Bell UH-1 Iroquois (commonly known as Huey) is a multirole helicopter of American production from the Cold War and modern times. The flight of the prototype took place in 1956, and the machine entered service in 1959. The helicopter - in the UH-1D version - has a total length of 17.4 m, and the diameter of its main rotor is 14.6 meters. The drive is provided by a single 1100 HP Lycoming T-53-L-11 engine. Its maximum speed in horizontal flight reaches 220 km / h. The helicopter has a classic layout with a single main rotor and a propeller on the tail boom.
Work on the Bell UH-1 machine, commonly known as the Huey, started in the early 1950s, when the US Army reported a need for a new transport, medical evacuation (MEDAVAC) and multi-role helicopter. The emphasis is on the simplest and classic design as well as high reliability. Bell UH-1 helicopters performed very well during the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975), where they underwent their baptism of fire. Due to their indiscriminate use in this conflict, they have almost become a symbol of this war. In the course of production, many development versions of this helicopter were created, among which the following can be indicated: UH-1 C (version adapted to take small arms and unguided rockets and with a more powerful engine compared to versions A and B), UH-1 D ( basic, transport, production version) or UH-1H (an improved D version with a more powerful drive unit). It is worth noting that the UH-1Y Venom version was also created, but due to the number of upgrades and improvements, it should rather be viewed as a separate helicopter model. The Bell UH-1 helicopter has gained enormous popularity and in various versions has been or is still operated by countries such as: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Georgia, Japan, Germany and Italy.