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War Stories

Centaur Aircraft Tail Numbers - Other

by Michael Peake
select aircraft....AH-1G.....OH-23.....OH-6A.....UH-1C.....UH-1D.....UH-1H

updated 18Apr2022

The Military Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to Present does not show UH-1H 67-17201 in the listing. That is not uncommon. As stated, we have more than a few aircraft that are verified by photographs and other listings, such as incident reports, that do not appear in this reference as well. I tried running it several ways without any results. I even checked earlier years thinking it was a D-Model converted to an H-Model, but the only year that begins with a 17 series is 1966, and UH-1Ds for that year numbered from 66-16000 to 17144. That was also the last years D-Models were manufactured.

The 25th Infantry Division site also has a listing of aircraft in the inventory that generated incident reports, but 67-17201 was not listed. Turns out that this site is not all inclusive because none of our aircraft we have identified crash sites for are among the listings that I saw in scrolling through. I did find one mention of D/3/4 where Gary A. Jones had witnessed a Cobra from B/25th Aviation in a mid-air crash with a Slick. At any rate, this particular aircraft was in the attached original listing I used for a baseline when I began my work on tail numbers. That is where the data I referenced earlier came from.

According to our history for the An Duc Extraction, the four aircraft destroyed or damaged were all D-Models:
UH-1D 64-13757 was a Loss to Inventory (Destroyed)
UH-1D 65-09659 was a Loss to Inventory (Destroyed)
UH-1D 65-09663 was a Loss to Theater (Sent to CONUS Depot)
UH-1D 66-01165 was Repaired in Country (20th Trans Co)

Given this occurred in November 1968, I have to assume the conversion from D-Models to H-Models didn't occur until the following year, if even then. On examining our data on the UH-1H aircraft, it doesn't look as though new production UH-1H models were received until November 1968 and after. All 1967 models were purchased by the Army in October 1968, if our data can be trusted.

 

Aircraft Names without Tail Numbers
These are aircraft I hope somebody can provide even the three-digit tail numbers for:

AH-1G Cobra "Flying Dutchman"
OH-6A LOH (Loach) "Love Generation " 68-17...
UH-1 Huey “Slick” "Creeping Jesus" 69-15108

 

Comments concerning VHPA list of Aircraft Tail Numbers:

Mike Vaughn: The dates these helicopters entered the unit is way off.  They were in D Troop when I arrived in Nov 1966 and had been in service for some time.  The "Finished in Unit" data is also off.
  
I’ve found the data on the VHPA CD concerning aircraft is not very accurate. 

Pat Eastes: Mike is correct. I don't know where this data came from, but a lot of it is wrong, at least for the B and C models. At least, it did jog my brain as to some of the tail numbers, so it isn't a total bust.

Allen "KC" Allcock: These numbers with 65- were all deros by the time I got there in “69.  The last Charlie model went out just before my time, and we had the Cobras, which tail numbers began with 67 or 68 if I recall correctly.  As far as the slicks go, I am pretty sure our “D” and “H” models began with nothing earlier than 67, including Stable Boy I, which was about the oldest aircraft we had. 

Bob Taylor: If my memory serves me well. 520 was the replacement ship for the one we lost in December ’67 with 4 KIA’s (65-09468). It’s nickname (520) was “The Beast”, painted in red on both Pilots doors. She was in the revetment right next to 444. I think she came into the Troop around January/February ’68. She got the nickname “The Beast” because she had the strongest engine of all the C models. Photo of the Beast is at slideshow "R1-1_085".

Brian Harrison: UH1-H 16286 was transferred to the 1st VNAF after F/4 stand-down (so left behind)

Tom Meeks: I took a look at the aircraft numbers list and 552 was not listed. 552 is the Cobra that moose and I wrecked. I confirmed that when you posted pictures from Mike Galloway/Jim Filiatreault slideshow. It is picture MG-28. Also see accident report below.

Dale Dow: AH-1G 67-15552 wasn’t in the list because the US Army Goldbook (master listing of all Army aircraft) doesn’t show 552 as being assigned to D-3/4. The VHPA data base has the following:
Helicopter AH-1G 67-15552
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15552
The Army purchased this helicopter 0368
Total flight hours at this point: 00000130
Date: 08/18/1968
Accident case number: 680818051 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: D/3/4 CAV
This was an Operational Loss caused by an accident by Accident with the mission function of Armed Helicopter (having primary weapon subsystems installed and utilized to provide direct fire support)
The station for this helicopter was Cu Chi in
Casualties = YES . . Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
costing 318707
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Helicopter was recovered

Crew Members:
AC W2 MEEKS TV
P O3 MARCINKOWSKI GC