Bell 204/205 | |
---|---|
A Kern County Fire Department Bell 205 departs from Mojave Air and Space Port | |
Role | Multipurpose utility helicopter |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter |
First flight | 22 October 1956 |
Introduction | 1959 |
Status | Production completed |
Produced | 1956–1980s |
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.
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]
Bell Helicopter's company designation of the UH-1B.
Bell Helicopter's company designation of the UH-1H.
Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft [1]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Related lists
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The initial version of this article was based on a public domain article from Greg Goebel's Vectorsite.