The Bell 205 is a 15-seat medium lift utility helicopter powered by a single Lycoming turboshaft engine.
The single, two-blade rotor gives the helicopter a distinctive whomp-whomp sound that could be heard miles away.
The Bell 205 was developed out of the Bell Model 204, or UH-1B. The Model 205, or UH-1D divers primarily from the
model 204 in having a longer cabin capable of accommodating twelve troops or six casualty stretchers. The
prototype of the Model 205 flew first on 16 August 1961. Series production of the UH-1D commenced during 1963.
Due to the Vietnam War the Bell UH-1 series Iroquois was mass-produced for the U.S. Army. The Bell UH-1D Iroquois,
better known as the "Huey", began arriving in Vietnam in 1967. Ultimately more than 600 UH-1Ds were transferred to
South Vietnam. More than 12,000 Model 205s were built by Bell and its licensees up to the early 1980s of which 344
UH-1Ds were built under license by Dornier in Germany. |
Dornier-Bell UH-1D Iroquois s/n 8063 is one of the 334 airframes of the helicopter built at Oberpfaffenhofen
in 1968-1971. Constructionnumbers 8051 to 8066 were built for the Bundesminister des Innern (BMI) for use
by the Bundesgrenzschutz and the Polizei as D-HA**. The 1969-built Dornier-Bell UH-1D s/n 8063 was tested as 70+33
and registered D-HATE in West Germany with the Bundesminister des Innern (BMI) - Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) in October 1970.
UH-1D D-HATE was operated first by Fliegerstaffel Mitte from Bonn Hangelar and from 1993 by the BGS Fliegerstaffel Ost
based at Berlin Tempelhof (EDDI) till the UH-1D was SOC and permanantly wfu. On 25 January 2001, registration D-HATE
was cancelled. In Septmber 2001, the helicopter was donated to the Luftwaffen Museum der Bundeswehr at Berlin-Gatow where
it is preserved since. In 2011, the museum was renamed in Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr - Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow.
On 21 August 2021, Dornier-Bell UH-1D Iroquois D-HATE was seen at the outdoor exhibition of the Militärhistorisches Museum
der Bundeswehr at the former RAF Gatow Air Base near Berlin. |