Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH

Lore & Background

The DASH was a major part of the United States Navy's Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program of the late 1950s. FRAM was started because the Soviet Union was building submarines faster than the US could build anti-submarine frigates. Instead of building frigates, the FRAM upgrade series allowed the US to rapidly update by converting older ships that were less useful in modern naval combat. The navy could upgrade the sonar on World War II-era destroyers but needed a stand-off weapon to attack at the perimeter of the sonar's range. The old destroyers had little room for add-ons such as a full flight deck. The original DASH concept was a light drone helicopter that could release a nuclear depth charge or torpedoes. The aircraft was considered expendable.

The manned Gyrodyne Rotorcycle program of the mid-1950s provided prototype work for the DASH, and ultimately the Rotorcycle was modified to produce the initial drone version, the DSN-1/QH-50A. The DSN-1 was powered by a Porsche YO-95-6 72 hp piston engine and carried one Mark 43 homing torpedo. The next developmental version was the DSN-2/QH-50B that was powered by two Porsche YO-95-6 engines and also carried a single Mk 43. Serial production of the DASH began with the third version, the DSN-3/QH-50C, in which a 255 hp Boeing T50-4 turboshaft engine replaced the piston engine and the payload was increased to two Mark 44 torpedoes. A total of 378 QH-50Cs were produced before production ended in January 1966.

The DASH's control scheme had two controllers: one on the flight deck, and another in the combat information center. The flight-deck controller handled take-off and landing. The controller in the Combat Information Center (CIC) would fly DASH to the target's location and release weapons using semiautomated controls and radar. The CIC controller could not see the aircraft or its altitude and occasionally lost operational control or situational awareness. Late in the program, there were successful experiments to add a TV camera to the drone. These DASH SNOOPYs were also used as airborne spotters for naval gunfire.

Reader's Guide

The DASH program was canceled in 1969 and withdrawn from service 1968–1973. DASHes proved unreliable in shipboard service, with over half of the US Navy's 746 drones lost at sea. This was possibly due to inadequate maintenance support, as other services had few difficulties with their DASHes. Although low reliability was the official reason, the manufacturer pointed to the expenses of the Vietnam War, and the lack of need for antisubmarine capability in that war. Modified DASH vehicles continued to operate for several more years in the Vietnam War, used as remote artillery spotters and organic reconnaissance by their ships. Until May 2006, a small number of QH-50D DASH drones were operated by the United States Army at White Sands Missile Range, where they were used to tow targets and calibrate radars and electronic systems. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force operated a fleet of 20 QH-50 drones, for use on its destroyers. Because the JMSDF regarded the DASH operation as highly prestigious and the aircraft were flown and serviced regularly, they suffered a much lower loss rate than the US Navy. However, with the difficulty of maintaining DASH operations after the termination of the U.S. program, the drones and associated equipment were removed from JMSDF service in 1977. The DASH's legacy lies in its pioneering role as an expendable, remotely piloted anti-submarine helicopter, demonstrating both the potential and the pitfalls of early drone warfare at sea.

Did You Know?

• Over 80% of operational DASH losses were traced to single-point failures of the electronics.
• The DASH was considered expendable and used off-the-shelf industrial electronics with no back-ups.
• A tethered landing system was developed to allow launch and recovery in seas up to Force 6.
• The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force operated 20 QH-50 drones and had a much lower loss rate than the US Navy.