UH-1M Huey Gunship Utility Helicopter
The UH-1 gunship with added weapon brace.
The UH-1M was the same as the UH-1C with an upgraded engine. It also has a brace extending from the aft fuselage to the weapons mount, Additionally it had an improved door hinge and more powerful rotor with wider blades.
The UH-1M Huey weapons mount with rockets, M60 machine gun and the new incredibly powerful Mini-Gun (see photos and video below).
It soon became clear to the Army's efforts at adapting to the new type of mobile warfare that the unarmed troop helicopters were vulnerable against ground fire from Việt Cộng and North Vietnamese troops, particularly as they came down to drop their troops in a landing zone. Without friendly support from artillery or ground forces, the only way to pacify a landing zone was from the air, preferably with an aircraft that could closely escort the transport helicopters, and loiter over the landing zone as the battle progressed. By 1962 a small number of armed UH-1As were used as escorts, armed with multiple machine guns and rocket mounts.
The introduction of the M134 Minigun.
Although helicopters had mounted single-barrel machine guns, using them to repel attackers hidden in the dense jungle foliage often led to barrels overheating or cartridge jams. In order to develop a weapon with a more reliable, higher rate of fire, General Electric designers scaled down the rotating-barrel 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon for 7.62×51 mm NATO ammunition. The resulting weapon, designated M134 and known popularly as the Minigun, could fire up to 4,000 rounds per minute without overheating. The Minigun was mounted in the turret and wing pods on AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and on door, pylon and pod mounts on UH-1 "Huey" Iroquois transport helicopters.
Video of the then newly developed Mini-Gun. 1-1/2 Minutes.
The Huey paired with at the time the newly developed helicopter mounted Mini-Gun became a very powerful ground support weapons system.
The massive expansion of American military presence in Vietnam opened a new era of war from the air. The linchpin of US Army tactics were the helicopters, and the protection of those helicopters became a vital role.
The Huey door gunner with a M60 machine gun.
The Huey door gunner underwent a highly specialized training program. See Army training film below.
This is the official US Army film on the "Shotgun" Door Gunners in Vietnam. -24 Minutes.
Specifications (UH-1M)
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| Door Weapon brace not shown. |
General characteristics
- Crew: 1–4
- Capacity: 3,880 lb (1,760 kg) including 14 troops, or 6 stretchers, or equivalent cargo
- Length: 57 ft 9.5 in with rotors
- Width: 8 ft 7 in (2.62 m) (Fuselage)
- Height: 12 ft 7 in
- Empty weight: 5,071 lbs
- Mission weight: 9,499 lbs
- Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming T53-L-13B turboshaft, 1,100 shp (820 kW)
- Main rotor diameter: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 148 mph
- Cruise speed: 125 mph (109 kn; 201 km/h)
- Range: 382 mi
- Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (Dependent on environmental factors such as weight, outside temp., etc)
- Rate of climb: 1,755 ft/min (8.92 m/s)
- Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
- 2 x 7.62 mm M60 machine gun, or 2 7.62 mm GAU-17/A machine gun
- 2 x 7-round or 19-round 2.75 in (70 mm) rocket pods
- 2 x 7.62 mm Rheinmetall MG3 (German Army and German Luftwaffe)
- 2 x .303 Browning Mk II (Rhodesian, twin machine guns mounted on port side)
