Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1956

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DIGESI'
ARMY AVIATION SCHOOL
COMMANDANT
Brigadier General Carl I. Hutton, USA
ASSISTANT COMMANDANT
Colonel John D. Edmunds
DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION
Lieutenant Colonel William C. Bowen, Jr.
1 NAME OR TITLE INITIALS
ORGANIZATION AND DATE
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REMARKS
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D D I 94 REPLACES NME FORM 94, I fEB 49. WHICH MAY BE USED.
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VOLUME 2
ARMY AVIATION
DIGEST
DECEMBER, 1956
CONTENTS
NUMBER 12
THE COMMANDANT'S COLUMN___________________________________________ 3
ARMY A VIATI 0 N ____________________________________________________________________ 5
Policy Statement by Charles E. Wilson,
Secretary of Defense
HELl CO PTERS UNLIMITED ____________________________________________________ 13
Sp-3 Gerhardt M. Hoff
ARMY AVIATION IN MALAY A________________________________________________ 18
W. Courtenay, O.B.E., M.M.
MEDICAL INVESTIGATION VITAL IN AIR ACCIDENTS ____ 22
Lt Col Rollie M. Harrison, Me
RUSSIAN HELICOPTER ACTIVITIES ____________________________________ 1 27
Eugene K. Liberatore
ARMY AVIATION l\1AINTENANCE _____________________ ___________________ 31
Sfc Raymond A. Dix
THE GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT __________________________________________ 35
BOOKS FOR THE ARMY AVIATOR ______________________________________ 42
STRAI G HT AND LEVEL____________________________________________ ______________ 45
ARMY AVIATION DIGEST INDEX, VOL. 2, 1956 _________________ 46
COVER: While supplying this tiny outpost
in the frozen north gives this month's cover
a Christmas touch, chances are the Beaver's
crew won't be much better off Santa Claus-
wise than the isolated group, mostly because
the Beaver's fuel load won't enable it to make
Palm Springs or some other warm and sunny
place. We're indebted to Lt Col W. H. Byrd,
Jr., for this cover; for more information on
the versatile Director of Test, CON ARC Army
Aviation Board Nr. 6, see The Gray Hair
Department, page 35.
This copy is not for sale. It is intended for more than one reader.
PLEASE READ IT AND PASS IT ALONG
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Captain Theodore E. Wasko
ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Captain Richard W. Kohlbrand
EDITOR
William E. Vance
The printing of this publication has been approved by the
Director of the Bureau of the Budget, 15 March 1956.
The ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is an official publica-
tion of the Department of the Army published monthly under
the supervision of the Commandant, Army Aviation School.
The mission of the ARMY AVIATION DIGEST is to provide
information of an operational or functional nature concerning
safety and aircraft accident prevention, training, maintenance,
operations, research and development, aviation medicine, and
other related data.
Manuscripts, photographs, and other illustrations per-
taining to the above subjects of interest to personnel concerned
with Army aviation are invited. Direct communication is
authorized to: Editor-in-Chief, ARMY AVIATION DIGEST,
Army Aviation School, Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Unless otherwise indicated, material in the ARMY
AVIATION DIGEST may be reprinted provided credit is
given to the ARMY AVIATION DIGEST and to the author.
THE COMMANDANT'S COLUMN
Commanding General, The Army Aviation Center
The views expressed in this article are the author's and not
necessarily those 0/ the Department 0/ the Army.-The Editor
Situation and Requirement
T HE UNIT TRAINING PROGRAM is one of our weakest points. I
would like to challenge aviation officers worldwide to solve
the following problem:
Situation: Unit: 20th Infantry Division, organized as a
standard unit. 20th Infantry Division Aviation Company (Pro-
visional) has been organized by combining all aviation elements
of the division. The following personnel are assigned:
Name Ratings FIW Time RIWTime Acft Currency
Major A 2-2 2100 300 L-19, 20, 23; H-13, H-19
B 2-1 4000 L-19, 20, 23
Capt D 3-2 1200 100 L-19, 20, 23; H-13
E 2-3 700 1200 L-19; H-13, 19, 23, 25, 34
F 2-2 1300 600 L-19, 20, 23; H-13, 19
liLt G 3-2 750 L-19, L-20
H 3-2 850 150 L-19, L-20; H-13
I 3-3 600 150 L-19, L-20; H-13
J 3-3 900 L-19, L-20
K 3-3 1100 100 L-19, L-20; H-13
L 3-2 1000 L-19, L-20
2/Lt M 3-3 500 L-19, L-20
N 3-3 490 L-19, L-20
o 3-3 475 L-19, L-20
P 3-3 425 L-19, L-20
Q thru Z 3-3 350 hours L-19 only
and under
4
ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
Aircraft Assigned:
L-19 - 13
L-20 - 3
H-13 - 10
Divisional Training Program Prescribes:
Completion of ATPs 1 November
Completion of ATTs 1 January
Maneuver Period 15 March - 15 April
Post Cycle Training 15 April- 30 June
Estimate of Scheduled Flight Requirements:
Tactical flying (Div Arty ATPs and ATTs)
Maneuver period
Observer Training Course
Administrative Cross-Country, dc,ty
Administrative Cross-Country, night
Administrative Cross-Country, weather
Administrative, command liaison
Miscellaneous - IRAN, etc.
500 hours
400 hours
250 hours
400 hours
60 hours
40 hours
200 hours
150 hours
2000 hours
Requirement : You are Major A. Prepare the annual training
program for 20th Division Aviation Company (Provisional) for
next fiscal year to accomplish estimated scheduled flight require-
ments, proficiency flight training, and annual minimum require-
ments.
(A school solution will be published in the DIGEST in January
to check your solution against. )
Army Aviation
(Editor's note: The following is the full context of the Policy
Decision of the Secretary of Defense announced 26 Novem-
ber 1956 outlining the parameters of the Army Aviation
Program. While it is believed that all readers of the ARMY
AVIATION DIGEST may be aware of the action, it is doubted
that many have detailed information as to the exact provi-
sions. Hence, Mr. Wilson's memorandum for the "Memhers
of the Armed Forces Policy Council" is published in its
entirety in order that its content may be available to those
connected with the Army Aviation Program, unmarred by
editorial or reportorial attempts to determine significance.
SUBJECT: CLARIFICATION OF ROLES AND MISSIONS
TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
OPERATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE.
I MPORTANT CHANGES IN organization and in roles and missions are
not easily decided upon or effected. It is not as though we were
starting fresh with a clean sheet of paper, so to speak, or could set
up a theoretically perfect organization and division of responsibili-
ties between the Military departments. Assignment of responsibili-
ties must continue to recognize the precedents of the past and the
availability of men and facilities for carrying out assigned missions.
Problems of this nature would be easier to solve if there were
always complete unanimity of opinion among all responsible execu-
tives of the Defense Department, both military and civilian. The
very nature of the problems, however, and the varying background
and experience of the individuals serving in responsible positions
make some differences of opinion normal and to be expected.
In spite of the differences of opinion which may exist, there
are times when conditions require that changes should be made in
administrative responsibilities and at such times decisions are man-
datory. That is the situation now. The National Security Act of
1947 states:
6 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST December
" Declaration of Policy"
"Sec. 2. In enacting this legislation, it is the intent of
Congress to provide a comprehensive program for the future
security of the United States; to provide for the establishment
of integrated policies and procedures for the departments,
agencies, and functions of the Government relating to the
national security; to provide three military departments,
separately administered, for the operations and administra-
tion of the Army, the Navy, (including naval aviation and
the United States Marine Corps), and the Air Force, with
their assigned combat and service components; to provide
for their authoritative coordination and unified direction
under civilian control of the Secretary of Defense but not
to merge them; to provide for the effective strategic direction
of the armed forces and for their operation under unified
control and for their integration into an efficient team of
land, naval and air forces but not to establish a single Chief
of Staff over the armed forces nor an armed forces general
staff (but this is not to be interpreted as applying to the
Joint Chiefs of Staff or Joint Staff)."
Nine years of experience operating under the National Security
Act of 1947, as amended, have proved the soundness of this com-
prehensive program for national security. The statement of roles
and missions recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Key West
and Newport and approved by Secretary of Defense James Forrestal,
and as modified in 1953, have also proved to be sound and effec-
tively to implement the intent of Congress as expressed in the Na-
tional Security Act.
No basic changes in the present roles and missions of the anned
services are necessary but the development of new weapons and of
new strategic concepts, together with the nine years' operating ex-
perience by the Department of Defense have pointed up the need
for some clarification and clearer interpretation of the roles and
missions of the anned services. We have recognized the need for a
review of these matters and from time to time certain steps have
been taken and we are now taking others to improve the eff ective-
ness of our overall military establishment, to avoid unnecessary
duplication of activities and functions, and to utilize most effec-
tively the funds made available by the people through Congress.
I would like to point out that clarification and interpretation of
roles and missions does not in itself predetennine the weapons to
be used by each of the anned services and their numbers, nor the
numbers of men to be trained in various fields. It should be clearly
1956 ARMY AVIATION 7
understood that the approval of roles and missions of the armed
services for guidance in peacetime does not predetermine the weap-
ons or forces which a commander in the field would be permitted
to use in the event of war. Also, the development of a weapon by a
particular military department does not in itself predetermine its
use. Such determinations rest with the Secretary of Defense after
considering the recommendations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
the Secretaries of the Military Departments.
The recent clarification of command responsibilities for field
commanders should be most helpful in determining weapons and
forces to be employed in various missions and should assist the
J oint Chiefs of Staff in making recommendations in this regard to
the Secretary of Defense in order to determine approved require-
ments for each of the armed services.
We have recently reviewed five important problem areas which
need to be cleared up. The recommendations of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff in regard to these matters have been carefully considered and
their differences of opinion carefully weighed. In addition, I have
given consideration to the opinions in these areas of responsible
officials, both military and civilian, in the Office of the Secretary of
Defense. These matters are being resolved as follows:
1. Use of Aircraft by U. S. Army.
In matters affecting the use of aircraft by the U. S. Army, the
combat zone is defined as extending not more than 100 miles for-
ward of the general line of contact between U.S. and enemy ground
forces. Its extension to the rear of the general line of contact will
be designated by the appropriate field commander, and normally
extends back of the front lines about 100 miles. The Army Aviation
Program will consist of those types of aircraft required to carry
out the following Army functions envisaged within the combat zone:
a. Command, liaison, and communications.
L. Observation, visual and photographic reconnaissance, fire
adjustment, and topographical survey.
c. Airlift of Army personnel and materiel.
d. Aeromedical evacuation.
The"" Army Aircraft Program to carry out these functions will
be subject to the following limitations:
a. Fixed wing aircraft, convertiplanes, and vertical/short
take-off and landing aircraft will have an empty weight not to ex-
ceed 5,000 pounds. Rotary wing aircraft will have an empty weight
not to exceed 20,000 pounds. Specific exceptions to weight limita-
tions for specific aircraft for specific purposes may be granted by
the Secretary of Defense after consideration of Army requirements
and appropriate Air Force functions and capabilities. (For example,
the Secretary of Defense has just approved the purchase by the
Army of five DeHavilland DHC-4 airplanes, "Twin Otter", for test
and evaluation and is giving consideration to another project in-
volving a plane in the development stage. )
b. The provision of a limited airlift capability within the Army
Aviation Program shall not serve as a basis for increasing or de-
creasing Air Force forces necessary to support or protect the Army
airlift forces. Provision of this limited airlift capability will apply
only to small combat units and limited quantities of materiel to
improve local mobility, and not to the provision of an airlift cap-
ability sufficient for the large-scale movement of sizeable Army
combat units which would infringe on the mission of the Air Force.
c. As limited Army Aviation airlift capability becomes availa-
ble to active Army Forces, provision should be made for compensa-
tion reductions in other forms of Army transportation designed to
operate within the combat zone.
d. The Army Aviation Program will not provide for aircraft
to perform the following functions:
(1) Strategic and tactical airlift.
( a) Airlift of Army supplies, equipment, personnel
and units from exterior points to points within Army combat zone.
(b) Airlift for evacuation of personnel and materiel
from Army combat zone.
( c) Airlift for air movement of troops, supplies and
equipment in the initial and subsequent phases of airborne opera-
tions.
(d) Aeromedical evacuation from Air Force operating
locations within the combat zone through Air Force casualty stag-
ing units to hospital facilities outside combat zone, and aeromedical
evacuation from an airhead or an airborne objective area where
airborne operation includes air landed logistic support by Air Force.
( 2 ) Tactical reconnaissance.
(3) Interdiction of the battlefield.
( 4 ) Close combat air support.
e. The Army will not maintain unilateral aviation research
facilities but will confine itself to development and determination
of specific requirements peculiar to Army needs, to evaluation of
proposals, and to user testing of equipment. The Army will make
maximum use of Air Force and Navy aircraft research and develop-
ment facilities. The Air Force and Navy will be responsive to Army
needs in such research activities on a reimbursable basis.
. The Army will use existing types of Navy, Air Force or
civilian aircraft when they are suitable, or may be suitably modi-
fied, to meet Army requirements, rather than attempt to develop and
procure new types.
With regard to the 4 November 1952 Pace-Finletter Memoran-
dum of Understanding, I am directing my staff to prepare an ap-
propriate technical and detailed directive for coordination and
issuance. Until this directive is approved, the Memorandum of Un-
derstanding will remain applicable except as specifically amended
herein or by subsequent Secretary of Defense direction.
2. Adequacy of Airlift.
There has been a great deal of discussion and consideration
given to the requirements for the airlift of tactical units and sup-
plies. The current composition of the Air Force structure has been
carefully examined, and it appears that it presently provides ade-
quate airborne lift in the light of currently approved strategic
concepts.
3. Air Defense.
Consideration has been given to distinguishing between Air
Force and Army responsibility for surface-to-air guided missile
systems for defense of the Continental United States on the basis of
area defense and point defense, as well as the criterion of an arbi-
trary range limitation.
Area and point defense systems cannot be defined with pre-
cision. Area defense involves the concept of locating defense units
to intercept enemy attacks remote from and without reference to
individual vital installations, industrial complexes or population
centers. For such a defense system to be effective, extensive infor-
mation gathering networks such as the Semi-Automatic Ground
Environment (SAGE) system are required to trace continuously the
enemy attack and transmit and present the data in usable form for
guiding the defense weapons to counter the attack. As applied to
surface-to-air missiles, this means that area defense missiles, be-
cause of their more widespread sitings, will normally receive their
guidance information from the network system rather than from
acquisition and tracking radars located in the vicinity of the missile
launching site.
Point defense has as its purpose the defense of specified geo-
graphical areas, cities and vital installations. One distinguishing
feature of point defense missiles is that their guidance information
is received from radars located near the launching sites. The present
state of the art justifies development of point defense surface-to-air
missile systems for use against air targets at expected altitudes out
to a horizontal range of the order of 100 nautical miles.
It must be clearly understood that the Commander-in-Chief,
Continental Air Defense Command, who has been given the re-
sponsibility for the Air Defense of the Continental United States,
Alaska, and the United States area of responsibility in the North
East, also has the authority and duty for stating his operational need
for new or improved weapon systems and for recommending to the
Joint Chiefs of Staff all new installations of any type. Therefore, no
Service shall unilaterally plan for additional missile installations
of either category (point or area defense) in support of CIN-
CONAD's responsibilities until and unless they have been recom-
mended by CINCONAD to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and approved
by that body. In conformance with the above:
a. The Army is assigned responsibility for the development,
procurement and manning of land-based surface-to-air missile sys-
tems for point defense. Currently, missile systems in the point de-
fense category are the NIKE I, NIKE B, and land-based TALOS.
b. The Air Force is assigned responsibility for the develop-
ment, procurement and manning of land-based surface-to-air missile
systems for area defense. Currently, the missile system in the area
defense category is the BOMARC.
c. The Navy, in close coordination with the Army and Air
Force, is assigned responsibility for the development, procurement
and employment of ship-based air defense weapon systems for the
accomplishment of its assigned functions.
d. The Marine Corps is authorized to adapt to its organic use,
such surface-to-air weapons systems developed by the other Services
as may be required for the accomplishment of its assigned functions.
e. In overseas areas, the U. S. theater commander should nor-
mally assign responsibility for air defense to an air component
commander, with appropriate participation by other components.
Under this arrangement, Army units in the combat zone should
continue to be responsible for their own local defense, employing
organic means. Other Army air defense units should carry out point
defense missions under the air component commander. Air Force
units should carry out the area defense missions. Special emphasis
should be given to simplicity, flexibility and mobility of weapon
systems employed in air defense in overseas areas. Navy forces
should continue to be responsible for their own air defense at sea,
employing organic means. As approved by the theater commander,
the air component commander should establish such procedures for
coordinating Army, Navy, and Air Force air defense forces as may
be required to carry out his responsibilities, and, in addition, should
establish such detailed procedures as are necessary for proper co-
ordination with national air defense commanders of allied countries.
4. Air Force Tactical Support 01 the Army.
The Army will continue its development of surf ace-to-surf ace
missiles for close support of Army field operations with the follow-
ing limitations:
a. That such missiles be designed and programmed for use
against tactical targets within the zone of operations, defined as
extending not more than 100 miles beyond the front lines. As such
missiles would presumably be deployed within the combat zone
normally extending back of the front lines about 100 miles, this
places a range limitation of about 200 miles on the design criteria
for such weapons.
b. That the tactical air support functions beyond those that can
be provided by Army surface-to-surface missiles as above defined
remain the responsibility of the Air Force.
It is evident that the tactical air forces programnled for Anny
support should be reconsidered and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have
been requested to furnish me with their recommendations for speci-
fic adjustments as to the number and types of planned Army guided
missile and unguided rocket units and with the number of Air Force
tactical wings which may be eliminated as a result of these decisions.
In preparing these recommendations, the development of bal-
anced and interrelated Army and Air Force tactical support forces
for the accomplishment of overall U. S. national security objectives
must be considered, rather than the development of completely
independent Army and Air Force forces to accomplish tactical sup-
12 ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
port tasks. In developing force recommendations in this area, as
well as for other U. S. military forces, it should be recognized
that all operations in which our forces will be employed will be
conducted under the command of the designated commanders who
will have the necessary forces assigned to them for the conduct of
their missions by higher authority.
5. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM).
In regard to the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles:
a. Operational employment of the land-based Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missile System will be the sole responsibility of the
U. S. Air Force.
b. Operational employment of the ship-based Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missile system will be the sole responsibility of the
U.S. Navy.
c. The U. S. Army will not plan at this time for the operational
employment of the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile or for any
other missiles with ranges beyond 200 miles. This does not, how-
ever, prohibit the Army from making limited feasibility studies in
this area. (The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile has previously been
assigned for operational employment to the U. S. Air Force.)
There are a number of other matters relating to research and
development of particular weapons that will affect the choice of
weapons to be used for various missions in the armed services. These
choices can only be made after a careful technical review of the
capabilities of the various weapons under development. I refer
particularly to weapons systems such as the NIKE and T ALOS and
the multiple approach (JUPITER-THOR) to developments such as
the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile. This memorandum does
not attempt to answer those questions which can only be decided
after studies now in progress are completed, and should not be so
interpreted.
In the meantime, these competing weapons systems will be
continued with support from Fiscal Year '57 funds until the com-
pletion of the technical evaluation referred to above. Budget sup-
port in Fiscal Year '58 for the land-based TALOS, as required, will
be provided by the U. S. Army. Budget support in Fiscal Year '58
for the land-based Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Program,
as required, will be provided by the U. S. Air Force.
Sp-3 Gerhardt M. Hoff
W
HEN HELICOPTERS FIRST APPEARED in the Army, seasoned L-19
pilots wondered what they would do that the beloved "Bird Dog"
could not accomplish just as well, and a lot faster. At first appear-
ance, the rotary-wing aircraft seemed frail and unfitted for any of
the tasks that Army aviation had been doing since becoming organic
to the various branches. The actual perf ornlance of helicopters has
provided the answer to these and other questions.
Air search and rescue have become too commonplace for more
than a mere mention of floods, hurricanes and sudden disasters
which have found rotary-wing ideal for evacuation. A woman was
snatched from the brink of Niagara Falls and certain death. People
by the hundreds have been lifted from roof tops and trees, high
ground and from steeples. There is no end to the stories of rescue
work.
On the other side of the picture, just in a matter of minutes last
summer more than 100 key government officials were flown out of
Washington, D.C. by Army H-21s in a Civil Defense mass evacua-
tion as part of Operation Alert.
Illustrated above is an artist's conception of an Army H21 towing a truck across a
muddy stretch. Courtesy Vertol Aircraft Corp.
Operating as an "aerial crane", a British helicopter recently
helped steeplejacks to erect a navigation beacon on a windswept
outcrop of rocks 400 yards offshore at Penmon Point, Anglesay,
saving weeks of work. The only other method possible would have
been to ferry the steelwork to the rocks against a swift current,
and to hoist it in place with the aid of derrick booms.
The Navy has a helicopter minesweeper that has been tested
and the pulling power of the craft has amazed even the engineers.
The Army has conducted towing tests, too, and believes minefields
can be cleared with helicopters. As an additional feature, the Navy
is now using sonar equipped helicopters for anti-submarine warfare.
These craft are equipped with weapons to destroy any submarines
detected by their airborne sonar.
In civil usage, helicopters have replaced the crow's nest look-
out of whaling ships. Helicopters ranging far from whaling ships
spot the big water-borne mammals and radio the ~ i p this news.
Seal hunting, always a difficult task heretofore, is now a scientific
profitable business with the aid of helicopters.
As a: piece of military equipment, the helicopter's usefulness in
military applications can only be conjectured since operational
comparisons would have to be determined. In part this has been
done by a supporting infantry battalion at The Army Aviation Cen-
ter, Ft. Rucker, Ala.
An H-34 hovers over
the 99th BeT motor
pool as helicopters took
over the duties of the
"deadlined" trucks
during an exercise.
1956
HELICOPTER UNLIMITED
15
In a number of simulated situations-isolations, combat dam-
age, terrain obstacles-the questions asked and partially answered
were:
Could helicopters help out? Assuming an infantry unit's entire
heavy (2Y2-ton) transportation was eliminated, could helicopters
take over and do the job?
From the first, project officers made it clear, the object of the
test was limited. The question was not whether 21;2-ton trucks could
be permanently and finally removed from an infantry unit's TO&E,
but only whether helicopters could replace trucks in an emergency
situation for a short period of time. The answer to this question as
contained in the report of Lt Col Cecil F. Hunnicutt, Commanding
Officer, 99th BCT, and principal project supervisor, was a sub-
stantiall y unqualified "yes".
Test conditions established by the project unit, 99th BCT, in
cooperation with the Department of Rotary-Wing Training, The
Army Aviation School, included: 1. The 99th's twenty 2
1
h-ton
trucks were administratively deadlined for a period of two weeks
and replaced by a regular contingent of six H-19 helioopters. This
section was augmented once by one H-34 and two H-21s.
During a two-week period, the four companies of the 99th BCT
and its administrative sections directed all requests for truck trans-
portation to the 99th Motor Pool, as usual. The dispatcher, however,
instead of assigning one of the infantry's truck drivers to perform
the requested mission passed the request on to Rotary-Wing's Liaison
Officer, Capt Foy R. Ketchersid, who, in tum, assigned one of the
six helicopters to do the job.
Landings and daytime maintenance were performed on the
asphalt center of the 99th's motor pool. According to Capt Ketchersid,
the helicopters required very little maintaining. One of the ships
developed a bind in the controls. It was grounded for about two
hours. Another had generator trouble. Other than this, no trouble
developed in spite of rigorous use. Capt Ketchersid attributed this
to the same pilots flying the same aircraft daily. The pilots were
exceptionally well-qualified and avoided overloading and "pulling
them apart."
A survey of the 99th's heavy transportation requirements in a
representative period preceding the test showed that its 20 trucks
Sp-3 Gerhardt M. Hoff is administrative NCO 0/ the 99th BCT. The views expressed
in this article are the author's and are not necessarily those 0/ the Department 0/
the Army or 0/ The Army Aviation School.-The Editor
B-2l delivers 99th BeT members to parade site.
had covered a weekly average distance of 1,100 miles and were
utilized half the time for The Army Aviation School field problems
and the rest of the time for internal 99th functions.
These are some of the more unusual missions performed by
the helicopters acting as airborne delivery trucks:
. On the first day of the experiment, the six helicopters carried
approximately 7,000 pounds of 105 howitzer ammunition to Fort
Rucker firing ranges. On the ' second day, the rotary craft trans-
ported 105 men ftom the bayonet course to an outlying map reading
class area. On the fifth day, reinforced by one H-34 and two H-21s,
the fleet ferried 300 infantrymen to The Army Aviation Center's
parade ground and 'back to the home area.
In between; the pilots carried out pick-ups and delivery of
clothing and equipment from the Center Quartermaster and shuttled
personnel into reconnaissance flight problem areas established by
The Army Aviation School's Department of Fixed-Wing Training.
Capt Felix G. Buchanan, the 99th's S-4, reported that a total of
70 tons of supply and equipment as well as 1668 passengers were
airlifted in the two-week period of the experiment. The assigned
rotary craft flew a total of 451 sorties.
The infantry unit's representative reported difficulties in mak-
ing trash pickups between troop barracks and removing excavation
dirt from the motor pool. Rotary-Wing named inadequate familiar-
ity of troops with loading procedures and a persistent dust condition
as minor bottlenecks.
Recommendations for improvement of future operations called
for construction of heliports in troop areas, removal of power lines
and increased loading capacity f0r flying truck-helicopters.
1956 HELICOPTER UNLIMITED 17
99th project officers especially commented about the need for
fight standard containers to be used interchangeably in helicopters
and trucks. With such a container, it was pointed out, supplies could
be transferred from the warehouse to the field, while being handled
or packaged at the warehouse only.
An interesting sidelight represented the attitude of infantry
personnel to the novel means of transportation made available to
them. While the long-range utility of helicopter transportation for
an infantry unit might still be subject to debate, the effect of the
helicopter as a morale booster for ground units is not.
Thus, for instance, while preparations and inspections preced-
ing a parade are usually performed on a grumbling note, transpor-
tation in a helicopter made this event popular. Said one of the
soldiers, "This is one parade I wouldn't want to miss."
Bayonet training-a strenuous and toilsome practice-also
gained attraction when offered in a helicopter package. Project
officers were somewhat surprised to find themselves with 105 instead
of a scheduled 75 bayonet trainees on their hands at the troop load-
ing. This caused one of the few delays in the operations.
Travelling in a helicopter quickly turned ground troops into
rotary-wing enthusiasts. "It's faster, cleaner and more comfortable,"
was the laconic consensus. Foot soldiers compared the bumps and
grinds of a "deuce-and-a-half" to the smooth ride of a helicopter
and chose the latter in an informal poll.
Whatever the conclusions and recommendations of the project
officers happen to be, one thing is certain: the helicopters will con-
tinue to roll up their unique record of performance in time of war
and peace, during disasters and plain day-to-day living.
Airlifting an L-19 from a cornfield with an Army H-34 gave
someone an idea. and now the feasibility of using a helicopter for
assisting an airplane during takeoff is being studied. Surprisingly
enough, the helicopter assisted takeoff (HATO) theoretically proved
superior to other methods. HATO can be expected to reduce the
take-off distance of various airplanes by a mlnimllm of sixty per
cent, according to "A Study of Helicopter Assisted Takeoff for Air-
planes" prepared by the lB. REA Company.
No matter in which direction one looks, the uses of a helicopter
can be found and the list is growing by leaps and bounds. The ex-
pression, "Let George do it," is rapidly being replaced with "Let's
get a helicopter."
-
CAM BOOlA
MA LA Y Army
In
w. Courtenay, o. B. E., ~ M. l
B RITISH EXPERIENCE in the Malaya campaign gave birth to doc-
trine that can well serve for use in any jungle operation. Victory
was achieved largely by unorthodox use of Army aviation which can
be applied in jungle operations.
In Malaya, the Communists employed terrorist tactics. These
comprised using the jungle as cover, operating in small platoons
of about 30 to 100 men, raiding roads, ambushing trains, assassi-
nating rubber planters and intimidating rubber tappers from ven-
turing forth to work. The great weakness of a campaign of this sort
is the lack of food in the jungles. British military policy concen-
trated on this. The plan was to blockade the Communists in the
jungle. The commander concentrated the Chinese squatters from
hundreds of outlying villages, where they could neither be super-
vised nor protected, into larger centers.
The commander's hope was that the Communists would have
to approach these bigger, better protected communities for food.
Instead, the enemy retired into the jungle and formed the MIN
YUEN-a secret society of Chinese in Malaya and Singapore, num-
bering more than 100,000 at one time. They would purchase the
food and hoard it in the jungle throughout the nine Malayan States.
With food dumps well dispersed they were soon back in the ter-
rorist and bandit business. To combat this, volunteers from all
British infantry units and the Malay Regiment were trained as
paratroops. The air force prepared to drop them into jungle areas
where the food dumps were known or suspected to exist.
Once in the jungle, a firm base was prepared and from it the
patrols sought the food dumps. The patrols remained in the jungle
30 days. Each day the Transport Squadrons of the Commonwealth
Air Forces dropped supplies to the firm bases. This involved flying
at tree top level, being guided to the pin point on the map references
across featureless jungle and an equally featureless map by white
smoke signals from the ground. By radio contact-the patrol carried
walkie talkies-the aircraft could also often be guided to the drop
zone. Everything required for daily use was dropped.
Experience proved that the fixed-wing aircraft is not ideal for
this task. It must make a run-in over dense jungle where there is no
possibility of effecting a safe landing in case of difficulties. It would
Mr. Courtenay is a famous British war correspondent who recently toured military
installations throughout the United States. This article first appeared in CA ADIAN
AVIATION. The views expressed in this article are the author's and are not necessarily
those of the Department of the Army or of The Army Aviation School.- The Editor
fly at just above stalling speed which in hot climate and thin air
does not permit much margin of safety.
Several "bombing runs" must be made to ensure accurate drops;
some dummy runs are involved where the pilot is not satisfied he
is well positioned, and the area covered by circling and the run-in
wakes up great areas of jungle. As a result any prospect of a sur-
prise operation dissolves and the terrorists soon know in which area
a patrol is operating so they can avoid capture or a clash.
Helicopter Changes Odds
Experience showed that if large helicopters able to carry a
worthwhile load were available, all the adverse factors change in
favor of the attack. The following advantages then accrue: The
soldiers can be flown to a point much nearer the map reference for
pouncing on terrorists and their camps with the advantage of sur-
prise. The men can be dropped into the jungle and be quite fresh for
an assault, thus cutting down the arduous jungle marching. Prospects
of surrounding a whole camp and of destroying all terrorists within
it became more promising. Supplies can be dropped with pin-point
accuracy by hovering. By means of ropes men with supplies can be
lowered to jungles and brought out where a loading zone does not
exist. Hazards associated with parachuting can be eliminated. Patrols
could be returned to camp for comfortable living during hours of
darkness and returned at dawn for daylight duties. Patrols can be
brought out of the jungle in 20 minutes, thus saving two days of
jungle crossing to main roads at the close of a 30-day patrol. Before
the helicopter, all men moving from jungle patrols had to fight their
way out to the main roads.
By 1951 this phase of the blockade was beginning to produce
results. More Chinese felt confidence in the government and would
volunteer information as to whereabouts of the enemy and composi-
tion of his forces. This in tum provided a better intelligence picture
and more food dumps were being located and destroyed.
The enemy moved into still deeper jungle, which brought one
beneficial result. They were moving too far from main settled areas
to be bothersome and life became safer in towns and larger villages
and on main roads and rails. But it also meant that the terrorists met
the aborigines in the jungle and forced them to grow food for them.
These stone age folk, of whom so little was known in earlier years,
live entirely in and off the jungle. The Communists compelled them
1956 ARMY AVIATION IN MALAYA 21
to grow food, converted some to Communism and trained others as
"radar" warning patrols against the approach of the British.
By 1952 the terrorists were back in the business of banditry
again because their essential problem of food was solved. When it
was discovered that the jungle dwellers were being forced to provide
food, it was realized the answer lay in the helicopter.
Through careful planning and skillful execution, the jungle
tribes were turned against the Communists. By 1955 the Com-
munists were forced to give the villages a wide berth and to grow
their own food. This required clearing jungle with only primitive
tools. It involved clearing enough land for sun and air to get at the
plants and insure growth to harvest. By the end of 1955 three squad-
rons of helicopters were available and between seed time and harvest
time these craft burned out many possible food sources. One squad-
ron had been fitted with simple devices for spraying with chemicals
and it was possible to destroy a garden "patch" without even landing.
While these were the main lines of influence of Army aviation
on the campaign, they were by no means all of it. Small spotter
planes played a great role, flying low over jungle at slow speeds
to seek terrorists camps and take pictures. From this photo recon-
naissance, good photo intelligence was built up.
Prestwick Pioneer Introduced
The Prestwick Pioneer single-engine plane was introduced in
this operation. The Pioneer can operate from 200-yard airstrips and
take off in 75 yards with four men aboard or an equivalent load of
supplies. They were employed to ferry troops and supplies, thus
releasing the helicopter for its real mission in deep jungle.
The helicopter employed could not carry more than four pas-
sengers and crew of two and in that climate the rotor blades do not
grip the air as well as in colder air. Vertical ascents for over 220
feet are often essential as there is no room for running takeoff. The
Pioneer can carry as big a load as the helicopter and can thus
replace it for many non-tactical missions.
As a result of a combination of all these uses of Army aviation,
Ching Peng, the Communist leader, emerged from the jungle last
December to seek an armistice.
The greatest significance and value of the victory lies in the fact
that, if the Communists challenge any further territory in Southeast
Asia, the use of all these means, reinforced by more helicopters,
will provide a sure means of fightine; this menace.
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AREFUL INVESTIGATION of all Army air-
craft accidents by trained medical per
sonnel will provide a valuable contribution
to the over-all preventive medicine program
of t ~ Army Medical Department.
Thorough painstaking investigation with
accurate recording of findings related to G-
forces generated in crashes, observations on
structural failure of the plane along with
the condition and effectiveness of protective
devices such as seat belts, shoulder harness,
etc., are essential in accident reports. The
nature and extent of injuries to occupants,
whether minor, major, or fatal, as well as
- escape from injury, should be recorded in
these reports.
Whenever possible, an attempt should be
made to correlate injuries sustained by per-
sonnel with structural failure in aircraft
design. The provision or absence of protec
tive devices, their condition and effective-
ness should be specifically noted. This in
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MEDICAL INVESTIGA TION VITAL IN AIR ACCIDENTS 23
formation provides valuable clues to aeronautical engineers for
modification of aircraft or protective equipment design to lessen
or eliminate the occurrence of similar injuries in future accidents.
How may such information be obtained? Prerequisite for this
is "on the spot" investigation by medical officers who have been
trained in aviation medicine and have some knowledge of Army
aviation operations. These officers must be familiar with the type
aircraft involved, the nature and duration of the particular mission,
as well as possible relationship of environmental and/ or intrinsic
factors in the pilot, to the accident production.
Fatal Injury
In all instances of fatal injuries, it is essential that thorough
post mortem examinations and reports be made, unless personnel
have been so completely destroyed that this is not practicable. Rup-
ture of vital organs or disruption of major blood vessels may be
found, in the absences of marked external evidence of trauma.
In the June 1955 issue, Journal of Aviation Medicine, Mr. A.
Howard Hasbrook, Director of Aviation Crash Injury Research at
Cornell University, cited a recent survivable crash of a military heli-
copter as an example of the need for greater emphasis on this type
investigation: "Two of the four occupants died. No one knows why
they died and why the other two survived. If a flight surgeon and
an accident investigator had been able to conduct a crash-injury
investigation and analysis, the answer might have been found. This
in tum could have produced life-saving data for future helicopter
design."
He emphasized the need for indoctrination of medical officers,
the necessity for flight surgeons and pathologists to make detailed
examinations of the injured persons and to report in detail the
results of such medical examination or autopsies.
Why is it that some occupants receive serious or fatal injuries
in an aircraft accident, while others in the same crash sustain but
minor trauma, or in some instances escape with no injury? The
answers to these questions are not always easily obtained, but
information concerning the location and position of personnel in
the plane at the time of the crash, as well as the provision and proper
Lt Col Rollie M. Harrison is Flight Surgeon with the 31st Surgical Hospital,
USAREUR. The views expressed in this article are the author's and are not neces-
sarily those of the Department of the Army or The Army Aviation School.- The Editor
use of protective equipment, may help to provide the answers.
Serious Injury
In a training accident at Fort Sill, Okla., in 1952, a student
pilot (flying a TL-21) sustained a severe laceration of the left
parietal scalp, cerebral concussion and compression fracture of the
3d lumbar vertebra; the instructor pilot (seated in the rear) received
but a few mild contusions and a severe shaking up generally. The
investigation revealed the following information. The plane crashed
in a nose and left wing low attitude when the student made a low,
slow, downwind tum. On the spot investigation revealed no failure
in cabin structure or protective equipment, seat belt and shoulder
harness. An indentation in the instrument panel, the presence of
blood and a few human hairs adhering to the spot indicated the
point of contact by the student pilot's head. Questioning the injured
man revealed that for some unknown reason he had neglected to
secure the right strap of his shoulder harness. The result of this
carelessness was that on impact of the aircraft he was thrown for-
ward with a twisting motion of his body to the left. This allowed his
head to strike the instrument panel and produced a compressing
effect on his lumbar spine. Proper application and securing of
safety belt and shoulder harness by the instructor pilot undoubtedly
prevented his being thrown forward and receiving serious or fatal
injuries. Numerous incidents along somewhat similar lines could
be related, but this one points out the fact that medical investiga-
tion provided the answer to the question, "Why was one occupant
seriously injured while the other escaped without serious injury?"
It also proved that protective devices do help to prevent serious
injuries, but that in order to be effective they must be properly
applied and secured.
The Pilot
Thus far this discussion has been concerned primarily with the
relationship between aircraft accidents and the resulting injuries.
Now consider the pilot himself; his physical and emotional status.
The effects of fatigue, discomfort, poor visibility, physical condi-
tion, stress and emotional or physiological states on human capa-
bilities are important considerations in accident investigation pro-
cedures. Here are a few pertinent questions, the answers to which
1956 MEDICAL INVESTIGATION VITAL IN AIR ACCIDENTS 25
may be of some material assistance in revealing the cause of the
accident, and at the same time indicate the need for recommenda-
tions concerning the overall operational program.
Has he had any recent illness ? Was he preoccupied with per-
sonal problems, a sick child or wife, or how to meet some financial
obligation on time? Had he obtained adequate rest prior to under-
taking this flight? How many hours and what type flying had he
done in the past twenty-four hours, the past week or month? What
was the nature and duration of the mission that resulted in the acci-
dent? Is there any evidence of carbon monoxide or other intoxica-
tion? Are his visual functions normal?
The answers to these questions are of considerable importance
since they may reveal a direct relationship between a physical
inadequacy and the accident production.
Personal observations made on flying personnel over a con-
siderable length of time have revealed fatigue or emotional unrest
as contributing factors to aircraft accidents in a number of instances.
Such information is obtained by the interview and examination of
involved personnel as soon after the accident as possible. Routine eye
examination after minor accidents revealed such abnormalities as
defective vision, faulty depth perception and occular muscle imbal-
ance. A recheck after a period of rest and relaxation, in some
instances failed to reveal the same degree of deficiency, emphasiz-
ing the need for doing these examinations while the state of fatigue
or stress is still in evidence in order to obtain a true evaluation of
the individual functions.
Injuries sustained by operating personnel in these accidents
were generally of a minor nature, but the cost of wrecked equip-
ment involved many thousands of dollars.
Preventive Medicine
Such observations bear out the need for a continuous preven-
tive medical program to insure safety of flying personnel and un-
necessary expenditure of equipment. Early interview and examina-
tion by the doctor will frequently provide clues which reveal human
deficiencies that contribute to the accident occurrence. Occasionally
relevant information of a confidential nature that would not be
revealed to the commanding officer, may be obtained during such
interviews, especially when the pilot knows the flight surgeon well
and reposes confidence and respect in him.

Because of the important role played by human variables,
accident prevention is a preventive medical problem. Consideration
of basic physical, physiological and psychological characteristics
may provide valuable information relative to accident occurrence.
Therefore it is essential that a careful medical investigation be con-
ducted in all Army aircraft accidents, with the following points
in mind:
1. Observation and notation of nature and extent of injuries,
or escape from injury.
2. Correlation of injury with structural failure of the aircraft.
3. Presence and success or failure of protective equipment.
4. Early interview and examination of personnel involved in
non-fatal accidents in order to reveal deficiencies incurred by fati-
gue or stress which might not be present after 24 to 36 or more
hours of rest and relaxation.
5. Initiation of action to correct physical deficiencies such as
sub-standard visual acuity, or to relieve fatigue or stress situations.
6. Review of accident history; number and nature of previous
flying accidents, type aircraft involved and mission, nature and
extent of injuries incurred. At this time also, the reaction of the
individual to the situation may be evaluated as well as his attitude
toward future flying duty.
7. Thorough and carefully recorded post mortem examination
of all fatally injured persons when possible.
TRECOM
The U.S. Army Transportation Research and Development
Command (TRAD'COM) has been redesignated the Transportation
Research and Engineering Command (TRECOM) . All Army
aviation engineering responsibilities under the Chief of Trans-
portation are now under TRECOM.
The Command's mission is to keep the Chief of Transporta-
tion informed of the latest means for conveying supplies and
equipment, and to design and develop transportation equipment
and innovations suitable for movement over all types of terrain.
TRECOM employs a staff of selected scientific and technical
experts-engineers, architects, analysts, consultants, and research
workers-both military and civilian. In addition, it utilizes the
resources of research organizations, colleges, universities, engineer-
ing firms and management consultants in solving special problems
and developing new equipment.
BRATUKHIN OMEGA I
Russian Helicopter Activities
Eugene K. Liberatore
S
OVIET INTEREST IN HELICOPTERS began in 1925, and in the inter-
vening years systematic attempts were made to solve the prob-
lems of helicopter flight. Several research vehicles were built during
the 1930-1945 period. However, the work never had a high priority,
and it remained for the Western Nations to show Russia successful
configurations.
Soviet engineers currently associated with helicopter develop-
ments are Bratukhin, Kamov, Mil, and Yakovlev, the fixed-wing
designer who is credited with one helicopter project. The work of
these engineers is discussed below.
Bratuk hin
I. P. Bratukhin is a rotary-wing engineer whose work dates
back to 1925. During the 1930s, he developed the single-rotor con-
figuration using various means for counteracting rotor torque.
In 1941, the Omega I was flown. This was a two-place craft
with lateral rotors mounted on outriggers. Two engines were also
located outboard. These powerplants were M-11 radials, rated at
about. 140 hp. This craft was reported in production. However, it
appears it was never a successful design.
Eugene K . Liberatore is the director of Engineering, Flettner Aircraft Corp. He
edited "Helicopter Handbooks," a 16-volume treatise on rotary-wing aircraft now
being published by the Department of Commerce. This article first appeared in the
September, 1956, "Newslette';' of the American Helicopter Society, Inc. The views
expressed in this article are the author's and are not necessarily those of the Depart.
ment of the Army or of The Army Aviation School.- The Editor
28
December
In 1948, the Omega II
appeared. The same rotor
arrangement was used,
but the craft was larger
and aerodynamically
cleaner than the first ver-
sion. The Omega II car-
ried a crew of two and
six passengers. Two ASH-
21, 7-cylinder radial en-
gines were used having a
KAMOV Helicopter take-off rating of 750 hp.
At least one was built,
and it appears development has been dropped.
In 1953, the Omega III was reported under development. The
craft is designed to carry 32 passengers. Lateral rotors are used.
However, the power plants are located in the fuselage. Two ASH-90
engines, similar to the Wright Duplex Cyclone, deliver a total of
4,000 hp for take-off.
Kamov
N.!. Kamov began his rotary-wing career in the autogiro field
during the 19209. In 1930, he was one of the two engineers who
produced Russia's first autogiro, the KASKR-l. During the 1930s,
Kamov was one of the more active autogiro designers. The A-7 series
by Kamov saw military service from
1938 through the start of World War II.
The Kamov helicopter designs are one- .
place coaxial rotor types, called Verto-
let ( Vertical Flyer). The K -17 appeared
in 1948. The prototype utilized two three-
blade rotors with tapered blades. These
were driven by an Aubier-Dunn type en-
gine. The original version utilized an
open framework carrying pontoons.
Around 1950, a later model appeared
with the pilot enclosed in a cabin.
In 1954, an Army Vertolet was demon-
strated at Tushino. This latest version
carried two large vertical tail surfaces
replacing the small tail of the prototype.
KAMOV K-17 Variants
1956 RUSSIAN HELICOPTER ACTIVITIES 29
A model KA-I0 has
also been reported. This
craft utilized a 50 hp en-
gme.
Mil
Like Kamov, M. L. Mil
started his rotary -wing
career in the autogiro MIL MI-I
field during the mid-
1920s. As a member of ZAGl, he delivered one of his first papers
at the Third All-Union Conference on Aerodynamics. The paper
was on the take-off run of the autogiro. Until recently, his name has
been associated with research and development rather than design
and construction. However, the first successful helicopter in Russia
has been the Ml-l (Hare). The craft appeared in 1951, and it
resembled the Bristol 171. This- 4-5 place machine is powered by a
640 hp ASH-21 radial engine. The gross weight is approximately
5,400 lbs., and the rotor diameter 48 feet. The MI-2 has a 3-blade
rotor with fully articulated blades, including friction dampers.
Mil Ml-l
The MI-4 helicopter has the code designation "Hound." It re-
sembles the Sikorsky H-19, but it is in the weight category of the
H-34. The "Hound" appears destined to be the first rotary-wing
"work-horse" in the U.S.S.R. These machines are now used in mili-
tary and civil operations.
During 1954-55, they participated in the North Pole opera-
tions, being based on Ice Floe Stations drifting in the Arctic Circle.
In addition to routine reconnaissance, the helicopter was used for
rescue in ice breakups. In one operation,. Jhe ice floe was break-
ing up, threatening to divide the camp into three parts. The heli-
MI-4 (Hound)
copter was used to locate a new
camp site to which material and
personnel were transferred. In
another breakup, a mechanic was
detached from the main floe. The
rescue was- accomplished by heli-
copter.
The MI-4 helicopter has also
30 RUSSIAN HELICOPTER ACTIVITIES
been used in geological
survey in the Siberian
Tiaga, the thick woodland
below the Arctic Circle.
One machine was used in
1955, and for the 1956
operations, it was planned
to use twelve of these
helicopters.
In late 1955, the Rus-
YAK-24 (Horse) sians announced plans
for commercial helicopter
operations around Mos-
cow. On short trips, the machine could carry 10 to 15 passengers.
Approximate characteristics of the MI-4 are as follows:
Rotor Diameter (Ft.) 56.5
Normal Gross Weight (Lbs.) 12,000
Normal Useful Load (Lbs.) 4,400
Powerplant, One ASH-62 1,000 Hp
Disc Loading (P.S.F.) 4.78
Maximum Speed (M.P.H.) 130
Yakovlev
The Yak-24 tandem rotor helicopter (Horse) is credited to A.
Yakovlev, the noted fixed-wing designer. The rotor systems appear
to be two units as used on the MI-4. It is also possible that the main
transmissions are essentially those of the Ml-4. The gross weight of
the craft is approximately 30,000 Ibs. Two engines are used with a
total rating of about 2,000 hp. The normal crew of four includes two
pilots, a navigator, and a radio operator. A maximum payload of
four tons has been reported.
This resume and the accompanying illustrations show that
Russia has come abreast of us in yet another field of engineering.
There is little novelty in their designs. However, their fields of
application have been remarkably diverse considering the relatively
short period of time they have been used operationally. While we
are wondering how to squeeze a few hundred hours more out of a
transmission, or forsaking it for VTO, the Russians are probably
wondering what is the best way to transport live fish by helicopter.
Army Aviation Maintenance
Sfc Raymond A. Dix
you, AN ARMY AVIATION staff officer, behind on flight minimums,
arrive early at the Division Airstrip bent on catching up. A
weather check paints a rosy picture, so your next question is directed
to your maintenance officer.
"Say, Captain Jones, how's the L-20 802? OK for flight?"
Captain Jones, looking at his daily status board, replies, "Hold
on just a second please, Major, the board is not up to date, so let
me check with Sgt Smith."
Captain Jones enters the hangar and shouts, "Hey Smitty, roll
out 802. The old man wants to fly. It's OK, isn't it?"
"OK, Captain, yes sir, I guess it's OK," Sgt Smith replies.
"It flew yesterday." Sgt Smith calls to Joe, the crew chief, and a
couple of other men to roll out 802. In the process Sgt Smith asks,
"Hey Joe, did you postflight this monster?"
Joe answers, "Sure, I did it just before quitting last night when
it came in from that last flight. Had a date at 1800 and was almost
late."
You are standing by, out on the ramp, when the aircraft arrives
and you ask the crew chief to get the APU while you proceed with
your preflight. Results: One fuel tank empty, left tire pressure low,
oil five quarts low, windshield dirty.
Then Joe arrives. "Sorry, sir, the APU busted down last week
and it isn't fixed yet."
You reply, "OK, then get the slave cable and jeep."
"Sorry, sir, I loaned the slave cable to the 18th FA Bn yes-
terday and they haven't brought it back yet" is Joe's reply.
You open the 781 and say to Joe, "According to this book you
are the crew chief, is that a fact?"
"Yes, sir," replies Joe.
"Well, then take a reading on the oil dip stick, and add some,"
you order.
SIc Raymond A. Dix is the Army Aircraft Maintenance Technical Inspector for
units under Headquarters VII Corps, Stuttgart, Germany. The views expressed in
this article are the author's and are not necessarily those of the Department 0/ the
Army or 0/ The Army Aviation School.-The Editor
With the oil all set and after having the crew chief pull the
prop through a few times you shout, "Clear" and proceed with your
run up. Results as follows: Right mag drop 100 rpm, rough idle
speed of 400 rpm. You decide to fly the pattern anyway and take
off. Results in flight: No heat from the cabin heater and extremely
right wing-heavy. Thoroughly delayed and disgusted, you decide
to land. Upon entry into the operations office, word awaits that
you must report to headquarters immediately and it is several days
before you can return to the airfield.
Who Is At Fault?
A sad story for Army aviation maintenance, but who is to
blame? Private Joe, the crew chief; Sgt Smith, the line chief; Cap-
tain Jones, the maintenance officer; the Major, the aviation officer?
The aviation officer might have been a little over-confident
because he received a grade of "Superior" on his last CM!. Since
that time, however, his maintenance officer and line chief have been
transferred. The Major made a quick decision and appointed Cap-
tain Jones as maintenance officer because his flying record showed
750 :00 hours, although within the unit there was a 2nd Lt with only
110:00 flying hours, but, who had previously been a licensed CAA
A&E mechanic for five years before entry into the Army as a pilot.
Captain Jones had appointed Sgt Smith as line chief, a good man,
but one with less than three years in the Army, and about two in
aviation. Willing to learn, although unable to gain much from
Captain Jones, Sgt Smith was a swell guy with the mechanics, but
failed to check on them or insist on jobs being done completely.
Private Joe, the crew chief, had been in the Army eleven months,
was normally a fairly good man, and had completed Army A&E
School. He knew from the night before that the oil and fuel were
low but was in a hurry and thought, "Nuts, I'll take care of it in
the morning." One of the pilots had told Joe the previous day that
the right wing was slightly heavy in flight, so Joe bent the metal
trim tab of the right aileron down about 20 degrees. True, this was
done in the wrong direct to correct the discrepancy and also too
much of a bend was made, but Joe was new. The discrepancy of the
heater was a known fact. It was carried forward to the 781-3; how-
ever, new parts required to repair it had never been requisitioned
through supply.
1956 ARMY AVIATION MAINTENANCE 33
Culprit - Supervisory Error
Back to the question of who was to blame for the standard of
maintenance of this aircraft. The culprit - supervisory error.
Regardless of the specific assignment within an Army avia-
tion section, m i ~ e n n c e is the responsibility of everyone. A pilot
finding a discrepancy should not tell a mechanic about it, but
should enter it in the 781-2. A mechanic must not guess about a job,
or put off required maintenance; he should know the correct method
and do jobs when they become due. A line chief and maintenance
officer must work closely together and continuously check daily
maintenance. A maintenance officer should not be appointed because
of rank or flight time. It is maintenance knowledge that is required.
An aviation officer should not take for granted that things are run-
ning smoothly because of his last inspection results: he should seek
assurance by spot checks.
New and unskilled mechanic personnel must be guided by con-
scientious supervisors, with little taken for granted. It will be found
that if a mechanic is instructed in the importance of the proper
direction with which to safety wire the head of a bolt or nut, he
will have no trouble with the number of twists required. Also, if
proper instruction is given the new mechanic in the importance of
cleanliness of hard-to-get-at places so that hidden cracks will show,
he will, in tum, show a clean large surface of the aircraft of which
he is proud.
Lack of Proper Supervision
One of the greatest faults of Army aviation maintenance today
is found to be lack of proper supervision. The job is an endless one.
The maintenance supervisor should continually check and supervise
daily maintenance and he should never reach the point where he
signs off a red cross condition without first closely inspecting the
job himself.
A final point on the subject of supervision is the frequent mis-
take on the part of some officers within a unit to rush the mechanic
on a maintenance job. An occasional need for mechanic personnel
to work overtime or during off duty hours is expected, but com-
pensatory time off should also be granted. It is a natural tendency
for an enlisted man to rush a repair job when an officer is standing
by, breathing down his neck.
In the event maintenance work is required on an aircraft, it
is just as important to cancel a flight for a senior officer for this
reason as if the weather conditions were bad.
The United States Army has gone to great expense and effort
in the organization of schools for training mechanical-minded per-
sonnel who go out into the field and maintain Army aircraft. Over
and above these schools, the Army also has contracted with several
civilian manufacturers of aircraft to conduct more advanced phases
of maintenance training.
Personnel permitted to attend any of the above mentioned schools
might have obtained this privilege through one of the following
ways. A man may have received his maintenance training by a
sincere effort on his part, through proper request and application.
He may, on the other hand, have received his training through an
oversight on the part of the Army in not placing him where he was
most qualified. It is also possible that a man may have received
his training and gone out into the field to work with the erroneous
thought in his mind that Army aviation is a gravy train and he wants
to be on it for his short time spent in the Army.
On-the-Job Training Helps
It is inevitable that aviation units find themselves under
strength two or three qualified personnel when their TO&E calls for
eight or ten. This condition, if not corrected, can be of a serious
and dangerous nature. A remedy is not impossible and on-the-job
training can help. By obtaining personnel within the organization
who have a sincere interest in aviation maintenance and placing
those men under the direct supervision of qualified and experienced
supervisors, the shortage can be and has been alleviated.
Let's improve Army aviation maintenance by keeping in mind
to "Think" before, during and after performing any and all tasks
of maintenance. Never be ashamed to admit ignorance of the proper
repair and replacement procedure if such is the case. That is why
we have the best Technical Orders and maintenance publications in
the world. Don't bluff a maintenance job, for you might fly with it.
In the event that you don't and no one else is hurt, the equipment
might be damaged, and taxes are high enough already.
T
HE TECHNIQUES OF ARMY FLYING are not difficult but the pro-
cedures must be followed religiously, and good judgment both
in the sense of accuracy and of experience is necessa ry. The neare'st
approach to flying done by Army aviators is crop-dusting which has
the highest accident rate in civilian aviation.
Among the civilian instructors at The Army- Aviation School
are many ex-crop-duster pilots who are now teaching flying. To a
man they will tell you the most important phase of their task was a
reconnaissance of the field before dusting. One would scan the field
from his car. Another would draw a diagram of the field. A crop-
dusting pilot said, "1 believe 1 could fly most of my crop-dusting
jobs blindfolded." They knew every wire, tree, telephone pole,
Lieutenant Colonel William H. Byrd, Jr., above, is the Director, Test
Division, CONARC Army Aviation Board Nr. 6. He has been flying since
1943 when he completed flight training at Pittsburgh, Kansas, and Fort
Sill, Oklahoma. Colonel Byrd was assigned to the 89th Infantry Division
as Air Officer during World War II and was with that organization until
the end of hostilities. After 'the cessation of hostilities, Colonel Byrd be-
came Assistant Air Officer for the U. S. Constabulary Forces and following
this assignment he was Army Aviation Liaison Officer at Wright Patterson
AFB for four years. When the Korean Conflict began, Colonel Byrd
became Senior Aviation Advisor ,to ROK and later was IX Corps Aviation
Officer. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Colonel Byrd attended
Louisiana State University. He is qualified in all Army fixed-and rotary-
wing aircraft.-The Editor
("(
<.\)- ,
''';''
(
~ \ (-, .
- ,,\ \.' -.. ~
The telephone poles rise above the
observer's eye by exactly the dis-
tance they extend above horizon.
Illustrations by Sp-3 George T. Birch
Trees beyond rise above horizon
obscuring near wires. This is a
common trap in low level missions.
power wire within their radius
of action. All this reasonable
care and caution insured suc-
cessful completion of the mis-
sion with life, limb, and air-
plane intact. This is judgment
in the sense that care and ex-
perience are used in foresight
before the mission is flown.
Judgment in the sense of
being able to make accurate
estimates of heights, distances,
etc., can be developed. Some
of the signs to look for are
illustrated in the pictures.
Lack of this sort of judgment
is evident in the following ac-
cident report, when an L-19,
with pilot and observer, struck
a tree while turning on a
low-level simulated bombing
mission. The pilot had been
instructed to maintain an alti-
tude of between 50 and 100
feet above all obstacles. In re-
viewing the accident, the Army
Aviation Safety Board said:
"It would appear that the
pilot's interest in completing a
successful mission caused him
to go somewhat lower and,
upon entering a turn, the wing
was further lowered and struck
a tree." Two outboard panels
of the right wing were dam-
aged beyond repair. The main
spar and top assembly, for-
ward cabin, were damaged
with the total cost of this ac-
cident $544.39. Fortunately no
one was injured.
1956 THE GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT 37
While marginal situations
appear to be a basis for run-
ning into unseen objects, rea-
sonable care and caution can
red uce the likelihood of such
an incident. A disregard for
regulations enters the picture,
too, as evidenced by the follow-
ing. In Germany a pilot and
observer in an L-19 were pa-
irolling the border and at the
end of the mission, in the
words of the pilot, "I decided
to fly low-level navigation to
the field. We were at 200 to
250 feet most of the time,
flying along a river, when we
saw four kayaks on the water.
I glanced down at them and
when I looked up I saw this
wire in front of me." It was
found later that the wire, a
ferry cable, was actually 50
feet above the river.
The pilot decided to go un-
der the wire and put the stick
forward. The observer's state-
ment clearly explains what fol-
lowed: "Suddenly the plane
seemed to shudder and the pilot
turned with a surprised expres-
sion on his, face. I also turned
and saw a piece of the plane
falling into the river. The pilot
told me we had hit a ferry
cable and lost part of the rud-
der."
The rudderless plane tried
to fly left. The pilot regained
control and attempted to con-
tinue to his home field, but the
I
\, --- - - -
Flight is downward and the air-
plane can hit the wires without
their having risen to the pilot's
horizon line.
When in autorotation the helicop-
ter's angle of descent is so steep
that all obstacles appear only
against the background of the earth.
,f'-- r
( 1 . . ~ t.,r,,,...,r _
. . ~ ~ ~ - - . r J}
- ~ . ./ ~ .
38
December
Another common trap in low-level
ftying-a ferry cable such as de-
scribed herein.
plane began turning to the
right and he decided to land.
He found a suitable emer-
gency field and approached it.
The tail wheel of the aircraft
touched the ground first; 35
feet farther on the main gear
hit the ground with the right
wheel skidding. After skid-
ding for about 15 feet, the
aircraft became airborne again
for 110 feet from the point of
initial contact. The aircraft
traveled 45 feet and struck a
cluster of trees where it nosed
over, the propeller dug into
the ground and the fuselage
buckled. No injuries were sus-
tained by either pilot or ob-
server. Damage to the aircraft amounted to $2,190.27.
Unseen Wires Hamper Landing
The Accident Investigation Board listed the primary cause of
one accident to an H-13 as "incomplete prior reconnaissance of
strange landing site resulted in pilot not seeing the power lines"
which he struck.
This incident began with a short reconnaissance flight in Ger-
many. The pilot had previously flown the same helicopter and found
it operating properly. Eight minutes after takeoff on this particular
flight, according to the pilot, "I noticed a vibration in the helicopter
as though the engine was missing. I decided to land immediately
in the bottom of the valley and check the aircraft, as the terrain
beyond the valley was mountainous. I selected a point to my left
and decided to make a descending left tum to the area. I had located
some wires and set up my pattern to avoid them when I hit some
wires which I had not seen."
The Gray Hair Department is prepared by the ARMY AVIATION DIGEST staff with
information obtained from the files of the Army Aviation Safety Board. The views
expressed in this department are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army
or of The Army Aviation School.-The Editor
1956
THE GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT 39
The investigation board reported that there was no mechanical
failure but "vibration in the helicopter was extensive enough to
cause the pilot to declare an emergency and land immediately to
ascertain the condition of the helicopter."
A further contributing factor, according to the investigation
board, was the state of mind of the pilot caused by a TWX he had
read a short time before the flight concerning carburetor air duct
deterioration. The pilot checked the helicopter for the information
contained in the TWX prior to takeoff and this warning concerning
a specific malfunction entered his mind according to his signed
statement when the engine momentarily ran rough.
The board making the investigation added that a haze restrict-
ing visibility to about two miles could also be considered a con-
tributing factor.
Upon impact with the wires, two % inch wire cables wrapped
around the mast and around the tail rotor assembly, breaking the
control rod assembly from swash plate to mixing rod. The pilot lost
all flight controls of the main rotor. The aircraft spun to the left
and fell about 100 feet and crashed. The tail section was completely
severed when it struck a metal railing and rock wall that ran parallel
to the road. A two-foot section of the aft section of the tail rotor
drive flew through the window of a Gennan house. Bad judgment
abetted by apprehension combined with poor visibility all teamed
up to cause this accident.
Night Flight
A violation of regulations
and good judgment continues
to be listed as contributing
causes by the Aircraft Acci-
dent Investigation Boards. In
an accident involving the pilot
of an H-13G, weather con-
stituted an unhealthy situation.
In making a night flight in
Gennany, in the words of the
pilot, "About 20 miles from
my destination I suddenly flew
into what appeared to be a low-
hanging cloud. I immediately
Unseen wires cause crash
began a descent toward the
autobahn thinking that I would
get better visibility and, fail-
ing in that, land and wait for
better weather. I was too far
out to turn back.
"The visibility did not im-
prove and about 40 feet above
the autobahn the helicopter en-
countered a power cable which
had been invisible until the
moment of contact. The heli-
copter broke through the
cables, which wound around
the mast and tail rotor and I
crashed to the autobahn.
"Getting out of the helicop-
ter I noticed headlights ap-
proaching around the curve of
Crash landing on autobahn the autobahn, and grabbing a
flashlight I ran several steps down the road and began waving it in
an attempt to stop the vehicle. The car failed to stop in time and ran
under the tail boom of the helicopter."
The investigation board stated, "The pilot continued flight
into an area of limited visibility although this constituted a viola-
tion of paragraph 20, AR 95-8."
The Army Aviation Safety Board commented: "It is believed
that pilot error contributed to this accident in that the pilot was
flying at insufficient altitude to insure clearance of power lines en-
countered. It should be noted that this flight was an authorized
night flight and the low altitude flown would give the pilot maximum
benefit in determining ground check points for navigating. It should
be further noted that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board
stated in its findings that entry into the clouds which restricted
visibility was sudden and without prior warning."
The pilot filled out a DD 175 prior to takeoff. No weather in-
formation was available other than an assurance by the CQ indi-
cating clear weather ahead. Taking weather for granted or getting
"second-hand" information cannot be done with impunity, as many
aviators have learned the hard way.
1956 THE GRAY HAIR DEPARTMENT 41
Type of Flying Important
Undoubtedly the type of flying being done affects the prob-
ability of an accident. Frequency with which landing and takeoffs
are made is one such factor. Accident rates for night flying are
higher than for day flying. Bad weather has been reported as a
factor in approximately 8910 of civil aircraft accidents. Hazard is
increased under a variety of other conditions, such as instrument
flying, formation flying and flying at very low altitudes, many of
which are necessary in Army aviation. While information as to
relative hazard of different types of flying has value in indicating
needed emphasis in training or as a guide to policy on the control
of route flights, it does not present the whole picture.
The probability that a pilot will have an accident depends upon
other factors in addition to those which characterize the pilot,
his condition and his training. The probability of having an acci-
dent depends upon the type of mission the pilot is called upon to
fly, the model of plane in which he must fly and the assistance and
support supplied by other personnel. Admittedly, Army aviators
upon graduation from the school are well-trained and are equipped
for almost any eventuality with two exceptions-mature judgment
and experience. This comes only in time, with painstaking obser-
vation, self-development and emulation of older, experienced
aviators.
MAYDAY OR 505?
The Canadian Defense Research Board's medical laboratories
compared MAYDAY and SOS in the presence of noise and speech
to determine their relative detectability values. Results showed
that SOS had the lower audibility threshold and therefore the
greater detectability value. It was recommended that SOS should
be used as the radio-telephony distress signal.
Camp Wolters Gets School Name
Camp Wolters, Tex., has been designated as the Army Primary
Helicopter School. This name will be used in official correspond-
ence to identify the helicopter program conducted there. The
commanding officer of Camp Wolters is designated as Com-
mandant, Army Primary Helicopter School.
THE MEN BEHIND THE SPACE ROCKETS-Gartmann,
Heinz (David McKay Company, Inc., 55 Fifth Ave., New York,
N. Y., 1956. $3.95)
Reviewed by Maior General H. N. Toftoy
Commanding General, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama
Upon being requested to review this book, I intended to lightly
scan it through and write my impressions, but I found it such an
interesting and factual history of rocket pioneering that I read every
sentence.
The author was a German rocket test engineer who had per-
sonal knowledge of much of which he relates. The title, The Men
Behind The Space Rockets, is somewhat misleading; the book is
not as much a biography of the men hoping to achieve space travel
as it is an authentic and fascinating non-technical story of the work
which led to the development of modern rockets and guided missiles.
This work, of course, is a stepping stone to man's future conquest
of space.
Since most of the early research and development work leading
to World War II rockets and guided missiles was performed in
Europe, the book properly deals largely with the technical and
political problems encountered there. The difficulties encountered
by the Americans pioneering the United States' post-war guided
missile program were, however, similar in many respects to those
of the European s i e n t i ~ t s and engineers.
It is an absorbing story of jet propulsion applications to sleds,
motorcars, aircraft and missiles to include the V-2, which serves
as an excellent background for a better understanding of present
day rocketry and astronautics.
SURVIVAL IN THE SKY-Coombs, Ira Charles. (William
Morrow and Company, Inc., 425 Fourth Ave., New York 16, N. Y.,
1956. $3.75)
Shifting his emphasis from modern airplanes to the men who
fly them, the author of Skyrocketing into the Unknown examines the
BOOKS FOR THE ARMY A VIATOR 43
human factors involved in the future development of aviation. After
picturing a jet pilot bailing out at 42,000 feet, he outlines the 'prob-
lems which must be solved before man can fly comfortably and
safely at high altitudes and supersonio speeds. He describes experi-
mental research such as Colonel Stapp's G-Ioad tests and explains
the use of anti-G suits, refrigerated cockpits, pressurized ejection
seats, and electronic computers. A simple, dramatic presentation
of man's survival in the sky.
BATILE HYMN-Hess, Dean E. (McGraw-Hill Book Company,
[nc.,303 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N. Y., 1956. $3.95)
Reviewed by Chaplain (1st Lt) Paul K. McAfee
For a minister to exchange his parish for the chaplaincy to
spend his life serving the men of the armed forces is not so unusual.
But for a minister to choose for himself a life of combat is today
indeed beyond the ordinary.
This Dean E. Hess chose. A minister in Ohio, used to the calm,
quietness of rural parishes, at the outbreak of World War II he
decided that if the young men of his country were to fight and die,
he would do no less than fight beside them.
Told in honest phrasing and simplicity, the story of this man
of God in fighting "harness" opens the reader's eyes to the horrors
of war. The heartache and anxieties of the pilots who must bomb a
city full of innocent citizens is written here. Yet through it all is
woven the strong threads of dedication and courage based on the
belief of the preservation of the ideal of a free world - freedom
for all men in all walks. Dean Hess weighed, time and again, the
values of his choice and action against the encroachments of tyranny,
and in command position, led his fighter pilots into the annihila-
tion of the enemies of the free world he believed in with unwaver-
ing conviction.
Europe in World War II was his classroom: it was in the
Korean conflict that he grew to become, more than a killer, a man
of deep compassion for a hungry, tired, yet determined people. By
his actions alone, backed by sympathetic commanders, he and his
tiny ROK Air Force saved thousands of war-waifs from starvation
and death. Told in stark, realistic terms, the reader follows the
Book reviews appearing in this department do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Department of the Army or of The Army Aviation School.- The Editor
/
creation of "Operation Kiddie Car", where hundreds of children,
living in Seoul, starving in hovels and freezing to death in the winter,
were picked up when the Communists forces were invading the city,
and transported by air to Cheju Island off the southern coast of
Korea. There a large orphanage developed, largely supported by the
gifts of the men of Hess's "outfit". It became a haven for the orphan
and by his work Hess continues to support the orphanage directly.
For his work in training and developing the ROK Air Force,
Col Hess received the Korean Order of Military Merit, the highest
award given by that country. Through him we see a Syngman Rhee
little known to the world, a man of tenderness and love for his
people, as well as a man of strength and determination.
While he was dedicated to his task of destroying the enemy
and his equipment, Col Hess never departed from the deep tenets
of his faith. On the fuselage of his plane were printed, in Korean
characters, the words " By Faith I Fly". It might be said, as well,
by faith he lived. He suffered agony of the soul when, by mistake,
he strafed a group of Korean refugees crossing a river fleeing the
Communists. He literally sweated blood when he watched the flyers
he had trained and grown to love go down in a swirl of flames.
But time after time near miraculous, escapes from death led him to
feel the continued near-presence of God.
Here is a fine book by an unusual and dedicated man, a re-
warding experience in reading in today's world when deep faith
in God is something too often unseen.
Turbine-Powered H-21 C Tested
Vertol Aircraft is equipping two H-21C helicopters with gas
turbine engines under terms of a recent contract awarded by the
U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and the Bureau of Aeronautics.
Two General Electric T-S8 engines will be installed in each
of the helicopters. The turbine-powered H-21 is expected to have
a payload increase of 40 per cent with possible cruising speeds
of up to approximately 150 miles per hour. This increase in
cruising speed and payload will more than double the ton-miles-
per hour capability of the H-21. The hovering ceiling is also
expected to be increased by several thousand feet.
Straight and Level
To: Editor-in-Chief
I recently had the good fortune to
read several copies of your ARMY
A VIATION DIGEST. My immediate
reaction was to try and determine how
I could purchase this publication as
often as it is published. That is the
purpose of this letter.
May I he advised as to how I may
purchase a subscription to your
ARMY AVIATION DIGEST?
CAPT W. T. WALKER, USMC
Hq Co, 1st Marine Brigade, FMF
c/o FPO, San Francisco, Calif.
To: Editor-in-Chief
I am an Army pilot for the 113th
Engineer Bn, Gary, Ind. Our Air
Section Headquarters is in Indian-
apolis. I like to read the ARMY
A VIATION DIGEST 'but I very sel-
dom get to see a copy. If it is at all
po sible, I would like for you to
send me the publication every
month ....
LT RALPH E. DIXON
Munster, Indiana
To: Editor-in-Chief
I enjoy reading the ARMY A VIA-
TION DIGEST very much. However,
I have been unable to obtain copies
of this magazine occasionally. I would
appreciate, if possible, 'being put on
your mailing list so that I may re-
ceive it every month ....
CADET CYRIL MASSAR
United States Military Academy
West Point, New York
To: Editor-in-Chief
We wish to obtain a subscription
to the ARMY AVIATION DIGEST.
COLLINS RADIO COMPANY
Dallas, Texas
To: Editor-in-Chief
We have had an opportunity re-
cently to read several issues of the
ARMY AVIATION DIGEST and
have found them to be extremely in-
teresting and helpful. We would ap-
preciate it if you could put us on
your distribution list for the maga-
zine ....
BURTON E.. ENGLISH
Aircraft Industries Association
Washington, D. C.
These are just a few of the many
requests which the ARMY AVIA-
TION DIGEST receives each month.
Plans are now being formulated for
making this magazine available on a
subscription basis to those individuals
and concerns desiring their own copies.
We hope to have more definite in-
formation on this in next month's
edition.-The Editor.
To: Editor-in-Chief
The ARMY AVIATION DIGEST
is eagerly awaited ,by the officers and
men of this unit. Many of your ar-
ticles and features we like, some we
don't find interesting from our op-
erational standpoint. In answer to
your request for material concerning
operations of sections that may be a
little out of the ordinary or peculiar
to the norm, I submit herewith HELI-
COPTER OPERATION IN CON-
GESTED AREAS.
1ST LT JOHN E. MOREL, ARTY
Aviation Officer, 52d AAA
Brigade
Staten Island, New York
Many thanks to Lt Morel for his
very interesting article about flying
rotary-wing in the most traffic-clogged
city in the world. His story will ap-
pear in the January issue.-The Edi-
tor.
Letters of constructive criticism are
welcomed by the ARMY AVIATION
DIGEST. To appear in this column
they must be signed.-The Editor.
Army Aviation Digest Index: Vol. II, 1956
AIRCRAFT, FUTURE
Helicopter Future, Larry M. Hewin
XH-40 .......... .
COMMANDANT'S COLUMN, THE
A Lack of Variety . . . . . . .
A Personal Note to the Industry .
Autorotations ........ .
Economics of the Military Helicopter.
Everybodls Flying Collision Courses
Joint Strategy . . . . .
Leighton Collins . . . . . .
No More Pilot Error . . .
Situation and Requirement
The Age of Offensive .
Universal Superhighway
What Is An Accident. .
EQUIPMENT
The ARC-44, Major John H. Gray .
Flight Representation- Picture or Symbol?,
CWO-2 Clifford V. Turvey . . . . .
H-13 Helicopter Trailer, E. A. Cutchen. .
Helicopter Powerplant Systems, Pfc Arthur B. Leak .
L-23 Modification: Stowing of Loose Equipment,
Captain Ellis D. Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Land Where You Want to Land, Captain George S. Kent.
Television Equipped Aerial Drone. . . . . . . . . . .
FIXED-WING FLIGHT
Delivery of the U-1 A .
Meet MU, Nolen G. Howell .
HELICOPTER FLIGHT
Coast to Coast in an H-21, William E. Vance
Operation Granite Mountain,
First Lieutenant James C. Greenquist. . .
Ready, Willing and Able, William E. Vance.
INSTRUMENT FLIGHT
ETC, Leighton Collins .
Omni Angles, James Herrick .
Omnigation, LeGene Lott. .
MAINTENANCE
Army Aviation Maintenance, Sfc Raymond A. Dix
Torque Wrench Technique, John P. Parker . . .
UR Highlights, Major Fred R. Reed. . . . . . .
Month Page
Apr
5
Feb
15
Nov
3
Sep 3
Apr
3
Oct
3
Jun
3
Jul
3
Mar 3
. Jan 3
Dec 3
Feb
3
May
3
Aug
3
Oct
27
Oct
22
Jun
21
Aug
15
Mar
9
Nov
10
Jun
42
May
15
Nov
21
Oct
10
Oct
5
Nov 5
Mar
13
Jul
12
Jan
12
Dec
31
Feb
19
.Jan 27
DIGEST INDEX, VOL. II, 1956
UER Highlights, Major Fred R. Reed . .
UER Highlights, Major James R. Hodge. . . . . . . . . .
MEDICAL
Fly High and Lie Low. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Night Vision, Lieutenant Colonel Rollie M. Harrison.
Medical Investigation Vital in Air Accidents,
Lieutenant Colonel Rollie M. Harrison . . . . .
MISCELLANEOUS
Army Aviation, Policy Statement by Charles E. Wilson,
Secretary of Defense. . . . . . . . . . . .
Army Wings for the Inter-American Geodetic Survey,
Captain John Bergner . . . . . . . . . . .
Aviation Staff Studies, Captain Thomas A. Beasley.
Communication Courtesy, Nolen G. Howell. . .
Employment of Interceptor Aircraft in Air Defense,
Colonel John F. Sharp . . . . . . . . . .
Hand Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Public Relations for Army Aviation, Dario Politella .
Russian l:Ielicopter Activities, Eugene K. Liberatore.
SAFETY
Ace of the Base, Captain M. B. Williams, USN .
Army Aircraft Accident Reports, Major Ollie B. Richie .
Aviation Crash Injury Research, A. Howard Hasbrook .
Crash Report. . . . . .
The Gray Hair Department . . . . . . . . . . .
Midair Collisions, Newton T. Saye
SENIOR ARMY AVIATORS:
Bush, Lieutenant Colonel Harry l. .
Byrd, Lieutenant Colonel William H., Jr.
= ~ -----
47
Month Page
Feb
24
Mar 21
Apr 26
May
25
Jul 26
Aug 23
Nov
30
Sep
5
Dec
22
Dec 5
Oct
15
May
17
Apr
19
Sep
17
.Jan 5
Apr
21
Dec
27
Jun
16
Sep
11
Apr
13
Mar
29
Jan
35
Feb 31
Mar 31
Apr 33
May 31
Jun 37
Jul 28
Aug 33
Sep 27
Oct 33
Nov 34
Dec 35
Feb 5
Feb
31
Dec
35
Month Page
Forrest, Colonel Frank E.
Nov
34
Haney, Major Roy W.
Sep
27
Harloff, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin l. . .Jan 35
Jackson, Lieutenant Colonel Duane P.
May
31
Kyle, Lieutenant Colonel David M.
Apr
33
Lefler, Captain James H.
Oct
33
Rodrique, Captain John l. .
Aug
33
Sodergren, Lieutenant Colonel Carl I.
Jun
37
Swenson, Lieutenant Colonel J. Elmore.
Mar
31
Thompson, Major Arington C., Jr ..
Jul
28
TACTICAL EMPLOYMENT
Alaskan Operations, Captain Richard L. Dowden .
Aerial Vehicle Transport for Combat Units,
. May 5
Colonel Charles W. Matheny, Jr ..
Jun
5
Arctic Operation
Feb
14
Army-Aviation in Malaya, W. Courtenay.
Dec
18
Army Aviation Under Winter Arctic Conditions,
Major George H. Howell .
Aug
5
Army Tactical Air Navigation and Traffic Control,
Dr. William M. Young
Mar
5
Concealment: Your Responsibility .
. May 7
Helicopters Unlimited, Sp-3 Gerhardt M. Hoff .
Dec
13
Pacific Operations .
Jun
13
Selection and Organization of Army Airstrips,
Lieutenant Colonel Harry T. Shiveley
Jul 5
TRAINING
Aeronautical Engineer Graduate Schooling.
Apr
18
How Far Shall an Instructor Let a Student Go?,
Harrison E. Shipman .
Jun
17
Who Instructs the Instructor, Ralph B. Greenway.
Nov
17
WEATHER
New Low Frequency Weather Service
Mar
12
T and H Affect Your Takeoff, Sp-3 Joe D. Gault .
Nov
26
DISTRIBUTION:
ACTIVE AHMY:
OSO (5)
SA (3)
JCg (15)
COFSA (25)
DCSPEH (7)
ACSI (3)
DCSOPS (5)
DCSLOG (5)
Cl\lII (l)
CI FOI<: (18)
Tec Svc, OA (5) except
TQMG (10)
Hg CONAHC (25)
CO ABC Bd (5)
Anny AA Comd (0)
OS Maj Comd (50) except
SHAPE (15)
OS Base Comd (10)
MDW(5)
Annie!) (15) except
Sixth Army (90)
Corps (10)
Div (30)
Brig (5)
NG: State AG (10)
USAR: None
Ft & Cp (CO:XUS) (I,) except
Ft Hiley (52)
Gen &: Br Svc &'h (CO. lJS) (2:;) except
Fin S('h (:;), Armor Seh (50),
Arty &: G:\I S(:h (;)0), 'llf Seh (300),
AG Sch (5). CII Sd. (.i). eml Sch (5).
EnSOr S('h (50), JAG S('h (;,
AMSS (5), P\1G S('h (10)' (l\1 Sel. (10),
Trans Seh (150), WAC Seh (;"Jone),
Southwestern Sig Sch ( . one)
Specialist Seh (CO. US) (5)
Walter Reed Army Institute of nl' arrh(1)
Army Med Svc Meat & Dairy
Hygiene Sch (. one)
AIS (6)
Ord GM Seh (10)
US\1A (25)
AFSC (25)
AFIS (10)
. we (25)
Trans Cen (25)
Sig Army A vn Cen (5)
Arty Cen (50)
Mil Dist (10)
For explanation of abbreviations used see SR 320-50-1.

Army Aviation Digest - Dec 1956

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