What are the different helicopters?

Answer 1

During the Vietnam War (the helicopter generation):

1. The heavy birds such as the CH-47 or the US Navy's CH53 Sea Stallion were used to carry large amounts of troops or cargo (like vehicles).

2. The medium sized chopper like the UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) carried just about everything else, and was a great infantry (grunt) insertion aircraft.

3. Light birds such as the OH-6 Cayuse and OH-58 Kiowa were like sports cars, dashing about (like a bee) and they were used for reconnaissance and artillery spotting (adjusting cannon fire & aerial bombs from jets). In fact the Cayuse REPLACED the US Army's first post WWII all metal fixed wing spotting plane...the O-1 Bird Dog in South Vietnam.

4. The AH-1 Cobra was the worlds first Attack Helicopter designed from the drawing board up to be used in general combat (an actual war, not just a quick military campaign). The Cobra (in Vietnam) was supposed to replace the US Air Force attack planes by being always on hand when needed (another words strictly for US Army support...and not distracted by other missions like the USAF may have had to do). The US Army called the Cobra "aerial artillery." However, in actual practice, no US Army aircraft could replace the firepower of the USN/USAF bomb carrying/20mm cannon firing jets of the Vietnam war.