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Huey goes high tech
New models are set for first deployment next month


MC3 Daniel Barker / Navy The new Bell UH-1Y Huey, assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 163 (Reinforced), prepares to take off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship Boxer in October as another UH-1Y flies overhead. Boxer is the first ship in the fleet to have the new helicopter aboard as part of its rotary wing aircraft augmentation for deployment.

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 15, 2008 7:26:51 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Its distinctive “whoop-whoop” will soon disappear from the flight line at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Station, but the Vietnam-era Huey utility helicopter technically isn’t going anywhere.

The Corps is replacing its UH-1N Hueys with the next generation UH-1Y “Yankee,” which debuted this past summer, and now the first three are preparing for their initial operational deployment overseas, joining the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group when they leave San Diego in January.

With four rotor blades instead of two, the Yankee produces a faster, higher pitched “chop-chop” sound, similar to the Navy’s four-blade S-60 Seahawk helicopters. “The tradeoff,” said Maj. Christopher Chown, a Huey pilot leading the H-1 transition team at Pendleton’s Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 303, “is you don’t hear them coming — but that’s a good thing.”

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I have always wondered why they keep using UH-1s. Is there any reason they can't transition to the UH-60 derivatives? If there is no reason to keep using UH-1s, it would probably be cheaper for everyone to use the same basic helicopter. The Army, Navy, and Air Force use the Blackhawk, so why not the Marines?

Well... For one reason, I think it's a point of pride that the Misguided Children always kick more ass with 50-year-old trash than anyone else does with the latest whiz-bang gadgets...

DD

PS: The Boxer is an amazing vessel - spent a week thereon in May of '07 on the "Tiger Cruise" with The Boy. He - BTW - just got his second full-bar. Damn proud of that man...

esa5444 wrote:I have always wondered why they keep using UH-1s. Is there any reason they can't transition to the UH-60 derivatives? If there is no reason to keep using UH-1s, it would probably be cheaper for everyone to use the same basic helicopter. The Army, Navy, and Air Force use the Blackhawk, so why not the Marines?

Every aircraft has it's strengths and weaknesses. The Huey probably fits the Marine's requirements better than the Blackhawk. More likely, the Huey keeps some congresman's constituents employed.

My unasked question has always been the opposite of yours; Why do they keep calling it the UH-1 Huey? Other than the outward appearance, I'll bet it bears little resemblence to the Vietnam era bird.

Without the Wacka Wacka! sound it just isn't the same...

esa5444 wrote:I have always wondered why they keep using UH-1s. Is there any reason they can't transition to the UH-60 derivatives? If there is no reason to keep using UH-1s, it would probably be cheaper for everyone to use the same basic helicopter. The Army, Navy, and Air Force use the Blackhawk, so why not the Marines?

The answer is actually quite simple as I asked some of my fellow flight students and flight instructors here in FL that are of the Marine type and it is because of the Cobra. The Huey's have a very large number of parts in common with the Cobras so when they deploy together it minimizes the amount of parts, personnel and money required to keep all the air assets flying. If they could come up with an attack helo that had a large enough number of parts in common with the 60's that would fit the Marine's needs then my impression is they'd be for it but until then its the good old Huey.

Jarheads are pragmatic to the last...

I forget the Cobra was a derivative of the Huey, they don't look much alike afterall. I suppose that is a good reason to keep the UH-1. How big is the UH-1? I mean the Cobra is not a big helicopter, but the UH-60s I have seen were huge compared to the Jetrangers and whatnot that buzz around.

The cargo/cabin space of the UH-1 is about the same as the UH-60 with maybe a foot or so of difference in length if I remember correctly. The UH-1 is also about 50 mph slower than the the UH-60. Both the UH-1 and UH-60 are larger than the Jetranger, which seems to be designed more as executive transport on the cheap than a light cargo/ multirole helicopter. I think some aeromedical services use a stretched-fuselage version of the 206, but it's mostly confined to civilian use. The military version of the 206, the OH-58, is a cavalry scout/ light weapons support helicopter. They're interesting little birds.

uuhhhh, 'cause ...and gets the job done -- esp in the twin engine 212 variants.

The marginal utility of upgrading to a Blackhawk is low relative to the cost in upgrading the entire training, tooling, spares, overhaul/depot cycle.

it's still a great airframe. ... and serviceable.

The Marines, like 'the rest of the Navy', (had to get that dig in /heh) have always had to burn a lot of budget on regular deployments. Cap Ex on equipment and facilities comes much lower on the list for them than for the Army and AF. They're always later in the cycle to get new gear. Just look at their tanks.

The repair/service/overhaul costs of deployment (esp, when going to sea) really takes a toll on your gear -- and your budget (and your political/lobbying bandwidth). Shoot, the Navy just finally retired their last CH-46. The Smithsonian demanded it be returned -- been out on loan too long. They don't trust the Nav' after they kept the A-3's so long. I'm pretty sure the Corp is still flying the '46 only 'cause they can't figure how to return the Smithsonian's phone calls from the Sandbox.