Bell UH-1H Moves To NW

Well, if a few other Argie-style aircraft can be put into the circuit (MB339, Pucara, CH-47), i’m sure an interesting display can be made. Especially if you use some barren, flat and windy Scottish island as scenery.

But the UH-1 + Skyraider would be a very, very good second. In a few years, German UH-1D’s should be coming available on the second hand market. Me thinks it’s a good excuse to finally get rid of all the tasteless Robinsons and show the world what helos look and sound like!

Hey!

I’m the world’s greatest eggbeater-hater, but even I just love that ‘whop-whop-whop’ – the soundtrack of the Vietnam war.

Forget painting it in authentic Argie colours, paint it up in Vietnam style and team it with the Skyraider. It gives that aircraft some point as well.

Huey and Sandy combo – Yes please!

Moggy

Originally posted by Arthur
If there’s one helo which should be considered a ‘classic’ by the way…

absolutely The Huey is definately a classic helo shame on the US government on not selling off just a few for presevation/display. but who gave it that name sounds like you are vomiting when you say it:D

Here’s a photo of the Huey, unfortunately including some shadow.
Passed it coming back down the M27 incidentially on the way home, but thought it best not to take another photo 🙂

Thanks for the feedback,a German UH-1H looks the most likely candidate.I know it’s the rotor blades which make the whop-whop noise,but on top of that I swear I heard a buzzing sound like a piston engine-noisy tail rotor perhaps??
Was never very well up on eggbeaters…

Absolutely right regarding the huey and it being a classic, it is iconic (I am not a helo fan, but this one is the exception). Ironic thing is that the bone yard in the states is full of em, but they are not allowed to release them onto the market due to the US fearing that by hoardes of Hueys becoming available will effectively kill off the new build helo market. Germans do still operate them, in the classic two balde form, they sound a treat.

Ant,
It could well have been a German UH-1D, as they still operate ’em (and they look very drab as well). All Hueys, from the XH-40 prototype on, are turbine powered. It’s the rotorblades which give the distinctive whop-whop-whop sound, not the engine. Which is why a re-engined UH-1N (with two blades) still sounds really nice, whereas a B412 (with four blades) does not.

If there’s one helo which should be considered a ‘classic’ by the way…

Hueys were never piston engined.

Thanks for the info folks.I’m CERTAIN the machine I saw was a UH-1H and not one of the re-engined Griffins or one of the turboshaft powered civvy derivatives.It sounded like a piston engine, the blades made the charecteristic Vietnam-style ‘whop-whop’ noise and they didn’t look like they could possibly be doing enough revolutions to keep the thing in the air.It was flying just offshore parallel to the beach at Selsey in W.Sussex in July.I thought it might’ve been a civvy owned one operating out of Shoreham or Goodwood.It was painted in overall Olive Drab,rather like the ones you see on Vietnam movies.Perhaps it was a visiting military one from some other country-do the Germans still operate Hueys?I’ve seen German CH-53’s flying over the same area before now.

I last saw her at cranfield last year

According to my records, G-HUEY’s CoA expired on 5th October 1998, I stand to be corrected.

As far as I am aware she has not been operated in the time, certainly not from Bournemouth.

Cof A expired in 1998.

Ant – G-HUEY was captured during the Falklands campaign, used by British forces on the Islands and then brought to the U.K .
She was operated by the RAF Benelovent Fund for a couple of years before being acquired by Butane Buzzard Aviation.
She hasn’t flown for a few years.
As for the Huey you saw I guess that would have been one of the twin engined 412’s that is operated by the RAF as the Griffon
at RAF Shawbury for crew training.

I remember seeing it airborne at Bournemouth TVS Air shows in the late eighties but not sure when it did actually last fly.

Any help appreciated

When did this one last fly?I saw a Huey chug(?) past when I was sunning myself on a south coast beach in the summer.Same one perhaps?How many are active in the UK at the moment?

Good news! Be good to see her returned to an authentic Argentinian scheme and on the circuit again.