mile to the gallon and burns 100
gallons per hour. Up at altitude I
can barely coax it to cruise at 85
knots, but down low it becomes
a speed demon as the needle
barely pegs 100 knots.
“With all that drag hanging
out there in the form of rockets,
Miniguns, and machine guns,
this Huey doesn’t seem quite as
snappy or as maneuverable as
the ones I flew in Vietnam. But I
could care less. I am all smiles
when I am at the controls of this
aircraft and am extremely proud
to show it off to all the veterans
who have a connection with
these birds.”
STORYTELLER
During AirVenture 2011, Seawolf
324 became a “veterans mini
clubhouse” as former Huey driv-
ers, crew members, and Vietnam
veterans stopped by to pay their
respects to an old friend; many
referred to the Huey as the
“angel of mercy.”
“During the week we were
stationed in the Warbirds area I
saw guys come up to this heli-
copter and burst into tears,”
John said. “It was a very emo-
tional experience for them as
they recalled their Vietnam
combat days.”
Larry Clark echoed John’s
words about the veterans and said
he can pick out Vietnam veterans
pretty quickly. “When they first
walk up to the Huey they have
this ‘look,’” said Larry. “They are
looking at the helicopter, and you
can literally see the memories
flooding back to them. I watched
veterans begin to explain the sig-
nificance of the Huey to the
crowds because they either
crewed one, rode in them on their
way to combat, or were rescued
out of a bad situation by the
Seawolves. There were lots and
lots of stories as history came
alive for all of us who had the
privilege to be there. Although
this Huey is just a kid compared
to the World War II aircraft that
show up here [at Oshkosh], it’s
still an old piece of aviation his-
tory that means so much to so
many. I hope no one ever forgets
the role the UH- 1 Huey has played
in our country’s history.”
Jim Busha, EAA 119684, is an avid pilot and
longtime contributor to EAA publications. He
is the editor of Warbirds magazine and the
owner of a 1943 Aeronca L- 3.
UH- 1 HUEY
FACTS
• The prototype UH- 1 Huey first flew in 1956,
and the model continues in production today
in both military and commercial models.
• The UH- 1 Huey holds the world record for flying the most combat hours of any aircraft in
history. There were 26,733,403 sorties alone
flown by 1 7,000 Hueys during the Vietnam
War. Hueys recorded more than 21,166 hits by
enemy fire, with 4, 128 Hueys lost in combat.
• More Hueys have been built than any other
helicopter. They have been used for heavy
lifting, firefighting, medevac, logging, troop
transport, drug interdiction, aerial mapping,
movie production, and law enforcement to
name just a few uses.
• Transport Hueys armed only with door guns
were called “Slicks.”
• Huey gunships were called “Snakes” because of their bite or “Hogs” because they bristled with an assortment of weapons.
• During the peak of the Vietnam War (1970-
1972) the U.S. Army was training more than
3,000 pilots and 21,000 mechanics per year to
keep the helicopters flying.
AIRCRAFT
DATA BOX
Aircraft Make & Model: Bell UH-1B Iroquois Huey
N-Number: N37OAS
Length: 41 feet, 8 inches
Rotor Diameter: 44 feet
Height: 14 feet, 7 inches
Maximum Gross Weight: 8,500 pounds
Empty Weight: 4,900 pounds
Fuel Capacity: 168 gallons
Powerplant Make & Model: T53-L-13A
Horsepower: 1,400 hp
Cruise Speed: 90 knots
For more information:
Overseas Aircraft Support Inc.
727B Woodland Road
Lakeside, AZ 85929
Phone: 928-368-6965
