As the helo flies low and slow, following the contours of the gulley and the tumbling stream, the terrain gradually rises until we can see smoke rising in the distance and the pilot heels the chopper over to starboard. We climb up and over the valley edge, nap-of-the-earth style to take a closer look... To helicopter enthusiasts the world over, the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse is famous for its various roles in the Vietnam conflict, which included reconnaissance, command and control, transport, escort and attack missions. The type spawned a family of variants, including Special Operations versions, and the company simultaneously developed a civilian version - the Hughes 500. That type, now manufactured by MD Helicopters (formerly McDonnell Douglas Helicopters), has been further developed to a produce a wide range of civil, military and maritime choppers including the Boeing AH-6 Unmanned Little Bird demonstrator... That's a story for another day but the OH-6A is the forerunner of them all.
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