United States Army Beechcraft RU-21D Laffing Eagle 67-18105
United States Army Beechcraft RU-21D Laffing Eagle (msn LM-101) converted to JRU-21D, later to RU-21H Guardrail V, then U-21H. To civil registry as N7139Z, noted in 1997 as on static display outside HQ 224th MIB at Hunter AAF, GA. On 8 December 1968, the 509th Radio Research Group distributed 16 RU-21D LAFFING EAGLE aircraft to the 138th, 144th, and 146th Aviation Companies during the Vietnam War. The deployment improved the Armys ability to track the enemy in the critical northern and central zones of South Vietnam. With twin turboprop engines, it had greater range, speed, and rate of climb than other ASA aircraft in Vietnam. It also had a larger payload capacity with cabin space for two operators and their mission equipment. With more interior space for SIGINT equipment, LAFFING EAGLE became a more efficient surveillance platform with both collection and direction-finding capabilities. The collection system had an improved frequency range and could record low-level voice intercepts on tape. These recordings could be hand-carried to an analysis center or transmitted by secure voice to units. The direction-finding position could establish the necessary bearings without requiring the pilot to point the aircraft into the incoming signal. Instead, the operator made the necessary measurements independent of the cockpit. With these capabilities, LAFFING EAGLE was able to intercept the attack plans of the North Vietnamese Army 1st Division in February 1969.In October 1970, ASA upgraded LAFFING EAGLE with the ARD-23 direction-finding system
