On 20 October 1956, the Bell Model 204 (military designation XH-40), a prototype of a new US Army helicopter that would later become known as the UH-1 Iroquois, made its maiden flight.
Approximately three years later, the helicopter entered operational service with the US Army, quickly becoming one of the most iconic rotorcraft ever built.
Initially, the serially produced versions of the aircraft were designated HU-1, leading to the nickname “Huey”. The byname quickly spread to the general public and has remained associated with the helicopter ever since, despite its official designation being changed to UH-1 Iroquois in 1962.
The UH-1 was first used in combat during the Vietnam War. The first examples were deployed there in March 1962 and soon became one of the defining symbols of the conflict. Nevertheless, this was only the beginning of the Huey impressive combat record, which includes the Falklands War, the American invasions of Grenada and Panama, the Gulf War, the Salvadoran Civil War, the Rhodesian Bush War and the 2007 Lebanon conflict, as well as numerous peacekeeping operations across the world.
Approximately 16,000 examples of the UH-1 helicopters were built before production officially ceased in 1987. The UH-1 was not only one of the most successful military helicopters in aviation history, but it also marked the beginning of a family of rotorcraft. Until today, the list of related designs includes the AH-1 Cobra, the Bell 204/205 series, the Bell 212/214 series and, finally, the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom. The latter two aircraft trace their lineage directly back to the original Model 204 concept and remain in production to this day.
The civilian version of the UH-1 rotorcraft, used by the CIA for clandestine operations over the Indochinese Peninsula, also left its mark on aviation history through one of the most unusual aerial engagements ever recorded – for more details, see our article Huey versus Colt – the story of an unusual aerial combat.
Additional information about the rotorcraft from the UH-1 family can be found in our previous articles: Bell (Dornier) UH-1D Iroquois, Bell AH-1Z Viper and Agusta-Bell AB 204B.
