soldiers on purpose, only to have a chance of bringing down one more Huey as it flew in to pick up the stranded men.

ThatРІР‚в„ўs because the North Vietnamese troops were particularly determined when it came to shootingР’В down American helicopters. While oneР’В was able to admire the evergreen view under you and avoid the hell on earth that was going on below, the chance of survival was half that of an ordinary infantryman. The service as a pilot of UH-01 had some pros and cons. Over the entire war, Hueys conducted over 30 millionР’В flights, thus coining a new term РІР‚вЂњ РІР‚СљWar of Helicopters.РІР‚Сњ UH-1 РІР‚СљIroquoisРІР‚Сњ in action, date unknown There was no other conflict where the role of helicopters was so important. Its light construction and high maneuverability turned out to be priceless in the Southeast Asian environment. Able to fly at over 124 mph, it proved to beР’В indispensable during military operations in Vietnam. Helicopters used for medical evacuation were РІР‚СљDustoffs.РІР‚Сњ Finally, the РІР‚СљIroquoisРІР‚Сњ, a multi-task variant, ends the list. The UH-01 gunships were commonly referred as РІР‚СљHogs.РІР‚Сњ A transport version was named РІР‚СљSlickРІР‚Сњ due to a lack of weapon pods. Many upgrades were РІР‚СљhomemadeРІР‚Сњ by the troops in the war zone. The Huey was adaptable enough that it could be used to test pretty much every possible weapon that could be attached. Next, the UH-01C had bigger fuel tanks and a new rotor system. The UH-01B version had a more powerful engine and was able to carry more men. CrandallРІР‚в„ўs UH-1D helicopter climbs skyward after discharging a load of infantrymen on a search and destroy mission. Combat operations at Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam, November 1965. Even so, the UH-1 was constantly being upgraded and made better. The first Hueys to reach Vietnam arrived in 1962 (and operationally in 1963) and soon became an iconic symbol of the United States involvement in Southeast Asia. From the evaluation process, the UH-1 quickly earned the trust and respect of the Army and was pressed into service. The privilege of being the first to use Hueys is credited to the 101st Airborne Division. FromР’В the start of mass production in 1960 over 16,000 were built in total, including civilian versions. Out of that number, over 3,000 were lost. UH-01 was designed in 1955 and produced between 1957-1986.Р”Вuring the Second Indochina War, over 7,000 Hueys were deployed in numerous forms and roles.

When speaking about the Vietnam War what image comes to mind first?Р’В Every war has some iconic machines that exceeded expectations.Р’В For the VietnamР’В War (also known as the Second Indochina War), that title goes to the Bell UH-1 Iroquois, nicknamed the Huey due to its original designation, HU-01.

Huey helicopter vietnam