# Best Utility Helicopter



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 25, 2008)

Well as you know I love Helos so I figured I would keep this going...

What is the best Utility Helicopter in service today. My vote obviously goes for the Blackhawk since that was my baby when I was in the Army. UH-1 is my all time favorite though.

For all intensive purposes I will define a Utility Helicopter (otherwise there will be a gazillion  helos to choose from.) It is a medium size multi role helicopter. The reason I chose medium is because then we would have to include light weight aircraft such as the OH-53 or Bo-105 and they really dont compare to the larger aircraft.


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## FLYBOYJ (Jan 25, 2008)

Huey for me!


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## pbfoot (Jan 25, 2008)

I picked the NHI 90 just because the CAF uses it and I have trust that my Gov't doesn't make errors in their decision making as they are all seeing and knowing


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## Wildcat (Jan 25, 2008)

Huey for me aswell.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 26, 2008)

Huey is obviously the best of all time in my opinion. No other helicopter has been in service for as long as she has and she keeps on going. She was a joy to fly in as well.

The only reason I went with the Blackhawk is because it was my aircraft and because it is a better performer and better overall aircraft.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 26, 2008)

Huey and the Sea King are my all time favorites....just thinking about those in 'Nam waiting to get airlifted out, hearing the sound of those Huey's....


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 26, 2008)

I just think it is quite funny that people are choosing the Huey. Dont take me wrong. It is my favorite Helicopter. I grew up with her as my father flew her in the Army.

The reason that I think it is funny is because the poll is Best Utility Helicopter in Service Today and there are many on that list that are better than the Huey performance and payload wise.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 26, 2008)

The sound Adler, the sound.... Sentimental reasons I'd say. As you say, there's a lot helo's on the list that's faster, can carry more and have longer range... You could almost say that argue against the Huey would be like, I don't know argue against the Spitfire...


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## B-17engineer (Jan 26, 2008)

Huey for me 2!


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## FLYBOYJ (Jan 26, 2008)

I never had the opportunity to work around a Blackhawk (Like Chris) but by looking at them they seem so complicated when compared to a Huey (I could be wrong). I was able to learn the aircraft pretty easy as a civilian and got to fly in one on a flight test program - I actually liked flying it better than a jet ranger or an A Star (Two other helicopters I had an opportunity to fly). The Huey reminds of an old GM or ford pick up truck, they seem to last forever....


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## mkloby (Jan 26, 2008)

UH-1Y will be operational in about a year!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 26, 2008)

FLYBOYJ said:


> I never had the opportunity to work around a Blackhawk (Like Chris) but by looking at them they seem so complicated when compared to a Huey (I could be wrong). I was able to learn the aircraft pretty easy as a civilian and got to fly in one on a flight test program - I actually liked flying it better than a jet ranger or an A Star (Two other helicopters I had an opportunity to fly). The Huey reminds of an old GM or ford pick up truck, they seem to last forever....



Oh dont take me wrong. The Huey is to me the greatest helo ever built. She is the C-47 of Helicopters. 

Just like all things however they soon get passed by the youngens...


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## Lucky13 (Jan 26, 2008)

Always the young uns, eh?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 26, 2008)

Is that how you spell that?


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## Njaco (Jan 26, 2008)

Is the Huey still in service? being as I know squat about helos and even modern equip and...how the Huey always seemed to be right there for whatever reason, military or civil, I went with that. But Adler, if its not in service then I'm lost and would go with Blackhawk.


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## Henk (Jan 27, 2008)

I do not have a clue witch one of those are the best, but I do the Puma is also pretty good, the Russian choppers are big and heavy things, but the Huey is a great chopper.

The service it gave during Vietnam was great and she is a very reliable as well. We have one flying in Cape Town for the General public and I would love to take a little flight in her.


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## F-14 (Jan 27, 2008)

For me the Best utility Helicopter in service is the Huye with an Impressive combat service record right from Nam to the Present wars in afghanistan 
it has defined the Role of the Utility helicopter


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## Lucky13 (Jan 27, 2008)

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyohccRYvdw_


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## pbfoot (Jan 27, 2008)

The Huey is still in production although much changed it's civil name is the Bell 412


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 27, 2008)

Njaco said:


> Is the Huey still in service? being as I know squat about helos and even modern equip and...how the Huey always seemed to be right there for whatever reason, military or civil, I went with that. But Adler, if its not in service then I'm lost and would go with Blackhawk.



Yes the Huey is still in service with the US military. The Marines use the UH-1N and are soon to be using the UH-1Y. The US Army still has small amounts of the UH-1H in service, infact there is a UH-1H stationed at my airfield over here in Germany. It is used to fly the staff around since all the Hawks are deployed.

The Huey is also in service all over the world. I believe it is still in service with about 50 different military's in the world today.


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## FLYBOYJ (Jan 27, 2008)

I read somewhere either Bell or the FAA had a count of about 10,000 UH-1s built and there are 12,000 flying around! Operators "boot-legged" the dataplate off a crashed ship and built and aircraft up from parts.


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## Lucky13 (Jan 27, 2008)

I want one...or two, or three, or...!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 27, 2008)

Lucky13 said:


> I want one...or two, or three, or...!



Here you go:

Bell 205 A1 for sale


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## Elvis (Feb 17, 2008)

Oh, just gimmee the Huey...any day of the week.
Flying truck, that thing was.


Elvis


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## Luis Miguel Almeida (Mar 12, 2008)

Hi guys!!
Sorry about the intrusion, but i have one question why don´t you include in the poll, the Alouette III ?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 12, 2008)

Because the Alouette III does not hold a candle to the other helicopters up there. It is a light utility and with its max take off weight of 4850lb and its low performance is not going to compare to the other aircraft up there.

It is a good air search and rescue aircraft and light observation but compared to the others up there it does not hold a candle.

*Hell the Blackhawk that I used to crew could slingload a Alouette III.*


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## ToughOmbre (Mar 12, 2008)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> She is the C-47 of Helicopters.



That she is! There's no better way to honor the Huey than that.

TO


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## Luis Miguel Almeida (Mar 12, 2008)

Ok! i see your point of view! just asking because you included the linx!! 
here in Portugal is still used has a Gunship, has it was used in the War in Africa! About low performance i didn`t understand ?
Has i said before my english is a bit limited!!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 12, 2008)

What I mean by low performance is that it speed, range, and cieling are lower than comparable aircraft. It also can only carry a payload of about 2400lb.

As I said it is a good search and rescue aircraft but thats about it.

We actually did some training missions with the Swiss Alouette III's down in the Alps. It was a lot of fun. It is a good light utility aircraft but outclassed by larger and better aircraft.


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## Luis Miguel Almeida (Mar 13, 2008)

Thank you for explainig!
My choice is the Puma!


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## drgondog (Mar 13, 2008)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> Huey is obviously the best of all time in my opinion. No other helicopter has been in service for as long as she has and she keeps on going. She was a joy to fly in as well.
> 
> The only reason I went with the Blackhawk is because it was my aircraft and because it is a better performer and better overall aircraft.



I was a design and structures engineer at Bell with a hand in the UH-1D/H, AH-1 and Jet Ranger. In my opinion the UH 60 is a better airframe for survivability, better flexibility..

The Huey is like a C-47 - it did everything you asked of it and well. My heart is with UH-1, my head is with UH-60 Blackhawk


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 14, 2008)

drgondog said:


> I was a design and structures engineer at Bell with a hand in the UH-1D/H, AH-1 and Jet Ranger. In my opinion the UH 60 is a better airframe for survivability, better flexibility..
> 
> The Huey is like a C-47 - it did everything you asked of it and well. My heart is with UH-1, my head is with UH-60 Blackhawk



I agree. Basically they took what they learned from the Huey and made the Blackhawk from it.

And I agree my heart is with the UH-1 but my head is with the Hawk as well.



Luis Miguel Almeida said:


> Thank you for explainig!
> My choice is the Puma!



Good aircraft actually.

When I was deployed to Kosovo we raced a Swiss Super Puma from Pristina to our Camp. We just barely beat it. The Super Puma will actually out perform a Hawk but we were able to get the most our of our aircraft.


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## plan_D (Mar 14, 2008)

The RAF have a couple of UH-1s as well... a lot of people don't know that.


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## AVRoe (Mar 14, 2008)

Dornier UH-1D Iroquois (205) Is my baby worked on them for the last 9 years
View attachment 58715


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## AVRoe (Mar 14, 2008)

The RAF is using the 101 merlin is it any good ?. I left the RAF before it went into servive.


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## plan_D (Mar 14, 2008)

I've heard it's performance is outstanding. One of the few helicopters that haven't caused a lot of trouble upon their introduction.


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## Luis Miguel Almeida (Mar 17, 2008)

I don´t know about RAF EH -101, but the Portuguese Merlin has 50% of their helis grounded, because of mechanical and software problems. one even crashed against the runway from 3 meters high, during a medevac injuring a doctor in the spine.
In fact the air force is considering to put the old SA 330 Puma back in operation!!


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