The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, commonly known as the Huey, is a military utility helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter in the 1950s.
History[]
The Huey was originally developed to meet a US Army requirement for a medevac helicopter, and was known as Model 204, of which three examples were ordered by the US Army as the XH-40. The first of these (55-4459) made it's initial flight, with the 825 shp (615 Kw) XT53-L-1 turboshaft engine derated to 700 shp (522 Kw), on October 22nd, 1956, two days after it was acquired. The XH-40s were followed by six YH-40s with a 1 ft (30,5 cn) fuselage extension. The type was ordered into production as the HU-1 Iroquois, quickly becoming known as the Huey. The initial HU-1A had a T53-L-1 engine, a crew of two and capacity for six passangers or two stretchers,[1] and was introduced into service with the United States Army in 1959.
The production version is powered by a Lycoming T53-L-11 turboshaft engine, which gives it a top speed of 135 mph. It needs a crew of 1-4, and can hold an additional 14 passengers or 3,880 lbs of cargo.[1] This was followed by the UH-1B (Originally HU-1B) which, after it's first flight on 27 April 1960, demonstrated the ability to carry two pilots and seven soldiers over 244 miles
(393 km) at a speed of 126 mph (203 km/h)[2]
Major military variants include the UH-1N Twin Huey and the UH-1Y Venom. There are also civilian several variants, including the 204, 205, and 212.
Usage[]
Over 16,000 have been built, many of which are still in use with countries all over the world. It is most well-known for its role in the Vietnam War.