GOOD VIBRATIONS THE RESURRECTION OF UH-1B HUEY

SEAWOLF 324 BY JIM BUSHA

20 Sport Aviation June 2012 SEAWOLF—A solitary fish with strong, prominent teeth and projecting tusks that give it a savage look.

STANDING UNDER A BRIGHT BLUE, late July sky during The next arrival was the easiest. Actually, the well- EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, I was watching war- known “whop, whop, whop” sound vibrated off my bird arrivals. I closed my eyes to determine if I could chest like some native drum beat. As the sound grew pick out the next incoming aircraft based solely on louder, I opened my eyes expecting to see a familiar the sound of its engine. The Rolls-Royce Merlin- Army green Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” powered P-51 Mustangs were easy, with that un- slowly making its way onto Wittman Regional Airport. mistakable purr of the in-line engine. The radial I was correct about the slow part, but as the Huey flew engines were a little tougher; when I opened my eyes closer there was something different about this one. thinking a B-25 was nearby, it was in fact a lumbering From a distance it looked like a “flying porcupine” with TBM Avenger. a wild array of guns and rocket tubes bristling from its

www.eaa.org 21 sides. As the helicopter slowed, the only Cavalry), it was again damaged in 1973 it was lent to NASA Langley green I saw was the freshly mowed grass February 1968. The Army said goodbye to Research Center until August 1975. This being blown around in a mini tornado as this battle-weary Huey in November 1968 Huey, along with hundreds of others like the dark blue beast began to settle into a when it “lent” it to the U.S. Navy, where it it, was placed into long-term storage at hover. “I didn’t know the Navy flew began flying with the Seawolves. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) in Hueys,” said an onlooker from the small Tucson, Arizona, with a total of 4,390 crowd that had begun to gather. BY APRIL 1965 IT WAS IN flight hours. It would languish in the hot I didn’t either, but I was about to learn VIETNAM EXPERIENCING desert sun for the next 16 years before a great history lesson about the lineage of being rescued once again. this ultra-historic helicopter. ITS “BAPTISM OF FIRE” WHEN IT TOOK THREE RESCUE AND RESTORATION OF 324 HISTORY OF SEAWOLF 324 HITS TO ONE OF ITS SKIDS. John Boucher, president and CEO of Bell UH-1B Huey, Bureau number Overseas Aircraft Support, an FAA repair 63-12923, was built in 1963 and delivered This particular Huey was a “flak mag- station that specializes in rebuilding, to the U.S. Army in October 1964. By April net.” It was heavily damaged again in upgrading, and recertifying Bell medium 1965 it was in Vietnam experiencing its October 1969. On May 28, 1971, it was hit helicopter airframes and avionics, will be “baptism of fire” when it took three hits again, this time by a 75 mm recoilless the first to admit he did not purchase to one of its skids. Two weeks later it was rifle. The damage was determined to be Huey Seawolf 324 with the intent of brought down by small arms fire and “minor,” and the crew performed an restoring it. On the contrary, he wanted incurred major damage. It was sent back emergency medevac and flew an injured to blow it up. to the United States for repair and sailor to a nearby surgical hospital. “I bought 14 Huey airframes in returned to Vietnam in March 1967. The last military flight of 324 occurred 1994 with the intent of building them Serving with the 1st Cavalry Division on February 29, 1972, when the Seawolves as mock-ups to blow them up in the A/1/9 (A Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Air returned it back to the Army. In October movies,” John said. “By 2002 I

A .50-caliber is mounted on the right side, paired with twin M60s on the left side to give the Huey lethal fi repower.

Seawolf 324 receiving maintenance in Vietnam.

22 Sport Aviation June 2012 GOOD VIBRATIONS

A mere shell of its former self, Seawolf 324 begins its restoration transformation. was shifting gears and refocusing my “Of course I asked him why, and he John found that this particular Huey attention to old warbirds. I purchased replied that it was a Seawolf Huey. Before had three major combat repairs per- two P-40 Warhawk projects with the I could ask Seawolf what, Pat gave me the formed on it when he began the intent of restoring them. I thought I was history of the unit. After hearing they restoration. The nose itself had two sig- retiring from the helicopter side of life to were the most highly decorated squadron nificant ones, along with a half-dozen rebuild warbirds; then everything went in U.S. Navy history, I knew I had to save minor repairs found along the door posts sideways with the historic discovery from this helicopter,” John said. and fuselage. Some repair patches were a single piece of paper.” Fate is a strange animal. Although easy for John to recognize. When John purchased his 14 Huey Seawolf 324 was no more than a shell of airframes, each costing around $700, its former shape when John acquired it— JOHN FOUND THAT THIS all of them came with original logs and no engine, no transmission, no blades—he PARTICULAR HUEY HAD associated paperwork. “I had no idea had been acquiring UH-1B model parts THREE MAJOR COMBAT about this helicopter’s historic signifi- for many years. He, along with his crew of cance,” John said. “One of my good skilled mechanics, began the tedious task REPAIRS PERFORMED ON friends, Pat Rodgers of Wings and Rotors of inventorying what they had and what IT WHEN HE BEGAN THE Air Museum located in California, was they needed—naturally the list for what RESTORATION. over to my shop one day scrounging they needed was 10 times longer. for parts when he asked if he could look “My main request for this project was “They used beer cans as patches,” John through all the logbooks. He spent two that we would restore it back to original. I said and chuckled. “Schlitz, Pabst, and days poring over them and then burst wanted to keep all the repair patches intact, other beer can patches were found on the into my office one day, tossed a logbook repair only what was structurally necessary, Huey. Legend has it that one Seawolf Huey on my desk, and said, ‘You have to rebuild and zero in on returning it back to what it had hundreds of beer can patches attached this aircraft!’ would have looked like in 1968,” John said. to it. More of a flying billboard I guess.

www.eaa.org 23 Seawolf 324 fl ies over familiar terrain.

“The nose of this Huey took the most Because the B model Hueys were received information that the Seawolves beating, though. That’s because the Viet phased out of the Army services since really didn’t have a “standard” color. Cong aimed at the pilots. Some of the the early 1980s, some parts were harder “The Seawolves had to scrounge for helicopter guys said they used to wear than others to locate, especially the everything they needed,” John said. white helmets when they flew. But they innards of the aircraft. “We had to do “It didn’t matter if it was tail booms, stopped doing that when they found out a lot of scrounging for the correct period engines, instruments, blades, or paint. that was the aiming point for the gunners parts,” John said. “I am completely They ended up using some ‘borrowed’ on the ground,” John said. satisfied that if some old-timer sticks Army olive drab green and mixing it As the Huey was slowly transformed his head inside of the ‘hell hole,’ looking with some Royal Australian Navy blue again into Navy livery, some former at all the wiring and plumbing, they paint they had acquired in a trade. The Seawolves began to get wind of the project would recognize the aircraft as being end result was a dark blue color with a and became like nervous mothers as they period correct.” hint of green. The true test was when sent John photos and periodically called to some retired Seawolves showed up and see how their old friend was doing. “THE SEAWOLVES HAD gave it a close inspection. We passed with “I really got to know this small com- TO SCROUNGE FOR flying colors!” munity of men through this project,” With the Huey ready to fly, there were John said. “There were less than 3,000 EVERYTHING THEY just a few more items to add to make it men who served as Seawolves in Vietnam. NEEDED,” JOHN SAID. combat ready. They lost 44 of their comrades in combat, “The Seawolves were the most heavily and I was hoping this helicopter would be With the majority of the helicopter armed in Vietnam,” John a foundation where they could come assembled, it was time to put it back in Navy said. “To replicate what they used in together as an organization.” colors. The problem for John was he had combat, we had to make an alteration

24 Sport Aviation June 2012 GOOD VIBRATIONS

and strapped on a modern inert Dillon hardware hanging off his Army Hueys. remember thinking, ‘And they’re going M134 Minigun. Other than that, every- “The Navy took a lot of liberties with to pay me for this, too?’ It was very excit- thing else was period correct, including adding all the machine guns and rockets,” ing for me.” the .50-caliber and M-60 door guns, 2.75 Larry said. “We [the Army] were pretty According to Larry, the Huey is very rocket pods, and assorted crew weapons tame with just some rocket pods and M60 stable in flight, and he feels it is an inher- and ammo.” machine guns on our doors. But for me, ently well-designed aircraft. The Huey With the Huey looking better than fac- flying a Huey is a real kick in the pants. requires very little control motion tory fresh, it was time for John to turn because the controls are hydraulically this piece of historic treasure over to his “IT’S OLD, SLOW, boosted. That means if you turn loose on longtime pilot, Larry Clark. SLUGGISH, AND WAY the stick it will fall over and move on its own with no friction; it’s very smooth. FLYING THE HUEY UNDERPOWERED. IT GETS There is no feedback; the stick doesn’t Pilot Larry Clark, founder of the Vietnam ABOUT 1 MILE TO THE jerk around as one might expect. For Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA), GALLON AND BURNS 100 Larry it feels like the Huey has a “super admitted he has an odd relationship with GALLONS PER HOUR.” power steering system.” “Just move the Seawolf 324. The hard part for Larry was stick and the aircraft follows you wher- adjusting to the Navy colors. Larry wore “I can vividly remember when I ever you want it to go. It is very fluid and all green when he served in the U.S. Army was a 20-year-old kid, sitting in the right very easy to fly,” Larry claimed. and flew B models in Vietnam in 1965 and seat, listening to the turbine engine “Just because it was freshly restored 1966. He logged more than 350 combat wind up, looking around at the guns doesn’t mean it flies any smoother,” Larry missions, got shot at a lot, and was hit hanging off the rear doors, and the tubes said, tongue in cheek. “Getting into this quite a few times. Larry admitted that he full of rockets. I was told I could go one brought back a lot of memories, some has a tinge of jealousy when he flies this out, empty everything I had, come not so pleasant. It’s old, slow, sluggish, bird because he wishes he had this much back and reload, and go again, and I and way underpowered. It gets about 1

SEAWOLF up loaning the Navy 30 to 35 ‘war weary’ UH-1B models. By the time HISTORY the Navy repainted them and rearmed them, the Seawolves carved out a name for themselves in From early 1967 until March the history books. The commanding 1972, fl ight crews of Helicopter offi cer ordered that the word ‘Navy’ Attack Squadron, Light, or HA(L)-3, would be painted in white on the operated in support of U.S. Navy tail boom so the people on the units in South Vietnam that ground knew who was shooting at included the inland “Brown Water them from above!” Larry said. Navy” and the SEALs. HA(L)-3 con- Huey squadrons usually fl ew sisted of nine detachments of two with a crew of four: two pilots up helicopter each. They front, a door gunner, and the crew were stationed at various locations chief. There were times the Huey in South Vietnam or on board bar- was so overloaded with fuel and racks ships positioned in the larger ammo that the pilots would kind rivers of the Mekong Delta. During of bounce it along the ground try- the Seawolves’ fi rst year, they fi red ing to get it moving forward as the more than 13,761,000 rounds of crew members ran alongside it and 7.62 mm ammo, 800,000 rounds of climbed up on a skid and jumped .30- and .50-caliber ammo, and in just as it was taking off . more than 155,000 rockets. The Seawolves were the most “The Navy used to rely on the highly decorated squadron in U.S. Army Huey gunships for protection, Navy history with 44 Seawolves but I guess the Army got tired of killed in action (KIA) during the fi ve fl ying for the Navy. The Army ended years it spent in combat.

www.eaa.org 25 UH-1 HUEY FACTS

• The prototype UH-1 Huey fi rst fl ew in 1956, and the model continues in production today in both military and commercial models.

• The UH-1 Huey holds the world record for fl y- ing the most combat hours of any aircraft in history. There were 26,733,403 sorties alone fl own by 17,000 Hueys during the . Hueys recorded more than 21,166 hits by enemy fi re, with 4,128 Hueys lost in combat.

• More Hueys have been built than any other helicopter. They have been used for heavy lifting, fi refi ghting, medevac, logging, troop transport, drug interdiction, aerial mapping, movie production, and law enforcement to name just a few uses.

• Transport Hueys armed only with door guns were called “Slicks.”

• Huey gunships were called “Snakes” because mile to the gallon and burns 100 they recalled their Vietnam of their bite or “Hogs” because they bristled gallons per hour. Up at altitude I combat days.” with an assortment of weapons. can barely coax it to cruise at 85 Larry Clark echoed John’s knots, but down low it becomes words about the veterans and said • During the peak of the Vietnam War (1970- a speed demon as the needle he can pick out Vietnam veterans 1972) the U.S. Army was training more than barely pegs 100 knots. pretty quickly. “When they fi rst 3,000 pilots and 21,000 mechanics per year to “With all that drag hanging walk up to the Huey they have keep the helicopters fl ying. out there in the form of rockets, this ‘look,’” said Larry. “They are Miniguns, and machine guns, looking at the helicopter, and you this Huey doesn’t seem quite as can literally see the memories AIRCRAFT snappy or as maneuverable as fl ooding back to them. I watched DATA BOX the ones I flew in Vietnam. But I veterans begin to explain the sig- could care less. I am all smiles nifi cance of the Huey to the Aircraft Make & Model: Bell UH-1B Iroquois Huey when I am at the controls of this crowds because they either aircraft and am extremely proud crewed one, rode in them on their N-Number: N37OAS to show it off to all the veterans way to combat, or were rescued who have a connection with out of a bad situation by the Length: 41 feet, 8 inches these birds.” Seawolves. There were lots and Rotor Diameter: 44 feet lots of stories as history came Height: 14 feet, 7 inches STORYTELLER alive for all of us who had the During AirVenture 2011, Seawolf privilege to be there. Although Maximum Gross Weight: 8,500 pounds 324 became a “veterans mini this Huey is just a kid compared Empty Weight: 4,900 pounds clubhouse” as former Huey driv- to the World War II aircraft that Fuel Capacity: 168 gallons ers, crew members, and Vietnam show up here [at Oshkosh], it’s veterans stopped by to pay their still an old piece of aviation his- Powerplant Make & Model: T53-L-13A respects to an old friend; many tory that means so much to so Horsepower: 1,400 hp referred to the Huey as the many. I hope no one ever forgets Cruise Speed: 90 knots “angel of mercy.” the role the UH-1 Huey has played “During the week we were in our country’s history.” For more information: stationed in the Warbirds area I Overseas Aircraft Support Inc. saw guys come up to this heli- Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and 727B Woodland Road copter and burst into tears,” longtime contributor to EAA publications. He Lakeside, AZ 85929 John said. “It was a very emo- is the editor of Warbirds magazine and the tional experience for them as owner of a 1943 Aeronca L-3. Phone: 928-368-6965

26 Sport Aviation June 2012