Bell UH-1Y Venom (Super Huey)

History

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has been working on the Bell UH-1 Huey platform for decades. The helicopter debuted in 1959 in its original form and played a major role in the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

Over time, the service was upgraded to the UH-1N "Twin Huey" model with a twin-engine layout, which promised better performance and expanded mission capabilities. They arrived in 1969 and continue to serve the host country as well as some foreign operators.

When a new, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose transportation type was needed at the end of the last century, USMC authorities began evaluating the available options. This has led to a new modernization program covering work on the AH-1W Super Cobra combat helicopter platform and the UH-1N Twin Huey. Bell Helicopter was formally awarded the contract in 1996, and the fruits of this effort were the AH-1Z Viper attack variant and the UH-1Y Venom transport aircraft (the latter also known as the "Super Huey").

The contract was originally intended to cover modifications to existing Huey helicopters, but eventually became a commitment to new build units - 92 have been completed to date (2017).

Part of the plan was to reduce maintenance and repair costs while improving logistics friendliness, so Bell took several steps to meet this requirement. Both helicopters share the same engine (including gearbox), avionics, all-glass instrument panel (and software) and tail boom assembly.

In addition, the twin-Huey's twin-blade main rotor was abandoned in favor of a composite structure with a total of four blades. The result is a more efficient and powerful rotor system that can be used with the improved Viper attack platform due to almost 85% commonality of parts between the two designs.

The helicopter is piloted by up to two pilots, who sit side by side behind a short nose cone and feature an oversized windshield that provides good cockpit visibility. Access is through automotive-style hinged doors on both sides of the fuselage.

Behind this section is the passenger compartment, which houses large rectangular sliding doors for entry and exit. With twin engine rooms overhead, these systems drive the main rotor blades overhead and the four-bladed rotor assembly aft (set to port).

The horizontal plane is located far from the tail boom. The landing gear is a simple four-point skid. The optics are attached to the "chin" position of the aircraft, and the fuselage has two outboard mount points for missile or gun pods.

The door position also allows for the installation of a machine gun or Gatling gun on the trunnion system. This allows the UH-1Y to be used as an attack helicopter.

Super Huey is powered by 2 General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines producing up to 1,828 hp. Of note are the large suppression hoods mounted on each engine exhaust. The Venom's speed is close to 230 mph and the cruising speed is close to 190 mph.

It has a mission duration of more than three hours and can reach a service ceiling of up to 20,000 feet while exhibiting a climb rate of 2,520 feet per minute.

The Viper prototypes were tested between 2006 and 2008, and the series went live in early 2009 - ready to take part in the US-led operation in Iraq. A total of nine squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps now use Venom. These are actively replacing the fleet of UH-1N Twin Hueys still in service.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes