|
|
|
UH-1H Iroquois (Huey)
) |
) |
) |
)
|
)
|
 |
Aircrafts Background
The Prairie Aviation Museum’s Huey helicopter was purchased from theState of Illinois Department of Central Management Services. This helicopter was stationed for approximately 3 years in Viet Nam mostly at Tay Ninh. While in the States, it served time at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 101st Airborne, 1st and 3rd Armies. After this service, it joined the Illinois Army National Guard for a number of years. Finally, the museum purchase this aircraft in September, 1998, from storage at Midway Airport, Chicago.During 67-17832’s stay in Viet Nam, it was involved in three major accidents, using up one year of time in maintenance and repair. Plus, records shows that it took a number of other hits as it flew into the various LZ/landing zones to deliver troops and pick up them up. One of the accidents involved a shrapnel hit from a gunship.
History
The Bell UH-1 is the most widely used military helicopter. Officially the UH-1 series is the Iroquois. When the Army adopted its own two-letter designation system, it became the HU-1 (Helicopter Utility), which led to the nickname "Huey." The DOD standard designation system reversed this to UH-1, the first designation in the new DOD helicopter series. With larger engines and increased capacity, the UH was developed through successive models.The U.S. Army began shipping them to Vietnam in 1963. The
Marine
Hueys began Vietnam service in 1964. The Huey was the work horse of the
Viet Nam war. It's many missions, included air assault, armed patrol
and escort, command and control, troop/cargo transport, combat
reconnaissance support, amphibious assault, light utility missions, and
medical evacuation. Army, Navy and Marine Corps Hueys evacuated 378
thousand casualties between 1965 and 1969.
Bell and
licensed firms like Italy's Agusta (eventually bought by Bell) have
built more than 15,000 Hueys. It is the most numerous helicopter ever
built and the most numerous aircraft built since 1945 except for the
Soviet-era Antonov An-2 biplane transport. The Huey is operated by more
than 60 air forces throughout the world in a wide variety of roles,
everything from VIP transport to flying ambulance to attack helicopter.
It has continued in service well past the five decades since the first
Huey lifted off the ground.
ROLE: Multiple
Crew: 2 crew +12 passengers
Bureau Number: 67-17832
SPECIFICATIONS
Main Rotor Diameter : 44 ft.
Length: 42 ft. 7 in.
Height: 14 feet 7 inches
Empty Weight: 4,750 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 8,500 lbs.
Normal Armament: One manned .30 caliber machine gun each side, although a variety of armament configurations exists.
Engine: One Lycoming T53-L-1 turbo shaft, 1,100 HP
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 138 mph
Range: 212 miles
Service Ceiling: 16,700 ft