Bell UH-1C (Huey) fuselage for T-Rex 400

 
Tail Link mechanism for 400 size belt driven tail rotor see our listings for details.

The Original

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.

In Vietnam, 2,202 Huey pilots were killed and approximately 2,500 aircraft were lost, roughly half to combat and the rest to operational accidents.

The UH-1C was specifically developed as a gunship version until the "interim" attack helicopter, the Bell AH-1G Huey Cobra was available and to correct the deficiencies of the UH-1B when it was used in the armed role. The UH-1C was widely referred to as the "Huey Hog" in US Army service.

The "Charlie" model was fitted with the 1100 shp T53-L-9 or L-11 engine to provide the power needed to lift the weapons systems in use or under development at the time. It incorporated the new Bell 540 rotor system with 27 inch chord blades. The increased power lead Bell's engineers to design a new tailboom for the "C" which incorporated a wider chord fin on a longer boom and larger synchronized elevators. The "C" also introduced a dual hydraulic control system for redundancy in battle and an improved inlet filter system for the dusty conditions found in southeast Asia. Fuel was increased to 242 US gallons and gross weight to 9500 lbs, giving a nominal useful load of 4673 lbs.

Development on the "C" model had commenced in 1960, with production starting in June 1966. A total of 766 "C" models was completed, including five for the Royal Australian Navy, designated N9 and five for Norway. The balance went to the US Army.

Many UH-1Cs were later re-engined with the 1400 shp Lycoming T53-L-13 powerplant. With this engine they were redesignated UH-1M.