A dedication ceremony and unveiling of a newly restored Huey helicopter will occur at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, at The Missouri National Veterans Memorial.
The Huey helicopter, originally at Wentworth Academy in Lexington, was moved to Perryville in March of last year by the Museum of Missouri Military History in Jefferson City.
The helicopter is on display at the Veterans Memorial, located at 1172 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Perryville.
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a military utility helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family and the first turbine-powered helicopter in service with the United States military.
The development of the Iroquois began in the early 1950s, primarily driven by a requirement from the United States Army for a new medical evacuation and utility helicopter. The Bell 204, which first flew on 20 October 1956, was well-received, especially due to the performance of its single turboshaft engine compared to piston engine-powered counterparts.
An initial production contract for 100 HU-1As was awarded in March 1960. In response to criticisms regarding the rotorcraft's power, Bell rapidly developed multiple models equipped with more powerful engines; relative to the prototype's Lycoming YT53-L-1 700 (LTCIB-1) engine, producing 700 shp (520 kW), by 1966, the Lycoming T53-L-13, capable of 1,400 shp (1,000 kW), was being installed on some models.
A stretched version of the Iroquois, which first flew in August 1961, was also produced to meet Army demands for a variant that could accommodate more troops. Additional modifications included the use of all-aluminum construction, the adoption of a rotor brake, and alternative powerplants.
The Iroquois was first used in combat operations during the Vietnam War, with initial deployments occurring in March 1962. It served various purposes, including general support, air assault, cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, electronic warfare, and ground attack missions. Armed Iroquois gunships carried a variety of weapons, such as rockets, grenade launchers, and machine guns, and were often modified in the field to accommodate specific operations.
The United States Air Force deployed its Iroquois to Vietnam for reconnaissance operations, psychological warfare, and other support roles. Additionally, other nations' armed air services, including the Royal Australian Air Force, dispatched their own Iroquois to Vietnam.
In total, approximately 7,000 Iroquois were deployed in the Vietnam theater, with over 3,300 believed to have been destroyed. Various other conflicts have seen combat deployments of the Iroquois, including the Rhodesian Bush War, Falklands War, War in Afghanistan, and the 2007 Lebanon conflict.
