Page 159 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

History

Rotor blades
The Huey’s twin rotor
blades stretched 14.6m
(48ft) across.

Turboshaft engine
Versions of the Lycoming
Turboshaft engine provided the
different incarnations of the UH-1
series, with some capable of up to
1,400 shaft horsepower.

Slick design
When unarmed, the helicopters were
incredibly streamlined and able to fl y
in very close formation, earning
them the nickname ‘slicks’.

Flexible armament
Though many Hueys were

flown without weaponry,
some were fi tted with
30-calibre machine guns or
rocket pods.

The modern ‘Super Huey’

Bell’s UH-Y1, also called the Yankee and the ‘Super Huey’, is
one of the latest stages in the evolution of the Huey. With all

the flexibility, reliability and efficiency of the original UH, this
21st-century beast of the air packs in the most up-to-date
military-grade tech. As well as a night-vision-compatible
cockpit and an electronic warfare self-protection suite, this
modern Huey also notably has two twin rotor blades, unlike
the original UH series.
Also different to the original Hueys, the UH-1Y craft have
vastly improved safety and protective features, including a
crashworthy fuel system and energy-absorbing landing gear. US Marine Corps

Capable of carrying heavier payloads and flying further than pilots landing a UH-1Y
its predecessor, the UH-1Y was deployed in Afghanistan in during training exercises
in Pendleton, California
2009 where it was utilised by the US Marine Corps. © Alamy
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