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.

GRUMMAN S-2 TRACKER

INTRODUCED IN THE mid-1950s, the twin-engine S-2 Tracker served as an anti-submarine warfare aircraft with the U.S. Navy before being replaced by the S-3 Viking in the 1970s. Eight S-2 squadrons flew during the Vietnam War, primarily being used for patrol duty.

BELL H-13 SIOUX

DEVELOPED FROM THE Bell 47, the H-13 Sioux was one of the earlier helicopters in the U.S. military fleet, with it entering service a couple years after World War II. It was used by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. Though most famous for its role as a medevac helicopter during the Korean War, the H-13 did serve in the early years of Vietnam in an observation role before being replaced by the OH-6.

HELIO U-10 COURIER

DERIVED FROM THE civilian Helio Courier, the U-10 was used by the U.S. Air Force beginning in 1958, U.S. Army Special Forces in the 1960s and ’70s, and Air America during the Vietnam War. As a STOL-capable utility aircraft, the Courier excelled in liaison, light cargo and supply drops, psychological warfare, insertion and extraction, and reconnaissance roles.

PILATUS PC-6 PORTER

THE CIVILIAN SWISS-BUILT STOL-capable PC-6 Porter entered service in the early 1960s. When the Vietnam War rolled around, the CIA-controlled airline Air America used Porters through the war for paradropping supplies to troops, passenger transport, psychological warfare, prisoner conveyance, and other intelligence operations.