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Bell UH-1D Iroqouis 1972 The Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1 Iroquois, commonly (or officially in the United States Marine Corps) known as the "Huey", is a multipurpose military helicopter, famous for its use in the Vietnam War. The "U" stands for utility, in contrast to attack or cargo helicopters.The UH-1 was developed from 1955 US Army trials with the Bell Model 204. The initial designation of HU-1 (helicopter utility) led to its nickname, Huey. It was first used by the military in 1959 and went into tri-service production in 1962 as the UH-1. The last were produced in 1976 with more than 16,000 made in total, of which about 7,000 saw use during the Vietnam War. The earlier "short-body" Hueys were a success, especially in the gunship role, but lacked the cabin space to be an effective troop transport. The US Army wanted a version that could carry a crew of four (two pilots and two door gunners) and also deliver an infantry section of 8-10 soldiers. Bell's solution was to stretch the UH-1B fuselage by 41 inches (105 cm) and use the extra space to fit four sideways-facing seats next to the transmission. This brought the total seating capacity to 15, including crew seats. The new Huey was designated UH-1D by the US Army and as the Model 205 by Bell. The enlarged cabin could also accommodate six stretchers, double that of the earlier models, making the "Delta" a good MEDEVAC aircraft. In place of the earlier model's sliding side doors with a single window, larger doors were fitted which had two windows, plus a small "hinged panel" with an optional window, providing access to the cabin. The doors and hinged panels were quickly removable and the Huey could be flown in that configuration. The first YUH-1D prototype flew in August 1960. Seven YUH-1Ds were delivered and tested at Edwards AFB starting in March 1961. The YUH-1D was initially equipped with a 44 foot main rotor and a Lycoming T53-L-9 engine. Testing revealed that more power was required and so the rotor was lengthened to 48 feet with a chord of 21 inches and the engine was upgraded to the Lycoming T53-L-11 engine of 1100 shp. A longer tailboom was designed to accommodate the longer rotor blades. Gross weight was 9500 lbs. Later production "Deltas" had the Lycoming T53-L-13 powerplant of 1400 shp installed. The first Army unit deliveries of the "Delta" model were on August 9, 1963 when the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) at Fort Benning Georgia received two. This unit was renamed the 1st Cavalry Division and deployed to Vietnam with its "Delta" Hueys. A total of 2008 UH-1Ds were delivered to the US Army between 1962 and 1966. The model was widely exported and served with the armed forces of Australia and South Vietnam among others. A grand total of 2561 UH-1Ds were built, including 352 constructed by Dornier for the West German armed forces. The HH-1D was a base rescue/fire-fighting version for the US Army that had a 50 gallon water and foam spray system that could be discharged via an extendable 16 foot boom. Upgrading the UH-1D to the Lycoming T53-L-13 engine, plus relocating the pitot tube from the nose to the roof resulted in a new model, the UH-1H, which was to become the most produced variant of the Huey family. General characteristics Crew: 1-4 Capacity: 3,880 lb including 14 troops, or 6 stretchers, or equivalent cargo Length: 57 ft 1 in with rotors (17.4 m) Fuselage width: 8 ft 7 in (2.6 m) Rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.6 m) Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.4 m) Empty weight: 5,215 lb (2,365 kg) Loaded weight: 9,040 lb (4,100 kg) Max takeoff weight: 9,500 lb (4,310 kg) Fuel capacity: 1,400 lb (840 kg)) Powerplant: 1× Lycoming T53-L-13B turboshaft, 1,400 shp (1,045 kW) Maximum speed: 135 mph (220 km/h) Cruise speed: 125 mph (205 km/h)Range: 315 mi (510 km) Service ceiling: 19,390 ft (Dependent on environmental factors such as weight, outside temp., etc) (5,910 m) Rate of climb: 1,755 ft/min (8.9 m/s) Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg) Armament Variable, but may include a combination of: 2x 7.62 mm M60 machine gun, or 2x 7.62 mm GAU-17 machine gun 2x 7-round or 19-round 2.75 in (70 mm) rocket pods USN 85 René Hieronymus Scale 1:72 Building time 35 hrs. |