Taken on strength with the US Army in 1958 and converted from CH-37A to CH-37B in 1962 and saw service at Fort Wainwright, AK

The H-21 "Flying Banana", which was originally designed by Piasecki for cold weather operations, performed poorly in the hot weather of Vietnam. Despite being capable of carrying 20 passengers, it could lift only nine when operating there, the engines achieving less than half the standard 600 hours between major overhaul. Despite that, it soldiered on as the US Army's main helicopter workhorse in Vietnam until 1964 when replaced with the Bell UH-1 Huey

This was a CH-47A converted in 1969 to the BV-347 prototype as an entry for the Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) requirement, first flying at Vertol's test facility at Eddystone, PA in May 1970. Phase I changes included upgrades to CH-47C standards, four blade rotors, fuselage stretch, Phase II adding variable incidence wings for extra lift. Hydro-mechanical rotor controls were later replaced with a fly-by-wire system integrating wing and rotor controls automatically. Although successful the Army could not feasibly modify its entire Chinook fleet, but some improvements carried over to the CH-47D

The MH-60L is a special operations variant of the UH-60 known as a DAP (Direct Action Penetrator). From delivery in 1990 until preservation in late 2013, this one was assigned to the 160th SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment), undergoing many upgrades over the years. Displayed now as a COMNAV IDAP flown in Afghanistan in 2012, it gained fame in 1993 as "Super 68" participating in Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia and was one of three to be shot down (although making it back to base) during the Battle of Mogadishu, an account featuring in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down"

Built as part of a batch of 44 AH-1S Cobras and later ungraded to AH-1F standard

Here is the first Beechcraft C-12, noted active in 1985 with HQ USEUCOM in Germany and in May 1986 with the US Army Training and Doctrine Command at Langley AFB, VA. At some stage converted from C-12A to C-12C with uprated engines and by May 2011 stored for the museum here at Fort Rucker

By 1998 the Kiowa's operational career was over and it was used as a ground trainer here at Fort Rucker, redesignated GOH-58A

Displayed in the markings of 'C' Troop, 16th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, South Vietnam c.1970. After Vietnam service, this OH-6 was flown by the US Army Aviation Precision Demonstration Team (Silver Eagles) here at Fort Rucker and by 1982 was preserved in the museum

In 1958 Hughes proposed their Model 269 to the US Army as a replacement for OH-13 Sioux and OH-23 Raven light observation helicopters. Although it was not found adequate for combat missions, some 792 were obtained as trainers, remaining in service as the Army's primary teaching helicopter until supplanted by the UH-1 in 1988. Some 60,000 US Army pilots are said to have received their training on the TH-55

Four DHC-2 Beavers were bought as off-the-shelf evaluation aircraft for the US Army in 1951 and designated as YL-20s, assigned to the Army Field Forces Board, Washington DC. They became YU-6As under the new designation system in 1962

From 1953, 70 of these utility transport helicopters were delivered but were found to be unsuitable for front-line use, so 53 were transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and US Navy over the next couple of years. The remaining examples were used for training until withdrawn from Army service by 1958

Constructed as a YAH-1G, one of two hand-built prototypes. After testing and evaluation at Fort Hood, TX and Edwards AFB, brought up to AH-1G production standards

Two former RU-21E ELINT platforms were converted as JU-21H test aircraft

Converted from T-39 to CT-39 midway through its service life, this Sabreliner operated with various support units in USAFE Germany from 1962 to 1984. Not too sure what its relevance is in an Army context - perhaps it was sometimes used to carry their personnel

Recalling the classic 1970s comedy-drama TV series M*A*S*H set in the Korean War

A UH-1C which was converted to UH-1M for the gunship role with uprated engine

Between 1996 and 2002 this helicopter was one of two used by the Army Aviation and Missile Research Laboratory, completing 318 flights over 387 hours before reaching the end of its testing career and project cancellation in 2004. Primary planned role for this massively expensive scheme was for the RAH-66 to designate targets for the AH-64. The other example, 95-0001, is held in store by the museum

This aircraft transported President-elect Dwight D Eisenhower on his inspection trip to Korea in December 1952. It was reportedly also used by Jack Benny and Marilyn Monroe on United Service Organizations (USO) flights during that conflict

An early Huey used by the US Army to test various armament configurations. In 1965 it was loaned to Bell Helicopters for test purposes with two Continental T72-T-2 turboshaft engines installed in a module driving a common gearbox under the Model 208 name. After proving the concept of dual engines in the 205 airframe, it was not pursued (until the Bell 212/UH-1N) and around 1966 the helicopter was returned to the Army in original configuration. Now preserved in a diorama depicting a well-publicised photograph from the Vietnam conflict of an air assault landing of the 9th Cavalry "Bravo Blues"