UH-1 Iroquois - How The Huey Changed EVERYTHING

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The Huey is, well... the Huey. Officially known as the "Iroquois", the UH-1 series of utility helicopters soon became the backbone of the US Army's offensive operations as they smashed their way through Vietnam. Upgraded many times through the years, from the prototype XH-40 to the iconic UH-1D and, finally, the UH-1Y Venom, the Huey is probably the most famous helicopter of all time. Just a shame I couldn't license "Fortunate Son".
SOURCES:
"Bell UH-1 Huey "Slicks" 1962-75" - Chris Bishop
DISCORD: / discord
PATREON: / redwrenchfilms
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:30 Sponsor Message
01:47 The New Breed
02:56 An Impossible Task
04:18 XH-40
05:14 HU-1A
05:39 HU-1B
06:40 The (Air) Cavalry
07:47 Welcome To The Jungle
09:10 A Worthy Foe?
09:46 UH-1C
10:16 The Ia Drang Valley
11:20 UH-1D
11:52 Slicks, Gunships and Dustoffs
12:44 Tet and the AH-1G
13:10 A Fragile Machine
13:58 The Last Chopper...
14:30 UH-1H, E, F, P, K and L
15:31 UH-1N Twin Huey
16:33 UH-1Y Venom
17:08 Vipers and Cobras!
17:27 Outro
All content is presented in historical context for educational purposes. All footage is owned by it's copyright holder and is used in this channel under "fair use".
Music by Epidemic Sound

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Play World of Tanks here: tanks.ly/45V48rg Thank you World of Tanks for sponsoring this video. During registration use the code COMBAT to get for free: 7 days premium access 250k credits Cromwell B (tier 6) British premium medium tank 3 rental tanks for 10 battles each: Tiger 131 (Tier 6) German heavy tank, T78 (Tier 6) American tank destroyer, and Type 64 (Tier 6) Chinese premium light tank The promo code is only for new players during registration.

[@b127ritter2]

Sorry to be that guy but I believe that Iroquois is pronounced ear-ri-coy

[@brodeybartlett1641]

Hey red wrench, I found your videos probably a week ago and have watched most of them now. I really am enjoying them, thanks for producing such great content!!

[@mandernachluca3774]

A little correction to an otherwise great video: The first use of helicopters on battlefields was actually in WW2 by the germans. They experimented with the concept of heavy transport helicopters and the FA223 Drache (Dragon) and light recon helicopters, the Fl282 Kolibri.

[@Green-ader]

Can you please use imperial units for the love of god

[@Dogmeat1950]

Great video! However the most secret unit in Vietnam with Hueys was the U.S Navy. With UH-1B's and its an amazing story. The most decorated Naval Air Sqaudron in history is the HAL-3 Seawolves which mainly used the UH-1B for most of their time in Vietnam in the Gunship Roll with missions mainly supporting U.S Navy Seals and other Special Operations Forces as well as aiding Regular forces. So free chicken if you can make a video on those guys. most people have no idea who they were and the U.S Congress didn't recognize the unit till 2010 and it's the only non-navy seal unit at the Navy Seal musem on display. They have a history that many have never heard of, U.S Army SOAR is based off of them.

[@mapletreepower7038]

100% would like to see the history of the AH1

[@mrmadmax4523]

I second this Would be cool for a video on British helicopters

[@maxo.9928]

Especially since it is a related Airframe!

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

Gets my vote too

[@karlfisher5788]

Yes,please! Outstanding helo

[@tvexpert_xd2388]

Wen wan to see everything

[@AAR2VZ]

As a disabled Nam vet, I really appreciate your fine efforts. Without the Huey, we never would have had a chance. Thank you very much.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

My pleasure! Glad you're here.

[@CorePathway]

Without politicians, you would have!

[@archcunningham5579]

@@CorePathwayRight ! The Politicians lost the Viet Nam war, not our soldiers !

[@Mechanized85]

@@CorePathway Fuck Politicians, Fuck The Commies.

[@tunguska2370]

Would be nice if that war didn't happened

[@verdiss7487]

We all know that the UH-1P's psychological warfare role was to circle around enemy positions playing 80's pop music

[@TooTallDean]

80s music during the VN War? I never knew that!

[@scrappybobbarker5224]

The pentagon developed 80s music in the 60s as a top secret psychological weapon. It was called operation Roxanne

[@verdiss7487]

@@TooTallDean Well, naturally. 60's pop music wouldn't have been nearly as effective, would it?

[@TacticalBaguette]

@@scrappybobbarker5224 Their efforts must have paid off during Just Cause, although that was more rock than pop

[@AGhostintheHouse]

Or to approach the enemy at high speed while playing Ride of the Valkyries.

[@joeblow9657]

I'd be interested in a video on the Cobra. Also, for context, a lot of those Hues thrown off the decks of US carriers during the fall of Saigon were South Vietnamese Hueys that were trying to escape the fall of South Vietnam rather than their US counterparts.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Couldn't go back, not enough deck space to keep

[@Manospondylus]

My dad didn't think much of the Huey. "Slow and underpowered" he said. But his other ride was the CH-54 so everything was underpowered next to that monster.

[@joeblow9657]

@@Manospondylus Your dad has an excellent taste in choppers

[@cjhs77338]

Yep. My dad told me about them pushing them off the deck to make space for more to land. He watched a special forces group guard one until all of them were able to carve a piece of the hull off. When he asked why it turned out that that bird was the one that came in and rescued them earlier when they were pinned down without any other way out so they wanted a piece of her to remember the bird. They even made sure that the pilots did not pay for any drinks when they got back.

[@gerardosalazar527]

Way to show loyalty and respect to your allies. Nice.

[@FullcircleZA]

True helicopter, mobile for the time, good amount of troop capacity good visibility from cockpit and versatile, the real grandad of helicopters like the Blackhawk in my opinion

[@thelittlestmig3394]

Iroquois defined a new role and set a tough standard to beat. I would argue Osprey has done the same. When they fly proper exoatmospheric dropships, they will look back in time and remember Drache, Iroquois and Osprey as some of the most significant technological steps along the way.

[@FullcircleZA]

@@thelittlestmig3394 definitely

[@ChiefMac59]

I flew the UH-1H for 5 years and the Crashhawk will never match the Huey

[@FullcircleZA]

@@ChiefMac59 damn okay

[@thelittlestmig3394]

@@ChiefMac59 Doesn't match. Supercedes in every way other than style.

[@raywhitehead730]

I was a door gunner on a single engine Huey in Vietnam, later I became a pilot and flew single and twin engine Hueys. I few them in the US, Africa, Asia, and Antarctica. It was a revolutionary machine, it was cost effective, versatile beyond compare, easy to repair and maintain it was dependable. Easy to fly, but to fly it well took lots of practice and a studious attention to detail. Still flying in many countries. It wasn't the only chopper or plane I ever flew, so I have means to compare it.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Would love to talk to you about that sometime Ray - you sound like a man with a lot of stories!

[@raywhitehead730]

You are fortunate, Aviation has a short history, many people are still alive now who were pioneers in this field. My father was in the Air Force, US. I was always intrigued about Aviation. And I made it a point early on to meet as many people as I could who were a part of it. I even met the girlfriend of Charles Taylor, he made the very first airplane engine for the Wright brothers. She was Much younger, then Taylor. Mr Taylor is buried at The Portal of Folded Wings, shrine in Burbank, California of Aviation. The most interesting aviation person I ever met was Eddie Rickenbacker. I had lunch with him about 1965 at the Officer's club in Bolling Air Force base, in Washington, DC. With my father.

[@michaelsteveharristonquisp6466]

Fortunate son

[@ToreDL87]

@@michaelsteveharristonquisp6466 Dang, beat me to it lol

[@hawker7488]

When the last Black Hawk is retired, it will be flown to the Boneyard slung under a Huey...

[@spankyharland9845]

when they retire the last Black Hawk, the pilots will fly away from the boneyard in a Huey😘

[@brokendown63]

You damn right, a Huey or a Hook.

[@MichaelSSmith-hs5pw]

I am one of the lucky Huey door gunners who survived Vietnam & came home. The Wop,Wop,Wop of the helicopter blades was the song of my youth. Those Hueys were either taking us into hell, or bringing us out of it. Sometimes the deck of the Huey was so covered in blood that we’d have to land in a shallow river just to wash it out. I am a Vietnam veteran, fighter by day, lover by night, drunkard by choice and a soldier by mistake. (drafted) SGT E-5, M.S. “Gunslinger” Smith UH-1B (Huey) M-60, Door Gunner A Troop 1 Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) An Khe, Vietnam, 1969 “Get Some!” 🎖💜♠️🪖🇺🇸

[@saint-simon1134]

Thank you for story sir🫡. I am from young generation of 90‘ born in Europe, but I grew up with many american movies and green soldiers toys. But now I am living another part of history, because the neighbor country is in a war.

[@SonaNerikov2]

​@@saint-simon1134 I still wonder what's respectable from killing people? Would you respect Russian Veteran of Ukraine invasion?

[@SonaNerikov2]

​@@saint-simon1134 Killer : 😡😡🤬 Killer, American : 🫡🫡🫡

[@choprjock]

I didn't fly the Cobra in combat, but I did fly the UH-1B & C gunships. The Cobra certainly had its advantages, but the B & C (and later the M model) had two door gunners to protect the aircraft from attacks from the sides.

[@SimonLe2704]

After the Vietnam war there was like thousands of Hueys left in stock from the ARVN, so the Vietnamese utilized them in the next war against the Cambodian in the south and border clashes with the Chinese, employing ex ARVN pilots using the US's tactics. The Hueys was well liked among the soldiers, but another 15 years of war after the VN War pretty much used up all of the Huey's service life hour and spare parts so we retired them all in the mid 2000s

[@mh53j]

The VNAF did not have "thousands" of Hueys, maybe several hundred. By April of '75, less than 100 were still airworthy due to lack of spares and poor maintenance during the 3 years since the US pulled out and practically cut off all aid. Then subtract the number that were flown out during the exodus ahead of the NVA; doesn't leave too many left. By the early 90s, only 40-60 were reported to be in service, but their operational status was in question then. In '89, Vietnam was actively trying to sell off any remaining airframes and parts, including engines that were still in their original shipping crates. To suggest that Vietnam employed Hueys in the same manner as the US did is absurd. They may have been used piecemeal along with a few captured Chinooks, but the skies weren't full of captured American helicopters like you are suggesting. Imagine it was hard to find pilots as well, many having fled the country or been stuck in your delightful "re-education" camps. I guess you could always hold a gun to a pilot's head, but it would be a bit of a distraction.

[@SimonLe2704]

​@@mh53j saying thousand of them is a bit exaggerate on my part, but the real number isn't that much different We did capture like 600 of Hueys, including air-worthy and broken ones, during the border conflict with the Cambodia and Chinese there were around half of them still useable. After that, the official record stated that only 3 dozen or so Hueys still airworthy and in service until mid 2000s, the rest were stripped for parts/sold to private collectors I've never said anything about the sky being full of Hueys and Chinook, I only said the NVA did employ a number of tactics learned from the US like dropping troops off and flying around supporting using machine gun fire. Since the border conflict was a 2 front war, NVA recruited ex ARVN pilots and personnels to make up for the lack of manpower operating US equipment, ARVN helped transport troops from the Southwest to the North to relieve border guards when China suddenly attacked us. My grandpa was one of the Huey pilots recruited by NVA, since during the VN war he only flew transportation and not direct combat so he was able to rejoin the army and flew until retirement in 1985

[@magnum6763]

interestingly enough, theres still UH-1s reported to be in-service with the VPAF (the 917th Mixed Air Transport)

[@tdgdbs1]

South Vietnamese technicians were used to train North Vietnamse pilots since they were non-commissioned officers (hạ sỹ quan) therefore not sent to prisons. All pilots were officers and spent years in prison depending on rank; most field grades (major to colonel) were sent to the North near the border with China, majority of them did not survive due to hunger/illness/cruelty. My father was a captain and spent 6 years in prison, then 3 additional years of probation upon released.

[@xx-tp6ot]

Ja die waren auch in Germany sehr beliebt, der letzte steht im Heeresfliegermuseum im Internationalen Hubschrauber Ausbildungszentrum Bückeburg ,Germany

[@screamingnighthog7155]

I have a friend whose job in Viet Nam was to recover downed helicopters. He said if the Huey was not badly damaged they repaired it and flew it out. If it was not repairable on site they called in a Chinook helicopter and air lifted it out with a belly sling. If the helicopter was too badly damaged to be salvaged they removed the radios and weapons and blew it up. At a really "hot" crash site the Army would call upon the Marines to secure them a perimeter. He said the Marines were "hard core". God bless them.

[@grider421]

i didn’t notice a difference and i worked with army and marine corps, marines are a legend in there own minds!🤣

[@RCAvhstape]

During the Gulf War of 1991 I witnessed a CH-53 Super Stallion carrying a CH-46 in a sling load back in for salvage or repair. Pretty astonishing sight to see that kind of lifting power. Marines don't get Army levels of money from Congress so they try to take care of their gear.

[@thejerseyj5479]

Oh, I see, the Army needs the Marines to do its fighting. Complete bullshit.

[@PacoOtis]

Minor Correction: Thanks for the video! The first thing you say about the aircraft is the sound is from the "twin rotor" which is not how this rotor system is described. The Huey has two blades, but is a single rotor. Best of luck!

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Yup! Stupid error on my part. One rotor, two blades!

[@BVonBuescher]

I grew up in aviation, and I remember, anytime a Huey flew in, the old timers at the FBO would always tell me that noise was from the blades beating the air into submission

[@theonlymadmac4771]

My favorite Helicopter, as I flew more than 200 hours in it as a flight surgeon and SAR crew member in the German Air Force 1987/8

[@CorePathway]

My only flight in a Huey was in West Germany; a US Army aviation officer in my section needed flight hours to keep his wings and his flight pay. On a 2 hour flight bad weather moved in. Lightning strikes everywhere. I asked “What happens if we get hit by lightning”. The reply was “Usually nothing.” Not all that reassuring. We landed at an alternate base soon afterwards.

[@Wuestenkarsten]

Danke für Ihren geleisteten Dienst!

[@clearsmashdrop5829]

Around 1985 or so I got a book about US ARMY equipment. It talked about the Blackhawk coming online to replace the Huey. It noted, however, that there were so many Hueys in US service that they'd like be around into the 2000s (even if in small numbers). Here we are and its 2023 and the Huey has yet to be completely replaced.

[@ChiefMac59]

The Marines are still flying them

[@clearsmashdrop5829]

@@ChiefMac59 Yup, saw one at a distance last time I was in San Diego for some vacation. 3-4 years back

[@MrOshirinoana]

The Grand Canyon flight tour companies in my area used to have some. I miss hearing the rotors. They all use Eurocopters now.

[@MrOshirinoana]

@@clearsmashdrop5829 I was in San Diego last month and a pair of those new model Cobras were cruising around. They were imposing and I'm glad they're ours.

[@clearsmashdrop5829]

@@MrOshirinoana The California Dept of Forestry has one. I hear him 2-3 times a year. (assuming its the same one)

[@neilpavett3413]

I was 9 years when the Saigon fell and, not understanding the human tragedy, I cried my eyes out seeing the helicopters getting pushed over the side.

[@rongibson9702]

I was 16 in 1965 so I grew up with Vietnam. There was so much to cry about. The list goes on and on.

[@stephenwalling5878]

I was 17 and about to join the navy, I had read the Vietnam so I was ready for whatever came my way.

[@diegrinder6851]

Dude! Here too. Turned 10 toward the end of June, '75. I too thought pushing a perfectly good Huey off the side of the ship, when deserving kids back home needed one, was a war crime :-) So, Neal, that makes us both Gen X Mark I Mod 0's 🙂

[@ToreDL87]

@@diegrinder6851 Gen X Mark 1 Mod 0 🤣😂

[@RCAvhstape]

Even now, understanding the human side, it still sucks to deep six perfectly functioning aircraft, even though I understand why they had to do it.

[@monsieurduquack5440]

Not only that I can hear the rotors, I immediately hear the intro guitar riff of a certain song play in my head

[@markfryer9880]

About 5 years ago I woke up one Sunday morning to the distinctive sound of a Iroquois helicopter in flight close to my house. In my brain fog state I checked first that I wasn't dreaming and then wondered why the helicopter noise was so constant. I staggered out of bed and went to the front door, searching for the source of the noise. I finally walked to the footpath and looked down the street and just above the treetops I could see a helicopter hovering and then moving away before returning. It seemed to be over at the large local shopping centre? I quickly got properly dressed and drove round to the shopping centre. There was a bright yellow Iroquois picking up new air-conditioning duct work and equipment and returning with the old stuff that was being replaced. This went on for at least an hour to the point where I got hungry and drove up the road to the local McDonald's and bought myself some breakfast. Somehow I found out that the reason for using the helicopter was because it was cheaper and quicker than having to call in a very large crane with the reach capacity to do the job. Such a crane would have required a large area of the car park to be blocked off and then time to assemble and disassemble the crane, all at considerable time and cost. I have to admit that it was a unique way to wake up on a Sunday morning and the crew of the chopper were certainly earning their money by essentially hovering for something like an hour and a half. Mark from Melbourne Australia It was a large model Iroquois probably a model H.

[@DevLSpark]

A couple years ago I was travelling for work weekly, from Christchurch on the east coast of NZ's South Island to Greymouth in the west. Near Arthur's Pass there was a Huey doing forestry work, and I was glad that I left home earlier than I needed to because I got to spend 15mins or so watching this thing deftly flick in and out of the tree line and drop moderately sized logs down at a clearing by the side of the highway where a loader moved and stacked them. Showed that some machines can be precision instruments and workhorses at the same time, be made from complex systems and still be as comparatively simple as a hammer.

[@ibubezi7685]

@@DevLSpark Over here in South Africa they fly a yellow Huey, fighting bush fires - it actually flew in Vietnam - it's an old airframe!

[@Wuestenkarsten]

I guess some Veteran with PTSD would have fallen out of Bed trying to grab an M60 or M16.....and that on a Sunday morning!

[@NigelAtkinson256]

@@Wuestenkarsten I flew a couple of times with RNZAF No. 3 Squadron as a cadet in the mid 90s. I remember a pilot pointing out they avoid overflying a particular suburb to help a Vet keep his nerves. however also purposely flew over others as some Vets living there loved hearing them.

[@christophersilsby7829]

The Navy and Marine Huey, had twin helicopter engine because of the fact that they operated over water

[@RedWrenchFilms]

The UH-1J and UH-1E were both single-engined, but later they both used the twin engined UH-1N.

[@jackaubrey8614]

Nice, informative video! As a Brit infantryman on exercise with the Florida National Guard got o fly in a few Hueys - couldn't believe how the mostly ex-vietnam vet pilots could get those things into tiny clearings and then out again so quickly:) Much kudos to them!

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Very cool!

[@forestgaming3993]

Hope you cover some European helicopters like the Lynx at some point. Smashing video!

[@RedWrenchFilms]

That's the plan!

[@richeppler6894]

I flew the Huey, D and H models before going on to the Cobra. I remember someone saying the Cobra was a Huey after going through a car crusher. Of all the helicopters I flew (OH-58 A and C models and the AH-64A Apache) the Cobra was my favorite to fly.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Still insane to me that Huey pilots watch my videos. And yeah - in every book I read about the Cobra it gets glittering reviews! Must've been such a breath of fresh air after the UH-1, especially the early models.

[@Geoduck.]

I spent a little time in a few C and D models back in 72. The distinctive rotor noise brings back many memories.

[@troywiltshire5272]

I spent 20 years in the Marine Corps working on UH-1N, AH-1W, and a couple years with the UH-1Y. I love these aircraft and would love to see a video on the AH-1!

[@juusolatva]

I guess you have to do the Hind at some point now, since it's another iconic helo from the cold war era with an unique concept and it's also still in use. I especially like the Mi-24P with the twin-barrelled 30mm autocannon, since it has a very nice BRRRRRRRRRRRT sound to it.

[@54blewis]

My first time seeing one was in 1973 in Germany,I was stationed at Bitburg AFB and had a few come in during a NATO exercise and was deeply impressed,wrangled a ride and man it was a rush….every time I hear those woop woop sounds I look up and remember those days…

[@zucaibauralli6712]

I managed to get my hands on a genuine huey helmet, dated 1974. One of my most prized possessions. Worked on Apaches in the Army, so my passion runs deep. Wouldn't trade that helmet for the world.

[@soulrokerzz]

What an awesome helicopter. One of the most iconic designs of all time. An AH-1 video would be awesome! A history of the Blackhawk would also be sick!

[@265justy]

Excellent vid on such a legendary aircraft.. This helicopter has such a massive history and has seen battle in almost every conflict on the planet with so many nations since the early 1960s. There is an old saying in the US military. "When pilots fly the Blackhawks to the boneyard.... They will return home on the Huey"...

[@jfygt2623]

UH-1 clips and any Vietnam War era songs just fit so nicely. It's like an unwritten rule.

[@johnnyfive3476]

If you could do a video on the history of the Chinook helicopter as well that would be awesome. Those heavy lift choppers are amazing. As well as the apache as another idea.

[@leghumper83]

Maybe a video that covers both the CH46 and CH47 airframes since they both come from the same idea.

[@ripvanwinkle2002]

MANY MANY choppers can get you where you are going the Huey brings you home.. it IS the mule that never lets you down, never complains and is always ready to go. UH-1N was my ride..

[@ToreDL87]

Legendary. Shawn Adams (here on KZbin) has a bunch of "no music" Huey videos, I recommend watching those if you just wanna hear the sound in a variety of geographical layouts, like the iconic "coming up over the crest of a hill", etc. I was scrolling through the comments on one of those videos and a fellow there said his dad helped work on the Huey design. The reason it does the "Fortunate Son sound" is, apparently, to get as much lift out of the small rotor disc area as they could, something to do with blade area divided by rotor disc or something like that? (math was never my strong suite), the rotor tip speed had to be over 800 ft/sec, which doesn't give much to go on before mach 1. Other helicopters have a 100+ ft/sec slower rotor tip speed (either because they have bigger or more blades) for exactly that reason.

[@diveexplore]

I went up in an restored Vietnam era Huey a few years ago, it’s a sound and experience I will never forget!

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Gotta love that. The Huey was such a reliable aircraft that at some point when it was finally time to send it on retirement someone decided that no. We are going to build it new with the new upgrades as standard giving the Huey a new future in the service.

[@southronjr1570]

I would love to see a videos on the Cobra series of attack helicopters

[@JamesPiccone]

My father was a helicopter gunship pilot in Vietnam that flew Huey gunships and cobras. Crazy how I grew up with all this.

[@allgood6760]

The helicopter is a legend we operated them with our RNZAF 👍🇳🇿

[@goforbroke4428]

@RedWrenchFilms, my grandfather was an original member of the 11th air assault division as a parachute rigger, and during the exercise air assault II in 1964 he helped perfect sling loading concepts and movement of heavy equipment with helicopters. He was there for the reflag to the 1st cav and deployed to Vietnam with them in 1965, having helped set up the “golf course” at An Khe. As a rigger he helped support every major operation of the division and was with them during tet during operations near hue city, and helped the division move to Khe Sanh when the Marines pulled out of there for operation Pegasus. He lived breathed and died by the name of the 1st cav. He’s been gone for 14 years, but I’m proud that my grandfather was an original when it comes to the air assault and airmobile game. Stayed with the division all the way until they ceased being an airmobile division in 1974, then becoming an air defense artillery platoon sergeant when they were an experimental TRICAP division. His unit was the Aerial supply detachment of the 15th supply and transportation battalion.

[@nortoncomando3728]

Great video 👍 I enjoy it. I was able to ride in UH 1 H many times in the early 1980s. These being training exercises. Many of the pilots were veterans from the later portion of the Vietnam war 70-72 or flew in Germany 76'-81. We saw a USN UH 1 B in a semi gloss dark green paint scheme . The USN is a letting and numbers were blue. None of us younger guys had ever seen a B in person at that date. 83' . It looked like a sawed off machine to us. The Navy Reserve pilot told us this the way they used to look in the beginning of US Vietnam war involvement . The B model drew a lot of attention from the Army pilots and troops on the ground. Either they said hey look it's a B model and knew what it was.. Or had never seen a short Huey and thought they were always as long as a H model.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@pauldegennaro7798]

The huey and cobra helos. Are probably the most iconic .both for design , function and of coarse .the sound .to this day any military or enthusiast know when one is inbound. My father was a door gunner .3 tours in Vietnam.

[@BigJaseNZ]

5:20 - I have to disagree with you there. The NZRAF used these choppers well into early 2000s and they were universally known in New Zealand as Iroquois. I was in the airforce cadets in 2001 and remember having a good look inside of an operational one.

[@thundermite1241]

The ah-64 apache was another iconic chopper

[@cfi8192]

Don't forget the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and the Chinook

[@TheWizardGamez]

was?

[@zpacula]

@@cfi8192 and Mi-8...

[@ChiefMac59]

Hanger queen. Apache was a far more reliable attack helicopter

[@doodskie999]

Some say, everytime you ride a Huey, fortunate son plays automatically

[@jmmartin7766]

This is a great video! Another vote here for a Cobra video-- My dad was a "G-Model" pilot in Viet Nam, got shot down three times, and lived to tell the tale

[@awesom6588]

would love to see videos on the cobra and the hind as well! cant forget about that beast.

[@ddburdette]

Having served in Vietnam I can attest to the overhead omnipresence of Huey helicopters. I occasionally got to ride in a Huey and thought it was very thrilling!

[@rudeawakening3833]

Two of my brothers who were both Vietnam vets , were US Army aviators on UH-1 Hueys . One was a door gunner , the other an assault helicopter pilot ; who earned 53 Air Combat Medals and 2 Bronze Stars . The pilot also was an Air America pilot , and was there on April 29 th 1975 when Saigon fell to the communists . I got to fly a few times in a Huey as a member of the National Guard grunt . I wished that my eyes would have allowed me to pass a flight physical ; I would have tried to go to flight school in the US Army and tried to be a pilot on one of these fine aircraft . Peace ☮️

[@gotaPhDyoumadbro]

Great video! Certainly do the AH1!!! Doing more videos on various military helicopters in this fashion is a nice way to see the difference in models. The AH64 would be a great way to see the evolution of as well

[@LukelearMissile]

Great, well-informed and well-put-together video. Top notch!

[@PitFriend1]

Crews were known to line the floor with flak jackets to help protect against ground fire. Some pilots would even get phone books sent from home and stick them under their seats for the same reason. Loved the thing but it was just a flying tin can.

[@Manospondylus]

The Huey was loved by all the pilots that only flew the Huey.

[@TomasBelloXD]

Amazing video as always! I love the Huey, in fact, I have a 1/35 scale plastic model of it lol I would to see a Cobra video 👀

[@DaleGribbletheCat]

I love the Huey too and cool I'm honestly kinda jealous

[@Domazsakalauskas]

Visualy most aesthetical and coolest chopper ever designed and made. A true icon. Since it's my favourite chopper, it's in my bucket lists is to be flown in one. Great video.

[@Gneeznow]

The fun I had flying these things in Battlefield Vietnam (the boomer version) with Nowhere to Hide playing full blast while I strafed NVA. Made me feel like I missed my calling you know

[@sadwingsraging3044]

Find a book called _Maveric_ and you will find out what you missed. Great book!👍🏻

[@boondocker7964]

@@sadwingsraging3044 When ('66), I was at the Hue/PhuBai airport, going from Danang to DongHa, to E/2/1 1st Mar Div. (REAR), I happened to be at loose ends, I walked over to a hanger and saw a Ch-34 inside for repairs, covered with numerous yellow crayon circles, mosquito bites or bullet holes? Sobering.

[@sadwingsraging3044]

@@boondocker7964 in that book _Maveric_ the pilots nickname was MagnetArse. It was rare for him to bring a helicopter back without bullet holes.😳 Some say he never did...

[@boondocker7964]

@@sadwingsraging3044 Amazon does not have it, is "MAVERIC", the correct spelling?

[@sadwingsraging3044]

@@boondocker7964 Maverick : the personal war of a Vietnam Cobra pilot 😁👆🏻 My bad. My dyslexia kicking hard. Great book. Might want to keep a box of Kleenex close when you get to his time in the Cobra. Tears of laughter🤣 and tears of pride😭🇺🇸 ensured.👍🏻

[@maxo.9928]

All this time and I was never 100% sure that the later model Hueys were physically larger, I thought it was just a change in door design from 1 window to 2. 😅

[@mrsteve2099]

Nice video! I was a Huey Crew Chief in the Army during the 90's. I went to Desert Shield /Storm in a 69 D model as my primary ride and home. There are some interesting facts about the HUEY that a lot of people don't know about. The only recoverable part of a HUEY during my time was the ident plate, it's like the VIN # on a car. We could take that ident plate to CCAD (Corpus Cristy Army Depot) and they would build an entire new complete airframe behind that old ident plate. I loved flying the HUEY. It was a real analog machine that was very tactile and forgiving to fly. The Blackhawk was smother and faster but didn't give your the feel of flying like the HUEY...

[@joshuathomas8529]

Thank you for making this video this is the best documentary I have ever seen on the UH1

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Thanks Joshua that’s very kind of you to say! Glad you enjoyed :)

[@Davi.Abraham.Millman]

That was sick man!! Great video

[@CheezeSpartan]

*MUMUMUMUMUMUMUMUMUMU* WELCOME TO THE RICEFIELDS, GAMERS

[@limeyprat]

I live in Big Bear, CA and the Viper/Venom teams fly to our local airport often. They sound so cool flying between the mountains.

[@VV-nw4cz]

Amazing machine. It is mind-blowing that it is just a bit longer and this legend would be a century old.

[@davekisor1486]

We had Novembers where I was stationed and our Air Station skydiving club got to jump from them on weekends when non aircrew personnel had to log flight time.

[@hangie65]

Excellent video on an iconic aircraft. thanks for posting. And sure, a video on the AH-1 would be more than welcome.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

Thanks, will do!

[@johnnyzippo7109]

I very much enjoyed this historic roundup of the UH-1 , Yes ! Do the same treatment on the Cobra . Thank you .

[@kdum8]

Great overview. Love the Huey, now I know a lot more about it. Thanks!

[@coldwarriorUSAF]

Great video, informative and to the point. The Air Force was still flying Hueys when I got out in 1992. It's my favorite aircraft to fly in DCS World.

[@michaelpiersanti5816]

Still flying them for silo guards. Being replaced slowly by Airbus.

[@nelsonsoutosouto2481]

HUEY Bell UH, é o melhor helicóptero do mundo. Angra dos Reis, RJ 🇧🇷

[@t.maximilianwaechter3208]

Would love to see a vid on the cobra as well! Great work as always man, keep it up!

[@nullterm]

100% want a Cobra video. I’ve read a few autobiographies about Vietnam war gunship (and scout) pilots and there is a lot of things to cover. Same goes for the OH-6 Cayuse (aka Little Bird) which had the insane scout duties.

[@Pork-Chopper]

I love all the Hueys n all the Bell 47's. I currently fly a Bell 47G n G2, n have also flown the Robinson R22. Presently working on my Private Pilot's certification. There's lots to learn, n it does take special skills to fly a helicopter. I struggled for the first 15 hours til I started getting the hang of it. It's not easy, but it's a great sense of accomplishment when you do. And you never stop learning... I salute these men who flew during Vietnam. They are true heros.

[@Vv-gk4cu]

The distinctive sounds of the Huey and the Typolev-154M feel like sirens to me. The mythological sirens.

[@tklube308]

I was a mech on the J, T, & W Cobra, and the N Huey. I sure miss my birds.

[@MrCheeks0805]

I think it would be awesome if you did a video on the Cobra series! I noticed most of your content is on tanks but I really enjoyed this video and encourage you to expand! 👍🏼👍🏼

[@FM-ig3th]

Left out was the UH-1V Medevac in later years( late 70s) with DME and Radar Altimeters.

[@indyjons321]

Looking forward to that AH-1 video

[@ostkraft]

Excellent video mate! Would have been interesting, how many Hueys were lost in Vietnam and how many got down by accidents. Thank you! 👍

[@ricksadler797]

Great video thank you ❤

[@mikedrop4421]

I'd love to see a video about the Cobra. Maybe you could cover the Apache too, an attack helicopter episode.

[@corpnut2906]

the best bird i ever got to ride in when i was in the Marines and later when I was in the Army. I was doing a practice AirAssault once and most of our pilots were Vietnam vets what a ride trees where taller than us. When we got low and went through a canyon that was a trip looking up at the walls as we flew through the canyon. Last flew on one with the MFO in the Siani in 2003

[@skyden24195]

My uncle achieved the rank of sergeant in the 1st Air Calvary during Vietnam. During his service, he received several commendations which included two Purple Hearts, one of which received after being hit by enemy fire while deployed on his assigned Huey. Another commendation he received was the Bronze Star, which I believe he earned when he was able to take a position to cover the retreat of his patrol when they were ambushed. This also may have been the time that my uncle would be wounded and granted the other (2nd) of his Purple Hearts.

[@grider421]

purple hearts are awarded for being unlucky

[@skyden24195]

@@grider421 indeed. Reminds me of what Mr. Miyagi said to Daniel-san in Karate Kid pt.2; after creating a display box for Mr. Miyagi to display his Medal of Honor, Mr. Miyagi asks Daniel-san, "Why show off?" to which Daniel-san replies, "It shows you're brave." It's at that point that Mr. Miyagi presses on Daniel-san's chest and says, "This show you brave..." then referring to the medal, "This show you lucky."

[@tonivazquez1081]

Friend of mine served in the Príncipe de Asturias Spanish *cough cough* "carrier".As a cook. He saw SeaCobras ( I think they are retired now ) and the "spanishified" version of the Harrier, that was essentially a US marines one but with the AA ability fully intact from the RN Sea Harriers. He was in the second to last deployment of the ship. HE loved the twin Hueys the Spanish Navy used to ferry food from nearby ports. Got in a few rides "to check the quality of the food according to ordinance". He wqas the kind of guy that read the whole freaking navy rulebook to be able to use to his advantage, bosses hated him. I mean the Galley bosses ofc.

[@bluedevil3d104]

And, if you have the chance to travel, Battleship Cove, Fall River Massachusetts, USA has both a Huey and a Cobra. First time I noticed the similarities.

[@dennislyons3095]

Nicely done. The Cobra was the only air conditioned cockpit of any Bell Helicopter. We couldn't take off with it but after getting going we could turn on the air & it was very nice to have it throwing "ice balls" at you. BTW--the only part of a Huey that cannot be carried in the cabin (doors open) is the main cabin. I carried a tailboom hanging out each side back to our maintenance to get a Huey back going. The Huey is the "Soundtrack of my youth" Thanks for the video.

[@RedWrenchFilms]

No problem Dennis - blows my mind that actual servicemen and women watch my videos!

[@maxsparks5183]

Great video. Anxiously await your next.

[@sharonfieber6458]

"Huey" in Canada had Bell sister smaller helicopter called "Kiwa." Hear distict huey sound. Kiwa looked very much like Bell Ranger styling.

[@IG10705]

Kiowa

[@HussarPlays]

Very good video and showing of the Huey’s progression. I pups love to zoo the Cobra video. I’m interested to see hot Huey frame morphed into a cobra.

[@RzeTon]

During the WW2 The Nazis produced 20 Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache helicopters. It could cruise at 175 kilometres per hour (109 mph) with a top speed of 182 km/h (113 mph), and climb to an altitude of 7,100 m (23,300 ft). The Drache could transport cargo loads of over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) at cruising speeds of 121 km/h (75 mph) and altitudes approaching 2,440 m (8,010 ft).

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Interesting. What capped the production run to such a low number?

[@RzeTon]

@@williamchamberlain2263 Allied bombs.

[@aimankamil4818]

@@RzeTon war crime bomb

[@knicklas48]

I crewed an EH-1 sigint and electronic jamming variant back in the mid-80s in Germany.

[@angelarch5352]

Great video! I loved seeing this history! more helicopter videos pls!:)

[@RCAvhstape]

The new Marine 4-bladed birds are cool and all, but sadly they no longer have that trademark thumping sound the 2-bladed birds do. To me, there should be a photo of a Huey in the dictionary next to the word "helicopter"; it's the quintessential example of that class of aircraft. And that thumping sound is iconic. Getting scarcer to hear it these days, but occasionally you might see a police department or a civilian operator flying one, and you'll hear it coming over the trees before you spot it. Great sound.

[@mattottie6410]

We had three UH1P helos at our USAF base in 1975, i enjoyed watching them fly in and out..

[@gregwilliamson3001]

Definitely interested in seeing a video on the AH-1👍🏻

[@MrOshirinoana]

My dad was a Viet Nam vet. He could hear them coming minutes before anyone else could even 20 years later when I was a kid "Here comes a Huey. That's a comforting sound..."

[@milmex317th]

On one TDY, I flew in a Huey Twice a day for 30 days across A lagoon 28 miles across. Enwetak a deadly paradise.

[@garyneilson1833]

The best thing about the Huey was everyone had a switch to play Fortunate Son by CCR anytime the crew wanted to hear it

[@boondocker7964]

CCR is good anytime, especially now. PLAY IT LOUD!

[@rotormotored]

Being an old Cobra Wrench myself, I would enjoy a video on the Snakes. AH-!F, S/N 66-15252 has a some history around it.

[@guyh.4553]

Loved the Huey's. Still do. They have a very distinctive air chop sound vs the Blackhawk. When I was in, the Army was up to the UH-60s vs the Huey. It would be very common to be picked up by a Blackhawk, set down, and then for extraction be picked up by a UH-1. Knew there were many variants but I didn't know how many. Great job. And yes, do the Cobra. Those helped out immensely during Desert Storm when Apaches weren't available

[@louisr6560]

Yes, please more about the cobra!

[@koiyujo1543]

I think the Venom is a really nice upgrade because it's so new and different that it's being called by a different name I think it will continue for another many decades because of how amazing the helis are