Aircraft of the Vietnam War

THIS YEAR AT EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of the official end of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam — honoring the remarkable aircraft of the era, the nearly 60,000 American troops who made the ultimate sacrifice during the war, and the thousands of Vietnam veterans who served their country valiantly in Southeast Asia.

We’re expecting to have a strong presence of Vietnam War-era aircraft at AirVenture Oshkosh this summer to honor those who fought in the jungles of Vietnam half a century ago. While many of the most-famous aircraft from Vietnam have only one or two flying examples left (if any at all), we anticipate a number of the following aircraft, either still serving on active duty or in private hands as warbirds, will potentially make an appearance at AirVenture. Note: Not all of these aircraft will attend Oshkosh this year, nor at the time of this writing do we know definitively which ones will be attending, so keep your eyes open as you wander the grounds.

HUGHES OH-6 CAYUSE

INTRODUCED JUST AFTER the start of the conflict in 1966, the OH-6 Cayuse, commonly known as the Loach, was operated by the U.S. Army as a light observation helicopter in Southeast Asia. The Loach would often work in teams with other rotorcraft. It would fly slow and attempt to spot hostile ground targets, and if any opened fire, another member of its team — often an AH-1 Cobra — would then strike at the revealed enemy.

CESSNA O-2 SKYMASTER

THE MILITARY VERSION of Cessna’s 337 Skymaster, the O-2 was introduced a couple years after the start of the Vietnam War, in 1967. Designed to replace the O-1, the twin-engine O-2 (with a push-pull configuration) was operated by the U.S. Air Force during Vietnam for forward air control and psychological operations. Following the war, both the U.S. Navy and Army operated the O-2 before the type was finally retired in 2010.

NORTH AMERICAN OV-10 BRONCO

DEVELOPED AS A counterinsurgency combat aircraft, the OV-10 entered service in 1969 and was operated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Sporting twin-turboprop engines, the Bronco was used for observation, forward air control, and light attack purposes during the conflict.

NORTH AMERICAN T-28 TROJAN

ORIGINALLY A TRAINER developed just after World War II, the T-28 was used during the Vietnam War by the Republic of Vietnam Air Force as a counterinsurgency aircraft. With nearly 2,000 Trojans built in the 1950s, it lives on today as a popular warbird and air show performer.