Bell 204/205

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Bell 204/205
Kfd-205-N408KC-050430-05 (framed).jpg
A Kern County Fire Department Bell 205 departs from Mojave Air and Space Port
RoleMultipurpose utility helicopter
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Bell Helicopter
First flight22 October 1956
Introduction1959
StatusProduction completed
Produced1956–1980s
Developed from Bell UH-1 Iroquois
Variants Bell 212
Bell 214

The Bell 204 and 205 are the civilian versions of the UH-1 Iroquois single-engine military helicopter of the Huey family of helicopters. They are type-certificated in the transport category and are used in a wide variety of applications, including crop dusting, cargo lifting, Forestry Operations, and aerial firefighting.

Contents

Development

A Bell XH-40, a prototype of the UH-1 and Bell 204 Bell XH-40.jpg
A Bell XH-40, a prototype of the UH-1 and Bell 204

Bell designed its Model 204 in response to a 1955 United States Army requirement for a utility helicopter. The 204 was a giant step forward in helicopter design, being one of the first to be powered by a turboshaft. The turboshaft engine radically improved the practicality of the helicopter due to its light weight and high power-to-weight ratio, lower fuel consumption, and lower maintenance and operating costs. The use of a turboshaft in the 204 allowed it to carry a useful payload over respectable ranges and at reasonable speeds, which resulted in the 204 and subsequent 205 becoming the most successful western helicopter series in terms of numbers built. [1]

The civil 204B was first delivered in 1961. The subsequent Model 205A-1 is equivalent to the UH-1H, which, compared to the 204, is longer, larger, and has better performance and a more powerful engine. [1]

Over 60 civil Model 204B helicopters had been delivered by 1967, while further examples were built by Agusta-Bell until 1973. 12,000 Model 205s (including civil 205A-1s) were built by Bell and Agusta-Bell up to the early 1980s. Numerous ex-military 204s and 205s were converted for commercial use. [1]

Variants

A Bell 205A-1, used by Royal Thai Police Bell Helicopters 205-A1 1721 (34173277546).jpg
A Bell 205A-1, used by Royal Thai Police

Bell 204

Bell Helicopter's company designation of the UH-1B.

Bell 205

Bell Helicopter's company designation of the UH-1H.

A Bell 205A-1 on firefighting duty with Valhalla Helicopters Valhalla Helicopters (C-FPSZ) Bell 205A-1 (cropped).jpg
A Bell 205A-1 on firefighting duty with Valhalla Helicopters

Experimental models

Upgrades

Derivatives

A Bell 205A-1 with its helitack firefighting crew with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in 1995 HelitackCrew01.JPG
A Bell 205A-1 with its helitack firefighting crew with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in 1995

Operators

Military operators

For all military operators, regardless of the actual model, see List of UH-1 Iroquois operators
Iranian Police Aviation AB-205A NAJA Agusta Bell-205A.jpg
Iranian Police Aviation AB-205A

Government operators

Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
California Department of Forestry "Super Huey", formerly an EH-1H, assigned to the Bieber Helitack crew, takes off from the Mojave Airport Cdf-b205-N497DF-061027-02cr-16.jpg
California Department of Forestry "Super Huey", formerly an EH-1H, assigned to the Bieber Helitack crew, takes off from the Mojave Airport

Specifications (204B)

Bell UH-1 Iroquois Drawing.svg
Bell 204 instrument panel Avc-bell204-071002-04-16.jpg
Bell 204 instrument panel

Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft [1]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Related lists

Related Research Articles

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References

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Bibliography

The initial version of this article was based on a public domain article from Greg Goebel's Vectorsite.