Bell Model 204 / XH-40 / UH-1 Iroquois competitors, projects and modifications

[Kiltonge]

Bell 208 Twin Turbine with Continental XT67

YUH-1D 60-06030 cn 703 was bailed back to Bell, it's now preserved at Fort Rucker with the original T53 re-installed.

DTIC Report AD845032 " ENGINEERING TEST OF UH-1D HELICOPTER WITH XT67 POWER PLANT INSTALLED":
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0845032.pdf
Some notes:
1. Hover performance was improved in all conditions where the T53 version was not torque-limited
2. OEI climb rate at 7000lb weight was 820ft per minute, ceiling 15,000ft
3. Standard range remained basically unchanged due to higher cruise speeds
4. Range could be increased by 30% by shutting-down one engine and accepting a cruise reduction of 15 to 35 kts.
5. Torque-limit SHP could be maintained to 6,600ft on a standard day, meaning that high-altitude climb was improved
6. Transient response of the engines was slow, though this had not been optimised

"On a 35-degree-C day the 2-foot hover celling at 9500 pounds gross weight was 1080 feet pressure altitude with the XT67 power plant and 300 feet pressure altitude with the T53-L-11 engine."

 

[BROF]

Bell 208 Twin Turbine with Continental XT67

YUH-1D 60-06030 cn 703 was bailed back to Bell, it's now preserved at Fort Rucker with the original T53 re-installed.

DTIC Report AD845032 " ENGINEERING TEST OF UH-1D HELICOPTER WITH XT67 POWER PLANT INSTALLED":
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0845032.pdf
Some notes:
1. Hover performance was improved in all conditions where the T53 version was not torque-limited
2. OEI climb rate at 7000lb weight was 820ft per minute, ceiling 15,000ft
3. Standard range remained basically unchanged due to higher cruise speeds
4. Range could be increased by 30% by shutting-down one engine and accepting a cruise reduction of 15 to 35 kts.
5. Torque-limit SHP could be maintained to 6,600ft on a standard day, meaning that high-altitude climb was improved
6. Transient response of the engines was slow, though this had not been optimised

"On a 35-degree-C day the 2-foot hover celling at 9500 pounds gross weight was 1080 feet pressure altitude with the XT67 power plant and 300 feet pressure altitude with the T53-L-11 engine."

The Continental XT67 (Model 217A) was a twin Turboméca Astazou X built under the June 26, 1951 licence agreement that also created the the XT51, XT65, XT65, XT72, Model 140 & 141 compressors, and the J69 (T-37 engine).

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a tangent:
https://elpoderdelasgalaxias.wordpress.com/2024/10/10/sioux-iroquois-and-chinnok-on-the-green/

 

[hesham]

We can mentioned the known competitors,

- Bell 204
- Hiller Model-1045
- ?

 

[hesham]

We can mentioned the known competitors,

- Bell 204
- Hiller Model-1045
- ?

I can make some speculations about the competitors of this contender,

- Curtiss-Wight ?
- Doman, D-10B ?
- Flettner ?
- Gyrodyne GCA.?
- Hughes Model-?
- Kaman K-?
- Kellet KH-16 ?
- Lockheed CL-?
- McDonnell M-112 ?
- Piasecki PH-?
- Sikorsky S-59
- Wilford ?

Of course the only real tender is Sikosrky S-59 H-39,and the very close to
the right guess is McDonnell M-112.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I can make some speculations about the competitors of this contender,

- Curtiss-Wight ?
- Doman, D-10B ?
- Flettner ?
- Gyrodyne GCA.?
- Hughes Model-?
- Kaman K-?
- Kellet KH-16 ?
- Lockheed CL-?
- McDonnell M-112 ?
- Piasecki PH-?
- Sikorsky S-59
- Wilford ?

Of course the only real tender is Sikosrky S-59 H-39,and the very close to
the right guess is McDonnell M-112.

Please stop with these nonsense speculation posts.

If you have concrete information about contenders for a competition, state them (with sources). Just randomly listing every company that might possibly have submitted a design is meaningless noise.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

From some 20 companies that entered the competition for a new utility helicopter, Bell Helicopter was picked as the winner.

Bill Siuru's book for Aero Publishers on the Huey.

Lou Drendel

The announcement that Bell’s design had been chosen from the 20 entries came on 23 February 1955.

Aviation Week 21 Feb 1955 differs:

Bell Helicopter Design Wins Stiff Competition Bell Aircraft Corp. last week was selected over seven other manufacturers to develop a new utility helicopter for the U. S. Army.

In the hottest aircraft competition of Army history, a yearlong race that attracted more industry attention than many Air Force and Navy design efforts Bell was awarded a contract for preliminary engineering and a mockup.

[...]

Eight Proposals—Keen interest in the utility copter competition started a year ago, was evidenced by designs from eight manufacturers. Some of them, including Bell, submitted more than one proposal. All entrants worked under high pressure to meet Armv deadlines. First evaluation of the proposals was made by USAF, which acts as a purchasing agent for the Army. Final announcement of Bells selection was made by the Department of Defense.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

It is likely that 20 proposals were received from 8 manufacturers, this would make most sense, and mean Bill Siuru made an error.

 

[hesham]

It is likely that 20 proposals were received from 8 manufacturers, this would make most sense, and mean Bill Siuru made an error.

OK my dear PaulMM.

 

[RAP]

US Army summary of Phase II of the High-Perforemance Helicopter Program.

 

[RAP]

Photo found on the internet of what appears to be an articulated gun pod on a UH-1.

 

[isayyo2]

Photo found on the internet of what appears to be an articulated gun pod on a UH-1

XM140 pods firing 30mmx100 WECON - 600 rounds per pod and not at all reliable.

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-u-s-army-kept-trying-to-give-the-huey-bigger-guns-637b70056886

 

[RAP]

Some interesting illustrations on the from a German book on the Huey.

 

[Rattlesnek]

Some interesting illustrations on the from a German book on the Huey.

Twin MG 42 (interesting that they are specifically called MG 42 and not MG 3) chin turret, ARMs, BK 27, very interesting armament options.

But can anyone actually identify what caliber the Hispano-Suiza in the second pic is supposed to be?
It almost looks like 30 mm to me, but I'm not quite sure.

 

[fightingirish]

Happy New Year all and hope you all had a great Xmas -
Here is one I have dug up from my book (all images credited to Bell UH-1D >>Huey<< by Robert Busse) which was a 1969 experiment by Daimler Benz using Bell UH-1D , s/n 64-13881 which was the fourth one built under license by Dornier (?). The experiment was to use a
DB720 / PT706 twin-shaft turbine. They basically made changes to the fuel cells and drive shaft thus giving the awkward look.
There were long term plans to use this engine across the Bundeswehr fleet of UH-1D but it never amounted to that in the end.
cheers
[...]

Hello folks, since the embedded pictures on Photobucket in that post were deleted, I’ve reattached them here. Also just in case the other sources get deleted over time.
Sources:
https://nobarrelrolls.blogspot.com/2020/02/long-live-huey.html
https://www.flugzeug-lexikon.de/Tri...turbine/mtu_db_720_-_hubschrauberturbine.html