Also, the story of what might have been the first water drop by a helicopter on a fire
Continue readingChinook with water bucket fought a structure fire during Vietnam War
Chinook helicopter dropping water while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.Mike Brown, the Unit Historian for the 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company sent us some historical photos of Chinooks with water buckets fighting a massive structure fire in Vietnam. Taken January 20, 1971, the photos were in a 213th ASHC Alumni Association Photo Album maintained by Don Skipper. The file names for a few of the photos mention Saigon.
This ties in with information from Bambi Bucket about how a version of a helicopter water bucket was fabricated by the 213th ASHC in Vietnam in 1968 by then 33-year old Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Carr and others in the 213th in Phu Loi, about 15 miles north of Saigon.
Chinook helicopter dropping water while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.
Chinook helicopter dipping water bucket while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.
Chinook helicopter dipping water bucket while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.
Chinook helicopter fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.
Chinook helicopter dropping water while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.
Chinook helicopter dipping water bucket while fighting a structure fire in Vietnam in 1970. 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company.One of the first helicopter water buckets was developed in Vietnam
In February 1968, then 33-year old Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Carr—who served in the 213th Assault support helicopter company in Phu Loi (about 15 miles north of Saigon, Vietnam)—was approached by a Fire Brigade Commander to provide helicopter wildfire support in nearby Cho Lon.
Thinking on their feet, Glenn said his unit confiscated a grain bin that was 8′ diameter by 12′ tall and carried 800-900 gallons of water. The bin was then rigged with a valve using helicopter hydraulics. They slung it down the Saigon River and made several successful water drops to help extinguish the fires. On a side note, Glenn did not fly the mission but helped build the bucket.
L to R) Wingbar Aviation trainer JP Johnston, who is also a Vietnam Veteran, with Glenn Carr at Bambi Bucket’s SEI Industries booth, HAI Heli-Expo, March 2019, Atlanta. SEI photo.The Commander said the bin worked well but washed the neighboring huts away. Glenn called on an engineer who built their quarters who suggested a 16″ square air conditioner grill they welded onto the bottom. The result was a water diffuser that allowed the bucket to effectively slow the spread of fires without washing away huts.
Today, retired 84-year old Glenn is aware that Bambi Bucket began its successful commercial production in the early 1980s, but he’s wondering if his team’s effort could have produced the first ad hoc water bucket in the country of Vietnam? Only time will tell—but his efforts was certainly a great example of field engineering.
(From bambibucket.com)