The Bell UH-1 series Iroquois, better known as the Huey, began arriving in Vietnam in 1963 and became the most widely used military helicopter, with more than 5,000 introduced into Southeast Asia before the conflict ended and more than 9,000 produced from the 1950s to the present. Hueys were used for MedEvac, command and control, air assault, transporting personnel and materiel, and as gun ships, and the aircraft is still flown today by about 40 countries. The Bell Model 205 UH-1D, introduced in 1963, had a longer fuselage than earlier models, increased rotor diameter and range, a more powerful Lycoming T5-L-11 1100 shp engine with growth potential to the Lycoming T53-L-13 1400 shp engine, and larger cargo doors with twin cabin windows on each side. Redesigned to carry up to 12 troops with a crew of two, the UH-1D had a range of 293 miles and a speed of 127 mph, was built under license in Germany, and could be armed with a wide variety of guns, cannon, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and guided anti-tank missiles. The Medevac version, the UH-1V, could carry six stretchers and one medical attendant.
