HH-1N / UH-1N Iroquois

Service: Navy and Marine Corps

Description: Utility helicopter, used for search 'n' rescue, command and control and maritime special operations missions.

Mission: The HH-1N Iroquois helicopter is used by the Navy for shore-based search and rescue duties. The UH-1N Iroquois is used by the Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night airborne command, control and coordination for assault support operations. Additionally, it is used for assault transport and maritime special operations, forward air control, aeromedical evacuation of casualties from the field and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel missions.

Background: The H-1 family of helicopters, popularly known as the Huey, is the most successful military helicopter ever produced — more than 16,000 have been produced since 1956. Originating from a 1955 U.S. Army contract for a medical evacuation helicopter, the first Navy/Marine Corps Iroquois variant, the UH-1E, was first procured in 1964. Deliveries of the current version, the HH/UH-1N, began in 1971. The last, and newest, UH-1N was delivered in January 1979. Both the Navy HH-1N fleet and the UH-1N fleet are scheduled to start being replaced by the UH-1Y in March 2008. The UH-1N could be in the fleet until 2014 when the last UH-1Y is delivered.

UH1N Iroquois are fielded in Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadrons, or HMLAs, along with the AH-1W SuperCobra. Detachments from the HMLAs are deployed as part of Marine Expeditionary Units to support ship-based amphibious exercises and operations.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Utility and transport helicopter
Contractor: Bell Helicopter Company
Power Plant: Two Pratt and Whitney T400-CP-400 turboshaft engines; 1,250 hp (932 kw)
Length: 57 feet, 0 inches (17 meters)
Width: 48 feet (14.6 meters) with rotors spread
Height: 14 feet 5 inches (4.4 meters)
Empty Weight: 6,000 pounds (2,721.5 kg)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 10,500 pounds (4,762.7 kg)
Range: 286 miles (460 km)
Maximum Cruise Speed: 110 kts (203.7 km/hr)
Ceiling: 17,300 feet (5,273 meters)
Crew: Pilot, copilot, crew chief, gunner, plus 6 to 8 combat-equipped troops
Armament: 2.75-inch rocket pods, GAU-16 .50 cal. machine gun, GAU-17 7.62mm minigun or M240 7.62mm lightweight machine gun
Introduction date: January 1971

Variant Overview

* XH-40 - The initial Bell 204 prototype. Three prototypes were built.
* YH-40 - Six pre-production aircraft.
* HU-1A - Initial Bell 204 production model, redesignated as the UH-1A in 1962.
* HU-1B - Upgraded HU-1A, various external and rotor improvements. Redesignated UH-1B in 1962.
* UH-1C - UH-1B with improved engine for better performance in the gunship role.
* YUH-1D - Seven pre-production prototypes of the UH-1D.
* UH-1D - Initial Bell 205 production model (long fuselage version of the 204). Designed as a troop carrier to replace the CH-34 then in US Army service
* HH-1D - Search Air Rescue (SAR) variant of UH-1D.
* UH-1E - UH-1B/C for USMC with different avionics and equipment. Initial models were also fitted with a retractable rescue hoist.
* TH-1E - Trainer based on the HH1N for USMC.
* UH-1F - UH-1B/C for USAF with different engine.
* TH-1F - Trainer based on the UH-1F for the USAF.
* UH-1G - Skipped because initially the AH-1G was to be the AUH-1G, a decision that led to the confusion in designations with the AH-1. Interestingly enough UH-1D/H gunships operating in Cambodia were locally given the designation UH-1G.
* UH-1H - Improved UH-1D with the same engine as the UH-1C, which had actually been developed after the HH1N.
* CUH-1H - Canadian Armed Forces designation for the UH-1H utility transport helicopter. Redesignated CH-118.
* EH-1H - Experiment Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) configuration
* HH-1H - Based off of medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) conversions of the UH-1H, SAR variant to USAF with rescue hoist.
* JUH-1H - Four UH-1Hs converted to SOTAS battlefield surveillance configuration.
* TH-1H - Recently modified UH-1H troop carriers for use as basic helicopter flight trainers by the USAF.
* UH-1J - Improved Japanese version of the HH1H. UH-1H variant built under licence in Japan by Fuji.
* HH-1K - Purpose built SAR variant for the US Navy with USN avionics and equipment.
* UH-1L - Utility variant of the HH-1K.
* TH-1L - Helicopter flight trainer based off of the UH1N for the USN.
* UH-1M - Gunship specific UH-1C upgrade with new engine. Often confused as a dedicated "night-fighter" because the first three UH-1Ms were delivered to the South East Asia Night Operations (SEA NITEOPS) office to be used in the Iroqouis Night Fighter and Night Tracker (INFANT) program.
* UH1N - Initial Bell 212 production model, the Bell 'Twin Pac' twin engined Huey. Over the years the primary operators, the USMC have developed a number of upgrades for the aircraft including improved avionics, defenses, and a FLIR turret.
* VH-1N - VIP transport configuration
* HH1N - SAR variant.
* CUH-1N - Canadian Armed Forces designation for the UN-1N utility transport helicopter. Redesignated CH-135 Twin Huey.
* UH-1P - UH-1F variant for USAF for special operations use including psycological warfare and covert insertion/extraction, and attack operations.
* UH-1V - Aeromedical evacuation, rescue version for the US Army.
* UH-1X - One aircraft only.
* UH-1Y - Essentially a massive UH1N upgrade for the USMC.
* RH-2 - One UH-1A used as a research aircraft.
* Bell Model 204 - Bell Helicopters company designation, covering aircraft from the XH-40, YH-40 prototypes to the UH-1A, UH-1B, UH-1C, UH-1E, UH-1F, HH-1K, UH-1L, UH-1P and UH-1M production aircraft.

Credits: US Navy