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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. |
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The 1970-built Dornier-Bell UH-1D Iroquois s/n 8340 is one of the 334 airframes of the helicopter built at Oberpfaffenhofen
in 1968-1971. The Huey was delivered as 72+20 to Heeresfliegerregiment (HFlgRgt, Army Aviation Corps Regiment) 6 at Itzehoe;
UH-1D 72+20 served for 6th PzGrenDiv at Neumünster. In April 1971, the 72+20 went to HFlgRgt 10 at Celle. Following the German
reunification on 3 October 1990, the Federal West German Army was partially integrated into the Federal German Army; Dornier-Bell
UH-1D 72+20 remained in service with HFlgRgt 10 now based at Fliegerhorst Fassberg. Last known unit was Ausbildungszentrum C of
Heereswaffenschukle in 1998 only now was phased out. In 2009, UH-1D 72+20 was one of six Luftwaffe UH-1Ds operated out Toplicane
in Kosovo as part of the KFOR. From 1 September 2010, the Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter "SAMARITER 1" (SAM) in Toplicane
was no longer tasked with a military mission. To celebrate the occasion, a special Fly-Out – the last flight of the MEDEVAC helicopter
SAM – was held in Toplicane on 12 October 2010. UH-1D 72+20 returned to Germany and moved to ThRgt 30 (das mittleren
Transporthubschrauberregiments 30) at Niederstetten. Early 2012, the helicopter was withdrawn from use and stored at Niederstetten.
In 2016, UH-1D 72+20 was moved to Roth (ETHR) where it remained in storage until 2020, when the helicopter was transported to Flugplatz
Bremgarten after the UH-1D was sold to Ritter Aviation.
On 8 May 2022, the Ritter-Line 'Luftwaffe' Dornier-Bell UH-1D Iroquois D-HUHU
was seen at Flugplatz Gewerbepark Breisgau (Bremgarten) with fake-serial '34+51'; NOTARZT and SAR titles and 'SEARCH AND RESCUE - BREMGARTEN 61' and 'AkG 51' decals. |
