Other Post “CHICKEN PLATES” ARE NOT A LOW FAT DISH

[rotorwash]

It was in early February 1967 that I arrived at Lane Army Airfield to join the 174th Assault Helicopter Company. Because I had been an instructor in UH-1 Maintenance School I was deemed qualified enough to become a crewchief and was given the responsibility of one of the newest aircraft in the unit, 65-12863, a UH-1D with only 300 hours on it. At the time 863 was in maintenance looking forlorn with all the panels removed and club footed mechanics crawling all over her. From the moment my name went in the logbook I stayed by her side to make sure none of these idiots did any real damage, and finally she was pulled out and cleared for her maintenance test flight. I stood by her all alone until finally an aged, stooped, but kindly looking CW-4 approached and asked if she was ready.

As he was supposed to do, he completed his own preflight. In helicopters there are never enough eyes, so each pilot and the crewchief are expected to ignore the findings of the others and, as though everyone else is incompetent, conduct your own preflight inspection. Finally the CW-4 settled in the seat and adjusted the straps. I noticed that his name tag said “Hamilton.”
“I forgot my chicken plate, run to that aircraft and get it,” the old sage instructed me. Dutifully, I went to the designated aircraft, the maintenance ship, call sign “Witchdoctor” and looked inside. The only chest protector I could see was inscribed in large letters with the name of “Cooper.” I returned to my aircraft and told him what I had found.
“Yeh, that’s mine, get it.” Again I ran to “Witchdoctor” and grabbed said chicken plate and ran back to my aircraft. I handed it to him as I waited to slide his seat panel forward. He pulled out a black magic marker and crossed out “Cooper” and wrote “Hamilton” underneath. Only then did I notice that right above the crossed out “Cooper” was “Hamilton” also crossed out. Above that was “Cooper” crossed out. Above that was “Hamilton” and so on. Mr. Cooper was another CW-4, a shorter, more crotchety version of Mr. Hamilton.
He saw me watching him, and as he put it on, he said, “Yeh, the old fart will probably get mad, but that’s OK, I’ve been in trouble before. The first time I got in trouble in this man’s Army was for having Buffalo crap on my spear. CLEAR!


Rotorwash

 

[John A Silkstone]

Rotorwash, I assum that a Chicken Plate, is was we Brits call a Flack Jacket?

 

[Bombardier]

Think it might be a sheet of lead or metal that the pilot sat on in the Helo?

 

[rotorwash]

Sorry guys, I should have provided some elaboration.

Body armor was issued to flight crews that consisted of a front and a back plate made of ceramic material encased in a fiberglass shell. The ceramic material was the same stuff that armored the pilot's seats. The chest was shaped so that it began under the chin, had reduced width to accomodate the arms and ended at the waist. The back plate was shaped to go over the shoulders, come around the sides slightly and also ended at the waist. The carrier slipped over the head and had velcro straps that closed just above the waist. One side snapped free in case of an emergancy. Pilots removed the backplate, it was uncomfortable and was not needed because the back, bottom and sides of the seat were armored. Crewchiefs and gunners also removed the back plate, but for a different reason. After weighing priorities, the back plate was mounted under their seat which had no armor at all.

The ceramic material would shatter when a bullet impacted it and was very successful against .30 rounds. Crewchiefs and gunners on gunships did not use the chicken plate armor because it was just too cumbersome. Instead we opted for just a flack jacket made of layers of titanium. The chicken plate went under the seat. When not being called a chicken plate, it was called the "bullet bouncer."

Rotor

 

[John A Silkstone]

Thanks for the info rotorwash, it all makes since now and that is more or less what I thought you were talking about. By the sound of it, you didn’t want to be wearing it if you had to ditch in water?
sal;

 

[rotorwash]

Ditching in water was a whole different proposition anyway. Survival was "iffy" at best. If it was imminent, you ditched the armor, you're absolutely correct, but you also ditched the pilot's doors. Because of the turning rotors (and it was good if they were turning when you touched the water) the aircraft was thrown on its left side, hopefully before momentum was completely gone, and everyone exited out the right side. I knew of few instances when people got out of a Huey that ditched over water.