth of day because it wasclosed to prevent the escape ofany light. Although the area wassecure, there was always the possibility of a sharp sniper finding atarget.

Relaxing at the field desk wasl\1ajor Arlen, the Old Man. Asharp professional officer, helooked younger than his 36 years.Only the blue-black pouches under his eyes belied the strain ofcommand. In the other chair satCaptain Burns, the operationsofficer.

Ghost, said Major Arlen,PT Fairweather lS now servingin Vietnam

20 U. S ARMY AVIATION DIGEST


23/68

after returning the salute, I havea job for you and Mr. Carter, whowill be here in a few minu tes. Weare expecting IFR conditions tomorrow but have to resupply aspecial forces detachmen t andpick up a litter patient. We woulddo it tonight except that the detachment requested that we givethem 6 to 8 hours to secure alanding site. Captain Burns willfill you in on the details." Sayingthat, the CO got up and departedthe tent.Go ahead and light up, saidCaptain Burns. Carter should behere in a minu eo The reason theCO chose you for this mission isthat he has a lot of confidence inyour ability, especially in thesoup. You might think that Carter, being fresh out of flightschool, is an odd choice for acopilot. However, he is a goodpilot and did well in his tacticalinstrument training at Rucker. 1figured that he might be morehelp than some of these strictlyVFR oldtimers around here."Warran t Officer Carter camethrough the tent flap as i on cue.He looked every bit of nineteen,but exuded a confidence typicalto a person who had proved thathe could hold up under fire.

Carter didn't get a chance tosalute or report because CaptainBurns was already beckoning himto take a seat. Not one to wastewords, he got right to the point.

Gentlemen, the detachment islocated here at coordinates 405361.As you will notice, it is quite nearthe border and, for security reasons, I can't tell you the natureof its mission. Your mission willbe to resupply the detachmentwith ammunition and bring backa litter patient. They will be expecting you between 0850 and0915 hours. The big catch, though,is that the forecast for tomorrowmorning is probably IFR. Ceilingwill be 200 to 300 overcast tobroken with 1/2 to 1 mile visibil-MAY 1967

he fuel w rning light blinked onity. Knowing this, we have alreadyhad a tactical nondirectional beacon dropped into the camp. Thefrequency is 341.0 and the identifier is 'XUC.' Here are the applicable SOls. Any questions, gentlemen?"

Neither Ghost nor Carter spoke."Sergeant Packard will have thechopper loaded by 0600. He willbe your crewchief. The aircraftwill be 9163, our best instrumentship. 1 wish 1 could give you moredetails on the tactical situation,but you know as much about itas I do. The mission is importantbut nothing will be said if youhave to abort. Good luck " Sosaying, Captain Burns dug intothe paperwork that somehow becomes a part of combat.

Much flight planning was conducted in the mess tent, partlydue to the tables and light, butmostly due to Sergeant Pendergast's always available coffee andcookies. Ghost and Carter laid outthe tactical map under one of thebare light bulbs and spread pencils, paper and a map plotteralong one side where they wouldbe handy. The special forces campwas located in a valley which was7 miles wide, and the low hillssurrounding it were 1,000 feetMSL at the highest point.By the time they completedtheir flight logs and had thoroughly discussed their plans, i twas 2230 hours, so they departedfor their tents.

Dawn came as a subtle changefrom black to dark gray. The skylightened only gradually andslowly disclosed a moisture ladensolid overcast which hid most ofthe surrounding hills. No rainwas falling, but a light mist hungin the air, covering the land withdampness.Ghost and Carter met in theoperations tent, more by accidentthan plan. Both looked as if they

hadn't slept much during thenight. Captain Burns greetedthem with a cheerfulness whichseemed ou t of place, consideringthe hour.

Why don't you two grab a cupof coffee and I'll give you yourfinal briefing," he said.As the two pilots filled theircups and seated themselves, hesearched the papers on his deskand finally found the one he waslooking for.The detachment commanderradioed in a message late lastnight, Captain Burns stated.His troops finished clearing a

landing area and determined thata magnetic azimuth of 070 wouldbe the best landing direction. Hisbest estimate of the elevation was1,600 feet. He will have one ofhis NCOs monitoring the 501aviation FM frequency and requested that you use Blue Devilas your call sign. He will be RedDevil. He advised that there is asniper somewhere to the north-west of the area, but doesn't expect any other enemy activity.

I have also gotten a forecastfor here and your destination.You can expect a 300-foot ceilingwith a mile of visibility in thevalleys. This should hold until1300, at which time the ceilingshould gradually lift. You can expeet intermittent light rain andmist. The wind will generally befrom 350 0 at 10 knots. SergeantPackard has already loaded andpulled the daily on your aircraft.He said he would meet you at themess ten t f you will give me yourroute and takeoff time, I will filewith FOC for you. Any questions?"

No sir," said Ghost. He supplied Captain Burns with thenecessary de ails, then he and Carter departed for the mess tent.

When the two pilots had finished eating and the table was21


24/68

Ghost confidently sized up the situationcleared, they began their finalplanning on the tactical map.First, they penciled in a 4,000by 2,000 meter rectangle, centeredon XUC beacon and orientedwith the long axis on a landingcourse of 070 0 They then selectedthe highest obstacle within therectangle, which turned out tobe a 1,650-foot knoll. Then theyproceeded with detailed plans forthe tactical ADF approach, landing axis, altitude, etc.It looks fairly simple, saidGhost, pausing to relight his pipe.I will fly the approach and letyou keep me straight on the headings, times, and altitudes. Thatwraps up the planning. Since it'salready 0710 hours, I guess the

three of us had better go out tothe aircraft and get started.PFC J czelowski, the other gunner, met them at the aircraft. His

nickname, naturally, was Skiand he was a good man to haveaboard.

The UH 1 D looked anythingbut sleek. Although only 15months away from the factory,the ship appeared to have servedin World War I and not beenrepainted since. Mechanically, shewas sound, bu the rivulets of22

moisture running down her wrinkled and worn skin gave one theimpression of looking at a sweatstreaked laborer humbled byfatigue.She looks OK, John, saidGhost as he finished inspectingthe strapped down load of ammunition. I f this stuff blows, weare going to be 'parts a-go-go.'''

While the two pilots strappedin, PFC J czelowski and SergeantPackard readied their machineguns for action. Soon, the enginecame to life and the droopingblade began movement as a greataccelerating scythe.

Carter sat in the left seat andtook over the runup duties whileGhost checked the flight instruments and navigational aids. Theyhad already discussed who was toaccomplish which duties duringthe flight, and there was no wastedmotion. Ghost would do the fly-ing and navigation. Carter was tocopy all clearances, tune the radios, compute estimates, crosscheck the navigation, and assistin flying the aircraft. The reportswould be handled by Ghost.Sergeant, are you and Ski allset to go? inquired Ghost.

Yes sir, they responded inunison.Soon Lon Tower, this is 9163,west parking, IFR Red Devil.Over.Roger 9163. Cleared to hoverfor a north departure. The windis 350 at 6 knots, altimeter 2944,time 0825. Call when on the pad.Over.9163 roger.Ghost hovered the heavily

loaded Huey to the takeoff pad,putting the aircrafi: through thevarious movements necessary toensure that all flight instrumentswere working. When he reachedthe pad, he set the aircraft downso that it would be in a crab ontakeoff to maintain a track parallel to runway 01.

Soon Lon tower, 9163 readyfor my clearance.Roger 9163. FOC clears youvia flight planned route. Maintain1,500. Maintain runway heading

until reaching 1,000, climb oncourse, contact FOC on Fox Mike. immediately after takeoff. Readback. Over.9163 roger, said Ghost, andhe read back the clearance.

Roger 9163. Cleared for takeoff.Ghost applied power and theaircraft smoothly broke ground,only to disappear into the uglygray clouds seconds later.

FOC, Army 9163 off Soon Lon30, heading 005. Over.Roger 9163 was the only reply.

At 1,000 feet Ghost turned tointercept the 035 course to SoonLon NDB. Upon reaching 1,500feet, he accomplished the level offcheck.John, what will our estimateto XUC be? asked Ghost .0900, with the wind, repliedCarter.As they crossed over the nowhidden Soon Lon NDB, Ghostturned to establish the 330 courseto XUC, noted the time, and gavehis position report.

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25/68

Roger 9163. Climb and maintain your MEA. Over.""9163 out of 1,500 at 35. Over,"answered Ghost. He applied power and the aircraft, now agile at7 knots, climbed upward to 3,250feet.

The crew made small talk until the somber voice of FOC cameover the radio once again."9163, contact Red Devil now.f no contact, return this frequency immediately. Contact FOC

when airborne from destinationor if executing missed approachat destination. Over.""9163 roger."

Carter switched over to theRed Devil frequency and alsotuned the AD F to XUC.

Red Devil, this is Blue Devilestimating your position 0900.Over."Roger Blue Devil, this is RedDevil. We are ready to accept you.The landing field will be just be

yond the green smoke. Requestno further transmissions unlessnecessary. Out."Boy, that guy isn't very talkative, is he," remarked Carter.

At 0902 hours the ADF needleindicated station passage. John,already prepared, called off the

l\IAY 1967

There s some ody shooting t usheading of 295 and started thetime. Ghost responded with thecontrols and simultaneously began a 500 fpm descent, cursing hismomentary insufficient right pedal.

Now turn left and home tothe station," called off Carter atthe end of 15 seconds.

At 2,550 feet Ghost stopped hisdescent. Seconds later, station passage registered and Carter gave aheading of 025 When l5 secondswere up, Ghost turned right andbegan homing again.

The last loop was the Same asthe first except the descent was to1,850 feet.

I've got visual contact," remarked Carter joyously."OK, John, you have it," saidGhost. He remained loosely onthe controls and continued monitoring the instruments.

There's the green smoke, justlike they said, and I see the landing area. Here we go," repliedCarter.Wheee POP

-- there's somebodydown there shooting at us " ex-claimed Carter. .

Already committed for landing, Carter expedited the approachand they came to a bounce-bumpsetdown. Sergeant Packard andSki were tensed at the guns readyto shoot anything suspicious bu tafraid to let loose for fear ofshooting special forces personnel.

After a short eternity, a partyof obviously American GIs approached the aircraft from thebrush. The shortest Green Beretstepped up to Ghost's window.

Relax, Chief. The area is se-cure. Why don't you shut downand join us for some coffee whilewe load the litter case? By theway, I am Captain Joyner, heshouted above the aircraft noise.

There's one guy ou:: there thatdidn't get the word, Captain,shouted back Ghost while motioning for Carter to cut the engine.As G h ) ~ t climbed out, CaptainJoyner 'eontinued, "You mustmean old 'one-shot-Charlie.' He'sbeen pretty harmless since one ofyour gQnships gave him hell awhile back. I think he misses onpurpose, now."

Departing from the l n ~ i n gfield was accomplished with ease.With the ammunition load goneand only a litter patient in thecargo compartment, 9163 climbedwith power to spare. An ascent to2,550 was made on a heading of070 0 and then the aircraft trackedinto the station, leveling off atMEA. FOC had already beencalled and clearance to Soon LonNDB had been given.

Five minutes out from SoonLon NDB, FOC turned 9163 overto Soon Lon tactical GCA.

Soon Lon GCA, Army 9163inbound to Soon Lon NDB. Heading 150, 3,250, requesting precision approach."

Roger, 9163. Depart Soon LonThe door gunner was tensed ready toshoot anything suspicious

23


26/68

Clouds ver Soon on Valley Happily, nothing happened andthe would-be firefighters driftedslowly away.NDB head ing 190 descend to2,000. Report depar ting.As Ghost finished trogering theGCA, he was startled to see the20-minute fuel caution light blinkon. John, we have problems. Ithink 'one-shot-Charlie' scored.Check to see if it could be a circuit breaker or something.

I can't find anything wrong,Ghost. Unfortunately, I think thatthat light is right because thefuel gauge agrees. We had betterget on the horn to Soon LonGCA.

Ghost called the GCA, tryingto hide the sense of urgency inhis voice. The GCA controller,sensing the situation, took steps

to expedite the approach, butsomehow maintained a calm andreassuring tone of voice.You are on final-4 miles fromtouchdown-no need to acknowledge further communications unless requested t do so-

Three miles-Two miles-One mile-Passing through GCA minimums-Over touchdown-I have it, Carter called over

the intercom. He rapidly decelerated the Huey and set it downjust clear of the runway.

The alert crew surrounded theaircraft, fire extinguishers inhand, as the swi tches were cu t.

After being debriefed, the twopilots adjourned to the mess tentto enjoy one of Sergeant Pendergast's rich lunches and relax bydiscussing the flight.Well, I think we both learned

something on that flight, didn'twe, John? asked Ghost as hepatiently relit his pipe for thetenth time that day.

You're right, Ghost, answeredCarter. Never, never, never as-sume anything, especially whenfIying IFR.As they continued to talk, thesky over Soon Lon Valley gradually lightened, and soon all evidence of their accomplishmentwould become invisible watervapor.Magnetic hip Detectors

HE MAGNETIC chip detector is a w(lJrning device designed to inform the pilot that

metal contaminants are presentin the oil system. As a warningdevice it does its job quite welland has prevented unnecessarydamage to many aircraft. Butthere have been a few occasionsin which the chip detector itselfcaused engine failures.A large number of activitieshave reported finding badly corroded chip detectors on U-IA andU -6A aircraft. In two instancesthe corrosion had progressed suffi-ciently to allow the center electrode to fall free from the plug,resulting in loss of oil.

It was decided to test the plugat the contractor's site to determine the exact cause of failure.The plug was installed in thesump of an oil tank; a 28 voltpositive potential was applied tothe center electrode, the s ~ m as24

Colonel Edward J Chryslerduring flight operation. By introducing sulphuric acid into theoil as a contaminant, a conditionwas created that would cause corrosion on the plug very similar tothe corrosion on the plugs tre-ceived from the field.

Tests showed that the corrosionwas a result of the current flowingthrough the ionized electrolyte,which was formed when the products of combustion and other contaminants mixed with the engineoil. The cen ter electrode of thechip detector plug acts as ananode since it is at a positivepotential of 28 volts. The chipdetector body and the entire engine act as a cathode since theyare connected to the negative sideof the aircraft battery. All conditions for electrolytic corrosion aretherefore present, namely anode,cathode and electrolyte. This results in sacrificing the center electrode and eventual plating of thedisplaced metal upon the chip

detector body and oil wetted pa

Army Aviation Digest - May 1967

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Transcript of Army Aviation Digest - May 1967