Good-bye Cayuse

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The Royal Danish Air Force retired the Hughes OH-6A (H-500) today after 34 years.



Six (of 12) were still operational. The "Hightimer" with 7.800 hrs. Many with over 5.000. The "Lowtimer" (I forgot how much) was rebuilt three times!

I know it had built in "crashworthiness" as a Vietnam War Scout. But was the "Hughes 500 = 500 expected flying hours" story true?

They will be up for sale. Hughes trophy for "best maintained helicopter in the world" - in 1982

http://forsvaret.dk/ftk/

P.S. From 1971 to 2003 they were Army operated.

[gadgetguru]

oh-6

Always thought that the OH-6 was a H369 with the 4 blade main rotor & V-tail
& the H500 was the 5 blade main rotor & the T-tail,
or am I mistaken?

Besides powerplant differences can anybody indicate the obvious or otherwise recognisable features of both in order to be able to distinguish each model.

thanks in advance

[rotordk]

C model : round nose, V tail
D model : Round nose, T tail
E model : pointed nose, T tail

Most civilian E models came with a T-bar instrument panel.

[Aesir]

H500 = H369

H300 = H269

Same thing, its just that the 500 is the commercial name and 369 is the type certificate name.

4 bladed v-tail H500 or H369 is the "C" model.

5 bladed T-tail is the "D" model.

5 bladed T-tail with pointy noise is "E" model.

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Thanks for the answers.

There were in fact 15 H500 in service :
H-201 - 213 (no 204) delivered 1971.
H-244, 245, 246 delivered 1974.

The final crews wore patches with:


Expelled - the final scouts.

And now for the never-ending story of the EH101!

[gadgetguru]

model info

that cleared that up
I was familiar with the D & E models but not the C.
many thanks

[Aesir]

normally right blank.. looks like itīs going to take ever for you guyīs to get those EH-101īs.

But is the platform Mr. A. P. Møller is donating at the Rigshospitalet going to be able to carry a EH-101? Thatīs going to have to be some heavy duty structure then!

[diethelm]

F Model : Pointed Nose, T-Tail, Lower extension to engine covers, extension to Boom, longer tail rotor blades, longer main rotor blades, big single exhaust.

[BigMike]

And for the ultimate 500!, US Special Forces MELB (Mission Enchanced Little Bird) 6 MR blades, 4 bladed angled tail-rotor, C-30?......





Maybe MD will bring out a civil one!

Cheers BigMike

[TheMonk]

Big Mike,

That thing must be awesome to fly. Must be really nice w/o the extra weight of the armour and the armaments.

Tha Monk

[Hughes500]

If they are coming up for sale, does anyone know if they are actually OH-6's or have a civilian data plate ie 369HS serial numbers ?

[SASless]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...craft/ah-6.htm

Good description of the MELB....must be a nice piece of kit!

[bellsux]

Are these the right hand drive ones with the C18 engines??

[ginganinja]

does anyone know which 6 are flying? and are they to be sold via auction