The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, better known colloquially as the Huey, is a multi-role turbine-powered military helicopter, introdcued in 1959. Since that time, over 16,000 have been produced worldwide, making it one of the most widespread helicopters in existence. The helicopter is most famous for its use in the Vietnam War — Huey helicopters unloading Air Cavalry troops remains one of the most iconic images of the conflict.
Overview[]
The Huey is famed for its ruggedness, able to continue flying even after sustaining serious damage. Designed as a multi-role aircraft, the helicopter remains best known as a troop transport but has also operated in the gunship, casevac and reconnaissance roles, and has been adopted for civilian use. During the Vietnam War, Huey gunship's were often custom-modified for their task by crews in the field.
While the UH-1 has been officially phased out of US military service and replaced with the UH-60 Black Hawk, several are still operated by the National Guard. The helicopter continues to find use elsewhere around the globe.
Notable Craft[]
Trivia[]
- The helicopter's nickname was derived from its original designation of HU-1, which quickly came to be phoneticized as "Huey". While the designation was later changed to UH-1, the nickname stuck, to the point where the helicopter's official US Army designation is almost never used in practice.
- The helicopter in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is actually a civilian version of the UH-1 — the Bell 205.[1]
- The Cheyenne dropship in Aliens intentionally included elements of the Huey in its design.[2]
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