The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (informally known as the Huey after its original designation of HU-1) is one of the best known helicopters in the world. It first flew in October 1956 to meet a US Army specification for a medium transport helicopter. It was hugely successful, with over 16,000 eventually being built. It could officially carry 2 crew plus 7 troops, but in wartime it very often carried far more. Its official maximum weight of 4,700 Kg was more than half payload (including fuel). It could travel at 200Km/h for up to 500 Km under the power of its single 1,810Kw Lycoming turboshaft engine. Later models had two lower powered engines.

The top one was at Cranfield in the early 1990s. and is an early single engined version (Bell 205). The lower one, operated by the Italian Customs, is an Agusta - built example (AB412), with two engines and a four bladed rotor, at Fairford in July 2005.

The Bell AH-1 Hueycobra was the world's first dedicated attack helicopter. As its designation implies, it was created by marrying the dynamic system of the UH-1 to a new, dedicated fuselage. In addition to two guns, it has four hardpoints which can carry a variety of weapons. Gross weight is 4,500 Kg, similar to the UH-1, but the payload is a lower 1,600Kg, the difference mainly being the weight of the armour plating. The slender fuselage gives lower drag and therefore higher speed, up to 280 Km/h, over a slightly longer range to the UH-1 (570 Km). It first flew in September 1965, since when over 2,000 have been built.

The Bell XV-15 could be considered either a helicopter or an aeroplane, depending on which way its engines are facing! Only two were built, for use as the aerodynamic test vehicles for the V-22 Osprey, now entering service with the US armed forces. The tilt-rotor concept allows the aircraft to take off and land like a helicopter, but in flight the engines tilt to enable it to cruise like a normal aircraft. Thus it aims to get the best of both worlds, at the cost of considerable weight and complexity. It first flew in 1977, and can achieve a top speed of 615Km/h. Range is a respectable 825 Km. Maximum weight is 5,900 Kg. It has two Lycoming LTC1K engines, each of 1,150 Kw.

This one was at Paris - Le Bourget in June 1981.

The Sikorsky HH-3 (company designation S-61R) is a variant on the ubiquitous Sea King design. It is mainly a transport machine, carrying up to 26 passengers plus crew. Its two 1,040 Kw GE T58 turboshaft engines give it a top speed of 265 Km/h and a range of 1,000 Km, with a maximum weight of 9,750 Kg, of which 4,370Kg is payload. The hull is optimised for landing on water, enabling it to survive ditchings and also making it highly suitable for naval operations, including air-sea rescue. Many versions are used in the anti submarine role. Since its first flight in March 1959, 870 have been built (not including the Westland Sea Kings); of those, 115 are civil and the rest military, 265 being the `R' variant illustrated here.

This one (an HH-3F built under license by Agusta in Italy) was at Fairford in July 2007.

The Hughes OH-6 won the US Army's competition for a light observation helicopter in 1963, beating the Bell JetRanger and Fairchild-Hiller FH1100. Seating five, it is powered by a single 263Kw Allison T63 turboshaft. Its four blade rotor is quite short, rotating at high speed, and therefore much quieter than the competing two bladed types. It first flew in February 1963. It is quite quick, with a top speed of 274 Km/H, and it has a reasonable range of 610Km. The airframe itself is very light, giving a payload (including fuel) of 700 Kg out of a total gross weight of 1,225Kg. Across all models, it has been phenomenally successful, with almost 5,000 built. There have also been civil versions, known as the Hughes 369 or Hughes 500, illustrated on the civil page.

The top picture shows an OH6 in Danish colours at Middle Wallop in July 1986. The lower one is an updated Hughes 500M, in Italian colours, being demonstrated at Paris - Le Bourget, in the 1980s.

The Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight (also known by its company designation of Vertol 107) is a development of the tandem rotor concept invented by pioneering helicopter designer Frank Piasecki. The rotors are coupled and geared so that they intermesh but do not collide. Having two rotors gives extra lift and stability, and dispenses with the need for a tail stabiliser, but at the cost of considerable complexity, especially the safety considerations required to prevent a failure of the drive to one of the two rotors, which would of course destabilise the aircraft. The CH-46 is a heavy lifter, with gross weight of 11,000 Kg, payload of 2,700 Kg and capacity for 25 troops. Top speed is 253 Km/h but range is only 370 Km. It first flew in April 1958. 520 were built, mostly for the US forces. It is powered by two General Electric T58 turboshafts, each of 1,770 shaft horsepower (1,282 Kw).

This one, used as an air sea rescue helicopter by the Canadian forces, was at Comox in September 1981.

The Boeing-Vertol CH-47 Chinook was a larger and more powerful derivative of the CH-46, and was mainly produced following Boeing's purchase of the Vertol company in the early 1960s. Its two Lycoming T55 turboshafts each give 2,760 Kw. The huge slab-like rotors overlap, giving a very loud clacking sound when it is flying. I remember one flying low and fast over a conference centre where I was and setting all the car alarms off! It can lift 10,500 Kg (it can pick up an unladen CH-46 easily); maximum gross weight is 17, 450 Kg. It is faster than the CH-46, at 300 Km/h, and has a much longer range, 2,140 Km. It first flew in September 1961. About 750 have been made to date. Many of the oldest have been remanufactured to modern CH-47D standards. New ones are still available.

(CH-47D of Royal Netherlands Air Force - Koninklijke Luchtmacht, Fairford, July 2005).

if you thought the Chinook was big, the Sikorsky CH-53 makes you think again! With a gross weight of 33,300 Kg and payload of 18,000 Kg, the CH-53 can happily take 55 fully equipped troops, or a variety of payload ... or lift a Chinook! It is conventional design, with a tail rotor stabiliser, but is fast: top speed is 315 Km/h. It has a very useful range of 2,075 Km. It is powered by three General Electric T64 turboshafts, each giving 3,925 shp (2,840 Kw). It first flew in October 1964, and is still in production (Summer 2005). 350 have been built. They are very well suited to long range, high speed, low level insurgency missions, and as such are well loved by the Marines!

This CH-53G was at Fairford in July 2007. Note the graffiti: `HEER' (for Heeresflieger, the German Army Aviation, having been altered to CHEERS!

The Bell OH-58D Kiowa is superficially just a military JetRanger (see civil helicopters). But underneath lie big differences. The four blade rotor (as on the 406) is specially damage resistant. The Longbow fire control radar above the rotor is very apparent. Note also the cable cutters above the cockpit and below the nose, the reshaping of the rear engine compartment (for reduction of infra-red signature) and evidence of the advanced avionics fit. Its 650hp Allison 250 turbine engine gives it a top speed of 147mph and range of 345miles. First flown in 1985, it is still in production in the 21st century.

Farnborough, September 1986

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is the US Army's replacement for the venerable UH-1. It is a bigger helicopter, with a normal crew of 3 and capacity for up to 20 troops plus various light armament. It is heavier too, gross weight being 9,200 Kg and payload 4,350 Kg. It is also faster - 296 Km/H - and has slightly longer range, 600 Km. It is powered by two General Electric T700 engines of 1,560 shp (1,130 Kw) each. Since its first flight in October 1974, about 2,000 have been made, in many different versions for many different air forces.

This one was at Fairford, July 2005

The Hughes (now McDonnell Douglas Helicopters) AH-64 Apache is a heavily armoured attack helicopter designed to replace the AH-1. It can carry a wide range of possible armament, especially rockets, on the hardpoints under its stub wings. its strong armour makes it very heavy, with a gross weight of 10,100 Kg and payload of 4,750 Kg. Top speed is 260 Km/h. Range is not brilliant, only 410 Km - but this is generally enough! it is powered by two 1,940shp (1,450 Kw) General Electric T700 turboshafts. Since its first flight in September 1975, over 1,000 have been built, mostly for the US forces.

Most recent examples (such as the one in the top picture, seen at Fairford in July 2005) are equipped with the Longbow fire control radar, mounted in the pod above the main rotor. This enables it to lurk below the tree tops and still see and shoot its enemy. Other instruments include night vision, thermal imaging and laser target designation. At one point in the recent Iraq war, an entire Iraqi division is rumoured to have surrendered when just two of these formidable machines appeared! The lower picture shows an AH64 at Farnborough in September 1998.

The RAH-66 Comanche was a joint venture between Boeing and Sikorsky to produce a very fast, stealthy, armoured light attack helicopter. It was armed with a single gun, but could also carry a variety of other weapons if it compromised its stealth characteristics. Gross weight was 7,870 Kg and payload (including armament, two crew and fuel) was 4,300 Kg. Top speed was 328 Km/H and range a massive 2,330 Km. It was powered by two LHTEC T800 turboshafts of 895 Kw each. This one was at Farnborough in September 1998.

`Was'? Is that the right word to use for such a modern, capable machine? Sadly, yes - development costs were gigantic, the stealth requirements were making production costs even worse, so the programme was cancelled after only two had flown.