UH-72A Lakota

curtis remington wrote:

isn't lakota a pain med? lol

I know this is humor.  Really I do.  But, for those who may not know.  Army rotor craft, with the exception of the Cobra, are named after Native American tribes.

The Lakota are a Native American tribe. They form one of a group of seven tribes (the Great Sioux Nation) and speak Lakota, one of the three major dialects of the Sioux language.

The Lakota, along with the Arapaho and the Cheyenne, were the ones that defeated Custer at the Battle at the Greasy Grass or the Little Big Horn as U.S. History 101 wants us to remember it as.

I know this is not a history site but, it's interesting how the U.S Army gets the names for their helicopters.

Interestingly enough, the Army's other newest helicopter looks like it will be named for one of the tribes of the Sioux Nation, the RAH-70A Arapaho.  Name hasn't been confirmed yet, but that's the front runner. 

I still think the -72's ugly as sin.

Jon

Cobrahistorian wrote:

I still think the -72's ugly as sin. Jon

I concur, Jon!!!

curtis remington wrote:

i appoligise if the comment came off as offensive. yeah the 72 doesn't look like a utility transport.

No, no, no!!!  No need to apologise.  I was in no way offended.

I understood exactly what you were saying.  I just thought the history behind the name was interesting and thought I would share.

I should be the one apologising for not making that clear in my post.

That thing is damn horrible looking!!
Were doing American Indians in History at the moment and knowing all the choppers really helped me gte to know the tribes. Cheyene, Apache, Chinook, Comanche, Iroquos.................

Will

chopperfan wrote:

curtis remington wrote: isn't lakota a pain med? lol I know this is humor.  Really I do.  But, for those who may not know.  Army rotor craft, with the exception of the Cobra, are named after Native American tribes. The Lakota are a Native American tribe. They form one of a group of seven tribes (the Great Sioux Nation) and speak Lakota, one of the three major dialects of the Sioux language. The Lakota, along with the Arapaho and the Cheyenne, were the ones that defeated Custer at the Battle at the Greasy Grass or the Little Big Horn as U.S. History 101 wants us to remember it as. I know this is not a history site but, it's interesting how the U.S Army gets the names for their helicopters.

 Thanks Chopperfan. From your white/Sioux/Cherokee friend. I appreciate the respect. And to Curtis, I am not offended by the tongue in cheek humor. Good info on this posting.
 And it's true, this looks more like a Euro type design. No offense as stated earlier, but a bit hard on the eyes for what us Americans are used to and expect our equipment to look like. "Different" is all...

      60
 

m60a3 wrote:

Thanks Chopperfan. From your white/Sioux/Cherokee friend. I appreciate the respect. And to Curtis, I am not offended by the tongue in cheek humor. Good info on this posting.  And it's true, this looks more like a Euro type design. No offense as stated earlier, but a bit hard on the eyes for what us Americans are used to and expect our equipment to look like. "Different" is all...       60

Not a problem, 60.  From YOUR redneck/scottish/cherokee friend.

Unfortunately, it looks like it may replace the Flatiron Hueys out at Cairns....

This has turned into an interesting thread.  Does the blackhawk name have anything to do with Native American culture?  

Also, in contrast, Marines aren't very creative with naming helo's like Sea Stallion, Sea Horse, Super Sea Stallion, Sea Knight, Huey (from the Army), Cobra (from the Army), Super Cobra... etc.  I perfer the more colorful nicknames like Phrogs, Skids, the four lettered CH-53 nickname, and the very offensive V-22 nicknames.  My favorite is, I know it's not a chopper, The Carolina Lawn Dart for the AV-8B Harrier (or Scarier).  

Semper Fi,

Chris   

ridleusmc wrote:

This has turned into an interesting thread.  Does the blackhawk name have anything to do with Native American culture?   Semper Fi, Chris

I'll have to research this one.  I do believe that blackhawk is another name for a tomahawk.

I'll get back on this one.

BlackHawk was a Native American of the SAUK tribe. They spoke an Algonquin dialect and were midwestern in location. The BlackHawk war in 1832 is where the name enters history as BlackHawk led the conflict against the usurped sale of their tribal lands. The UH-60 is the only US Army helicopter named after a singular Native American.

Chief Snake 

Black Hawk, the leader of a band of Sauk and Fox Indians, fought against the United States Army and militia from Illinois and the Michigan Territory (present-day Wisconsin) for possession of lands in the area.  This was called the Black Hawk War of 1832.

The Black Hawk War was responsible for the end of conflict between settlers and Indians in these states. One of the Illinois militia, Captain Abraham Lincoln, eventually rose to prominence in national politics becoming President of the United States.

There was also a Ute war chief in Utah named Black Hawk who, with a band of Ute, Paiute and Navajo, fought with the Mormons from 1865 until 1872. 

The Black Hawk War was unique among the era's western Indian wars in that the antipathy that existed between the United States government and the LDS Church provided Utah's natives with the opportunity to pursue their hostile activities for an extended period of time without incurring the swift and destructive military reprisals suffered by other groups. Not surprisingly, the war ended almost without incident when federal troops were finally ordered to engage the Indians in 1872.

So, I guess in this case the UH-60 was named for an Indian leader.  Which one, I do not know.

ridleusmc wrote:

This has turned into an interesting thread.  Does the blackhawk name have anything to do with Native American culture?   Also, in contrast, Marines aren't very creative with naming helo's like Sea Stallion, Sea Horse, Super Sea Stallion, Sea Knight, Huey (from the Army), Cobra (from the Army), Super Cobra... etc.  I perfer the more colorful nicknames like Phrogs, Skids, the four lettered CH-53 nickname, and the very offensive V-22 nicknames.  My favorite is, I know it's not a chopper, The Carolina Lawn Dart for the AV-8B Harrier (or Scarier).   Semper Fi, Chris

Chris, it is Army policy to name it's aircraft afet woodland animals or American Indian tribes or chiefs, there have been exemptions to this policy such as the AH-1 which was named the HueyCobra. The nickname Huey was derived from the original designation HU-1, it's offical name is the Iroquos.

The Army does have "colorful names" for some of it's aircraft, such as for the Chinook and my name for this new helo "POS"

grandadjohn wrote:

The Army does have "colorful names" for some of it's aircraft, such as for the Chinook and my name for this new helo "POS"

LOL Good one Grandad!!!!

To add to the confusion...there was also a Sikorsky Black Hawk gunship (S67) which entered the AAFSS competition late in the game (circa 1971) as a "spoiler" against the AH-56. The tandem two place machine was originally painted all black and had a stylized arrow running down the fuselage. The helicopter used the venerable S-61 power train/rotor system, and was quite large. 

The boys from "Igor" campagined the machine around the country at various Army installations but found the Army really wasn't interested. The only prototype met it's fate at an airshow when it was looped into the ground during an effort to sell it to the Saudi's.  (The Black Hawk had been repainted into a desert cammo scheme for the occasion.)

The airframe design was resurrected with a three place cockpit, ejection seats, blade cutters, and all the wires you could want, when Sikorsky won the contract for the two Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) at the cost of about 32 megabucks a copy. The machines flew for 10 years and amassed just over a nonspectactular 100 hrs of flight time before being retired.   

Chuck,

The S-67 was also known as the AH-3 (since it used the SH-3 rotor system and powertrain). I hadn't made the association between that and the RSRA.  One of the X-wing RSRAs is here at Rucker behind one of the storage buildings.  It is in fairly terrible shape, but restorable from what I know.  

I've been batting around the idea of using a Hasegawa/Revell Germany SH-3 rotor and engines to scratchbuild an AH-3.  That'll be a long time coming, but I still want to do it.

Jon

Roger that, Jon

When this thing goes to the boneyard the Huey will still be there to fly the crew home

Interesting (AH-3), cool! I didn't know the army had gotten into the action. Although to be an entrant in AAFSS it would have to have some designation for paper trail purposes...

Here is a shot of the RSRA at the height of it's career, doing rotorless flight for X-wing. While Sikorsky said it would fly as an airplane it had never been attempted, untill this time.

Cobrahistorian wrote:

I've been batting around the idea of using a Hasegawa/Revell Germany SH-3 rotor and engines to scratchbuild an AH-3.  That'll be a long time coming, but I still want to do it.

I think Anigrand has a resin kit of the S-67, that might be an easier way (but more expensive)

They do have an S-67 and at $48 it is at least worth thinking about.
Anigrand S-67 Blackhawk

Mac

A very interesting thread. What other Native American tribes' names are left that could be used?

 The OH-58 Kiowa doesn't really look like an army helo to me in its civillian state, but tool it up and turn it into a "Thug" and Hey Presto. .....one cool looking chopper. Give the 72 some slack. Put some .50 cal door guns on it, maybe a few rocket pods here and there....

Maybe we could have a GB to see who can come up with the most imaginative model???

Rich