Bell UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Iroquois CH-135 Twin Huey | |
---|---|
A UH-1N "Huey" from squadron VMM-261, (Reinforced), 2012 | |
Role | Utility helicopter |
National origin | United States / Canada |
Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter
|
First flight | April 1969 |
Introduction | October 1970 |
Status | In service |
Primary users | Canadian Forces (historical) (historical)
United States Navy |
Produced | 1969–1970s |
Developed from | Bell UH-1H Iroquois |
Variants | Bell 212 Bell UH-1Y Venom |
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium
Barely a year following initial discussions, the UH-1N performed its maiden flight in April 1969. Its procurement by the US military was initially controversial due to the high level of Canadian content, such as its Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T turboshaft engines. However, the acquisition was approved and the Twin Huey was quickly delivered to the United States Air Force and being sent to front line combat units in Vietnam in October 1970. The following year, the Canadian Forces, United States Marine Corps, and the United States Navy all received their first examples; Bell was also quick to adapt the Twin Huey into a civilian helicopter, the Bell 212, as well as the later Bell 412.[1]
The Twin Huey would see service in numerous conflicts, the first being the
Development
The UH-1N was originally developed out of negotiations between the
The US military quickly took an interest in the UH-1N and some officials were keen to quickly procure the type, yet the procurement came close to not happening. It was opposed by the chairman of the
Having secured multiple military customers, Bell Helicopters became interested in developing a commercial utility model for the civilian market; during 1971,
The Bell 412 is a further development of the Bell 212, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.[4] The UH-1N has also been developed into the upgraded, four-blade UH-1Y, which was developed to replace the UH-1N in USMC service.[5]
Design
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a twin-engined medium-sized
The UH-1N is often flown with a four-person crew, comprising two pilots and two crew chiefs; while in the air, these crew chiefs man the weapons, while one pilot functions as a navigator and the other actively flies.[7] The interior is normally outfitted with a 15-seat configuration, in which it can be flown by a single pilot and carry up to 14 passengers; in practice, rarely could the UH-1N actually carry this many unless also carrying limited fuel and equipment due to weight limitations and weather conditions.[6] When configured to carry cargo, the cabin has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ (6.23 m³). Up to six litters can be carried in a medical evacuation arrangement.[6] An external load of up to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) can also be carried.[1] In United States Marine Corps (USMC) service, up to three radios would be installed in the cabin so that commanders could remain airborne while coordinating ground troops. The UH-1N was normally armed with a single .50 caliber machine gun on the helicopter's left side, while a 7.62 millimeter machine gun is mounted on the right side.[7]
To improve safety, a high level of redundancy is present across the UH-1N's key systems; these include duplicate
Operational history
Starting in late 1970, mere months after receiving its first deliveries of the type, the USAF begun to re-equip the
The first deliveries of the UH-1N to the U.S. Navy and USMC took place in 1971. In total, 205 UH-1Ns would be received, not including six VH-1N executive transports that were used to carry the US president and other high-ranking officials, operated by
In Canadian service, the CH-135 Twin Huey was regularly used as a tactical transport, moving troops and equipment around the forward areas of a combat zone;
The Argentine Air Force acquired eight Bell 212s during 1978.[2] During the 1982 Falklands War, Argentina deployed a pair of Bell 212s to the airstrip at Goose Green where they performed general support duties, including the recovery of numerous downed pilots. By the end of the hostilities, both aircraft were still intact and flightworthy, but were captured and dismantled by the British troops.[11][2]
USMC UH-1Ns were deployed during the 2003 invasion of Iraq; they were typically used to provide reconnaissance and communications support to ground troops. Multiple UH-1Ns were called upon to provide close air support during heavy fighting in the Battle of Nasiriyah.[12] In comparison with the Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, the UH-1N had a wider field of fire with its weapons and thus played a useful role in close combat situations, commonly working in conjunction with Cobras.[7]
The USAF employs the aging UH-1Ns to fulfill its
In August 2013, the USAF said they were close to finalizing a plan to sustain and modernize their UH-1Ns for the next six to ten years. It was intended to address flight and safety mandates, investigate modest improvements in capabilities, and reduce capability gaps. While the UH-1N had become one of the oldest platforms operated by the service, retaining it was viewed as having "minimal risk". Fleet-wide upgrades included night vision-compatible cockpit lighting, crash-worthy seats for flight engineers, and installation of a terrain-awareness warning system and traffic collision-avoidance device. The USAF was also in the process of acquiring ex-USMC UH-1Ns, possibly involving as many as 26 helicopters to either add them to USAF's active fleet or keep them in reserve.[15]
The UH-1N saw combat service in the
The USMC planned to retire the UH-1N by September 2014 after 43 years of service. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 was the last Marine squadron operating the type, their last deployment occurring in 2013, when two helicopters sailed on a Royal Netherlands Navy ship for an African Partnership Station deployment. The UH-1N was replaced by the upgraded UH-1Y Venom; ten are remanufactured UH-1N airframes, after which the USMC decided to procure newly built airframes instead. By 2014, five unarmed HH-1Ns remained in use by the USMC until these were also replaced by UH-1Ys and retired in 2015, the only HH-1Ns remaining from 44 that were converted from 38 UH-1Ns and the six VH-1Ns.[9] The final combat deployment of USMC UH-1Ns was to Afghanistan in 2010. The service retired the UH-1N during a "sundown ceremony" at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans on 28 August 2014.[19][20]
By March 2013, the USAF operated 62 UH-1N Twin Hueys, with 25 providing security at
Variants
Canadian variants
- CUH-1N Twin Huey
- Original Canadian Armed Forces designation for the UH-1N utility transport helicopter.[1][4]
- CH-135 Twin Huey
- Canada Aviation Museum in Ottawa and one at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton.[24]
U.S. variants
- UH-1N Iroquois
- Initial production model, used by the USAF, USN, and USMC. Over the years, the primary operators, the USMC has developed a number of upgrades for the aircraft including improved avionics, defenses, and a
- VH-1N
- VIP transport configuration[1]
- HH-1N
- SAR variant.[1]
- UH-1Y Venom
- A UH-1N replacement and upgrade as part of the AH-1Wattack helicopter to AH-1Z Viper standard, with common engines and other major systems.
Italian-built variants
- Agusta-Bell AB 212
- Civil or military utility transport version. Built under license in Italy by Agusta.
- Agusta-Bell AB 212EW
- Electronic warfare version for Turkey.
- Agusta-Bell AB 212ASW
- Italian Navy, Hellenic Navy and Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Peru, Spain, Turkey, and Venezuela.[4]
- The AB 212ASW is a Model 212 Twin Huey with a prominent radome above the cockpit. Early production had a dome-shaped radome, while later production had a flatter "drum" radome. A left side winch is used for dipping the Bendix
Operators
- Argentine Air Force[29]
- 7th Air Brigade - 1st Search and Rescue Squadron
- Bangladesh Air Force[29]
- 9th Squadron "Scorpions" [30]
- Colombian Aerospace Force[29]
- Colombian Army[29]
- Colombian Navy[29]
- Lebanese Air Force 7 aircraft[citation needed]
- Italian Air Force operates 36 aircraft[29][31]
- Italian Navy[29]
- National Aeronaval Service[29]
- Philippine Air Force - 4 Units delivered to 250th Presidential Airlift Wing ,251 Special Airlift Squadron. Retired. [29][32]
- Sudan Air Force[29]
- Turkish Navy[29]
- Venezuelan Navy[29]
Former operators
- Canadian Forces[35]
- 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron[36]
- 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron[37]
- 422 Tactical Helicopter Squadron[36]
- 424 Transport & Rescue Squadron[38]
- 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron[39]
- 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron[40]
- 444 Combat Support Squadron[41]
- VU 32 - pre-Unification Royal Canadian Navy Utility Squadron[42]
- Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment[43]
- Base Flight Cold Lake[44]
- Base Rescue Goose Bay[41]
Aircraft on display
- Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama, U.S.[51]
- CH-135 135114 - Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[52]
- CH-135 135102 - National Air Force Museum of Canada[53]
- UH-1N 159198 – San Diego, California.[54]
Specifications (USMC UH-1N, as modified)
Data from USMC UH-1N Fact Sheet,[55] The International Directory of Military Aircraft, 2002-2003[56]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 (pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, gunner)
- Capacity: 6-8 combat-equipped troops, or 4,400 lb (1,996 kg) equivalent cargo
- Length: 57 ft 8 in (17.58 m)
- Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)
- Max takeoff weight: 10,500 lb (4,763 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada T400-CP-400 coupled turboshaftengine, 1,250 shp (930 kW)
- 900 shp (671 kW) emergency rating for each power section
- Main rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
- Main rotor area: 1,808 sq ft (168.0 m2)
- Blade section: - root: NACA 0010.8; tip: NACA 0005.4 mod[57]
Performance
- Maximum speed: 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 110 kn (130 mph, 200 km/h)
- Range: 248 nmi (285 mi, 459 km)
- Service ceiling: 17,300 ft (5,300 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,755 ft/min (8.92 m/s)
Armament
- 2.75-inch (70 mm) rocket pods,
- 0.50 in (12.7 mm) GAU-16machine gun,
- 7.62 mm (0.308 in) M240lightweight machine gun
Gallery
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135102 serving with the Multinational Force and Observers Sinai, Egypt, 1989.
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135137 in the original blue-gray and green camouflage pattern worn by these aircraft prior to 1986/88.
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135135 in the early-style SAR markings, 1988. This aircraft was serving with Base Rescue Goose Bay and had formerly been assigned to 424 Transport & Rescue Squadron, CFB Trenton.
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135127 from Base Rescue Goose Bay in the later SAR scheme used after 1986–88.
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135103 in special flight test markings. The aircraft was used by the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment at CFB Cold Lake, 1987.
-
CH-135 Twin Huey 135103 after repainting in anti-IR olive and green scheme
-
Canadian CH-135 Twin Hueys serving with the Multinational Force and Observers Sinai, Egypt 1989
-
CH-135 Twin Huey badge worn by someCanadian Forcesair and ground crew, 1980s
-
408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron UTTH Flight badge worn by CH-135 Twin Huey crews circa 1990. The badge is based on the shield of the province of Alberta.
-
UH-1N serving with the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews.
See also
- Huey Creek
Related development
Related lists
- List of aircraft of the AOC
- List of active Canadian military aircraft
References
Citations
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- ^ a b c d e f g Drendel 1983, pp. 14-17.
- ^ Eden 2004, p. 47.
- ^ a b c d e f "UH-1N Huey". af.mil. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Hamel, James D. (18 November 2005). "Corps' oldest helo proves worth in Iraq". marines.mil.
- ^ Mutza Air Enthusiast December 1986–April 1987, pp. 30–31.
- ^ a b "Marine Corps to Retire UH-1N Helicopters in September; HH-1Ns in 2015". Seapowermagazine.org. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ Drendel 1983, p. 9.
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