By Brian Seraile, NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs

NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, MD – “America’s Huey” spent a little time with its offspring, America’s newest Huey, here March 13 during a stop here on its “Final Journey Home” to the Smithsonian Institution.

The nearly 40-year old Bell UH-1H Iroquois, more popularly known as America's Huey, is slated to become the central part of the Vietnam War section of the National Museum of American History's new exhibit, “The Price of Freedom,” which opens on Veterans Day.

Stopping by Pax River’s Rotary Wing Test Squadron gave the elder Huey an opportunity to share ramp space with the UH-1Y, currently nearing the end of its developmental flight testing and soon to hit the Fleet with the Marine Corps.

To complete the historic and rare occasion, members of the H-1 Integrated Test Team here also parked the Corps’ current utility workhorse, the UH-1N, with its sisters to represent more than 40 years of H-1 aviation.

“It was neat seeing all three generations sides by side, and how far we’ve come,” said Robert Lee, the Bell quality assurance manager for the H-1 team here.

“All the way from Vietnam to Iraq, the Huey has been chugging along serving the Corps and actually seeing that helo here, knowing I’ll be able to go up to the Smithsonian and see it, means a lot,” said Marine Staff Sgt. Greg Shaw, the H-1 ITT Airframes noncommissioned officer in charge. “Bell Helicopter, the Marines and the Army – they all have a lot to be proud of and seeing it here makes me hope we can someday see this UH-1Y sitting next to it with its own great history.”

Slated to be displayed intact, the Huey will be the largest single artifact among historical treasures at the National Museum of American History.

This particular helicopter, aircraft 091, is one of more than 16,000 Hueys manufactured by Bell Helicopter since the granddaddy of all Hueys, the XH-40, first flew in 1956. It served with the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company until down in 1967. It was repaired and continued serving until 1995, when it was acquired by the Texas Air Command Museum.

After spending some quality time with its famous “Grandpa,” the Marine Corps’ newest Huey was eager to get back to its busy flight test schedule. The program recently passed a major milestone by gaining approval from the Defense Acquisition Board to begin low-rate initial production and signed a contract with Bell worth $183.8 Million to build six UH-1Y’s and three AH-1Z’s.

With the resumption of flight testing after engineering an infrared signature reduction modification that also reduces exhaust heat on the tail booms of the upgraded helicopters, the program expects to enter its next operational assessment, OT-IIB, in mid April.

After remanufacture, the H-1 Upgrades aircraft will feature the latest technology in rotor and drive train design, avionics, sensors and weapons. They also share approximately 84 percent of their parts, making them far more maintainable, supportable, survivable and deployable than today’s H-1 aircraft.

The H-1 Upgrades Integrated Test Team here currently has achieved approximately 1,800 flight test hours with five aircraft (three AH-1Z and two UH-1Y test aircraft, of which all but one AH-1Z are production representative). The test aircraft have flown 222 knots, maneuvered from –0.4 to +3.5 g’s and been well above the 10,000-foot altitude mark.

By 2014, the Marine Corps will have procured 100 UH-1Y Hueys and 180 AH-1Z Super Cobras.

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Cutlines

(landing.jpg) Final Journey Home -- America's Huey, a Bell UH-1H "Iroquois" formerly of the Texas National Guard lands at Pax River’s Hangar 109 Friday afternoon with guidance from the H-1 Integrated Test Team's Richard Kunert. "Huey 091" is being donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History for a special exhibit, "The Price of Freedom," scheduled to open in the Fall. Photo by Troy Lancaster.

(family.jpg) Family Portrait -- Huey 091, "America's Huey," spends a little time on the Hangar 109 flightline here Saturday morning with its progeny, a Bell UH-1N (l) and a Bell UH-1Y (r) both assigned to HX-21 here. The Bell UH-1H "Iroquois" is being donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History for a special exhibit, "The Price of Freedom," scheduled to open in the Fall. The helicopter was delivered to the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1966, shot down in 1967 and returned to the States. Photo by Troy Lancaster.