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AUSTRALIAN ARMY AVIATION HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT CESSNA LIGHT AIRCRAFT
On the 1st December 1960, 16
Army Light Aircraft Squadron was formed at Amberley, Queensland, with a role to support
Army activities while at the same time, to train Army pilots - and later technical ground
staff - for a planned increase in Army Aviation strength over the following few years. The period from 1960 to 1966 is
in itself a history of 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron and its subsequent changes to
become on 26 April 1966 the 1st Divisional Army Aviation Regiment. The war in Vietnam and
Australia's decision to support the allies in this war saw for the first time since 1919 a
flying unit of the Australian Army enter into combat. On the 29 September 1965, in Viet Nam, Captain Bevan Smith, the senior of the two aviators with the aircraft, was advised that he had to select a suitable call-sign beginning with the letter 'P' before the aircraft could fly north to Bien Hoa, with a flash of brilliance, he chose 'POSSUM' and this word has become enshrined in the annuals of Army Aviation history. Only seven Cessna 180's were deployed to South Vietnam for operational service with 161 Recce Flt from September 1965 until February 1971. Only three of the seven Cessna's were lost/destroyed whilst in Vietnam, and no pilots were lost whilst flying a Cessna 180's.Note: Maj George Constable, OC of 161, whilst flying a Cessna O-1G Bird Dog (which was on extended loan from the US Army) was shot down by enemy small arms fire and crash landed. Maj Constable died in the aircraft and the aircraft was destroyed. At the time he was shot down he was flying a vehicle convoy cover mission for an Australian convoy returning from Fire Support Base Coral. see photo above right In 1971 the Cessna's were finally replaced in Vietnam by the Pilatus Porter and the last flight of an Australian Cessna 180 in Vietnam was carried out on 14 Feb 71. The pilot was Dennis Coffey and with an escort of Porter aircraft flew in formation to mark the end of the Cessna's service in Vietnam. Whilst in Vietnam the seven Cessna's flew a total of 16,150 hours and carried out 11,169 sorties. TECHNICAL DATA (Cessna 180E) DESCRIPTION: Two-four seat Liaison and Observation aircraft POWER PLANT: One 230 hp Continental 0-470 piston engine WEIGHT: Empty 1,550 lbs (703 kg), Loaded 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg) DIMENSIONS: Wingspan 36 ft 2 in (11.02 m), Length 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m), Height 7 ft 6.5 in (2.30 m) PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 147 kts (273 kph), Cruise 142 kts (264 kph), Ceiling 19,600 ft (5,974 m), Range 1,010 nm (1,870 km)
Link to SF Cessna C-180: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?download=2591 By Third Wire, Kesselbrut and Me.
A1 Bell OH-13 Sioux
The new 16 Army Light Aircraft Squadron, under the command of WGCDR K.V. Robertson, moved to Amberley and remained a joint Army-RAAF unit until 1965. The first three Sioux (A1-560 to A1-562), which had arrived on October 24, 1960, were received from 3AD on December 12. By January, 1961, 11 aircraft serialled A1-560 to A1-570. (Bell constructor's numbers 2560 to 2570) had been delivered. By 1962 three Sioux of 16 ALA SQN had been lost in accidents and three replacements were obtained. These were 47G-2A aircraft, serialled A1-660, A1-672 and A1-721 (c/n 2660, 2672, 2721). A1-721 didn't survive long. Delivered on October 12, 1962, it crashed two months later in New Guinea and was written-off. Strangely, A1-721 was reallocated in 1968 to another aircraft. In August, 1964, it was announced a further 17 aircraft had been ordered at a cost of almost $2m. As only 10 aircraft remained for both training and reconnaissance, these new improved models would prepare the squadron more fully to meet its operational role. The larger 47G-3B-1 model, which replaced the 240hp Lycoming V0-435 engine with the 270hp TVO-435, had an improved performance in tropical areas. These aircraft, originally to be numbered from A3-201, were serialled A1-394 to A1-410 (c/n 3394 to 3410) and were delivered in late 1965. Vietnam With Australia's entry into the Vietnam War, a further 16 aircraft were delivered in 1967. These 47G-3B-1 aircraft were serialled A1-635 to A1-648, A1-673 and A1-720 (c/n 6635 to 6648, 6673 and 6672). The final batch of 18, A1-721 to Al-738 (c/n 7401 to 7418), were ordered in 1968 with the final aircraft, A1-738, being received on April 11, 1969. In Vietnam the Sioux was operated with the call sign Possum by No 161 Recce Flt. Eight aircraft were lost over six years of operations without the loss of a pilot. One aircraft A1-409, was lost in Vietcong territory on May 27, 1967, and was subsequently bombed by allied aircraft to ensure its write-off. Other users of the Sioux included 183SQN in PNG and 162, 171 and 182 Flights. The Sioux was withdrawn from service in 1977, being replaced by another Bell type, the 206B Kiowa. In 1978 some 47G-3B-1 aircraft were allocated to Indonesia as the Sioux Aid Project. Of those remaining, the Museum of Army Aviation and Flying MAAF at Oakey flies A1-720, has A1-568 on static display and is restoring A1-406 to flying status. Also, the MAA has A1-732 currently being restored for static by Brisbane TAFE. The Australian War Memorial, Canberra, has A1-404 on display, and A1-738 is held by the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra. A1-410 saw service at the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, and is now at the Camden Air Museum at Narellan, NSW. At RSTT Wagga three examples (A1-402, A1-405, A1-407) served as instructional airframes until August this year when two moved to Point Cook and A1-407 to Oakey. TECHNICAL DATA DESCRIPTION: Three-seat utility and training helicopter POWER PLANT: One 270hp Lycoming TV0-435. DIMENSIONS: Diameter of main rotor 37ft 1in (11.32m); length 43ft 4in (13.2m); height 9ft 3in (2.83m) WEIGHTS: Empty 1,819lb (825kg), Loaded 2,950lb (1340kg) PERFORMANCE: Max speed 105mph; cruising speed 86mph at 5000ft; range at low level 210 miles (338 km).
Link to Army Aviation Sioux: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?download=2610 It's recommended that you copy over the cockpit from the OH-6 to this chopper, Aussie Sioux brought to you by capun (model), texture (me), and cockpit (from the Loach - Kesselbrut). Thanks guys!
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