Bell UH-1Y Venom

Bell Textron · United States · first flew 2001 · helicopter

The Bell UH-1Y Venom, also called the Super Huey, is a twin-engine, four-blade, medium utility helicopter built for the US Marine Corps under the H-1 upgrade programme. It replaced the UH-1N Twin Huey.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	17.78 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Four-blade all-composite main rotor
Twin General Electric T700 turboshaft engines with larger exhaust vents than the UH-1N
Cabin about 21 inches longer than the UH-1N, just forward of the main door

It looks like a Huey but with a four-blade rotor in place of the two-blade one, a slightly longer cabin and larger twin exhaust vents than the UH-1N.

Specifications

The Bell UH-1Y Venom has a length of 17.78 m (58 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.88 m (49 ft).
Its maximum speed is 304 km/h (189 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Marine Corps launched the H-1 upgrade programme in 1996. The UH-1Y was first to be remanufactured from UH-1Ns, but in April 2005 approval was given to build new helicopters. Its first flight was on 20 December 2001.

Variants

The UH-1Y and the AH-1Z Viper share a common tail boom, engines, rotor system, drivetrain and avionics architecture, with over 84 per cent identical components.

Where you'll see it

The Marine Corps certified it operationally capable in August 2008 and first deployed it in January 2009. It became the Marine Corps' standard utility helicopter when the UH-1N retired in August 2014, and the Czech Republic has also ordered it.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,226 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.