Big Bang Ricochet 021: The YH-32A (d20)
Ever wonder what the world's first helicopter gunship was? Was it the AH-1 Cobra? Nope¸ because that was designed to supplement the UH-1 gunships. Those UH-1 gunships also weren't the first¸ either. They were just the first in combat. So maybe that means the OH-23 Ravens of the Korean War? No¸ since they weren't armed¸ even if they were flying over front lines. The answer actually came about within a few short years of the korean War¸ when aircraft armament restrictions against the US Army eased and in 1955 they issued their first contract for an armed helicopter. That helicopter was the YH-32A Sally Rand. The helicopter itself was left over from a prior failed aircraft experiment (the helicopter worked¸ just wasn't suitable for military use in any way)¸ stripped down to the airframe and used as a test bed for various weapons¸ including unguided rockets¸ machine guns¸ recoilless rifles¸ and the first anti-tank guided missile to be fielded by the United States¸ the French-made SS.10. While it was never meant to fly into combat¸ the YH-32A served a pivotal role in the development of military rotorcraft by proving that helicopters could be stable and effective weapons platforms. On a side note¸ unlike other Army helicopters that were named after birds or Native American tribes¸ the YH-32A was named after a famous burlesque performer who wowed audiences at the 1933 Words Fair in Chicago. 6 pages of content¸ including a Big Bang entry for the SS.10 ATGM.