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A mixed bag of RAAF UH-1H Iroquois flying over Brisbane in 1982 prior to the Sinai deployment tor the UN Multi-National Force and Observers (MFO). A2-376 was the first RAAF UH-1H, delivered to 9 Squadron in Vietnam in February 1968. A2-915 was received by 9 Sqn as a replacement in 1971, and A2-649 was originally operated in Vietnam as a UH-1D before upgrading to UH-1H standard. A2-485 was from the batch of UH-1H delivered direct to 5 Squadron in 1970 and remains with ARDU at Edinburgh as the only remaining RAAF Iroquois.
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A2 – Bell UH-1 Iroquois
The RAAF had operated Dragonfly and Sycamore helicopters in the fifties, and had been involved with the introduction of the Sioux to Army service. But it was not until 1962, as the Iroquois was introduced, when the full capability and flexibility of the modern helicopter was realised in the RAAF.
The prototype Bell XH-40 flew in October 1956 and entered service as the HU-1 (niclmamed “Huey”) with the US Army in 1959. The later model, redesignated UH-lB, flew in 1961 and in April that year the RAAF showed great foresight in ordering eight of this version for search and rescue. No 9 Squadron, under Sqn Ldr R A Scott, received the first aircraft on October 29 1962. These aircraft were serialled A2-384 to A2-391 (derived from Bell constructor’s numbers 384 to 391) and had been allotted US Army serials 62-4606 to 62-4613. The Iroquois began exercising in troop support for the Army, and this was to become a major role for 9 Squadron.
In December 1962 a second batch of eight UH-lBs were ordered and delivered twelve months later as A2-714 to A2-721 (c/n 714 to 721, ex 63-9784 to 63-9791). In May 1964 No 5 Squadron was formed at Fairbairn with four aircraft and deployed to Malaysia to provide support during the confrontation period with Indonesia A third batch delivered in late 1964, A2-1018 to A2-1025 (cin 1018/1035, 63-13586/63-13593), incorporated the Lycoming llOOshp T53-L-11 engine replacing the previous T53-L-9.
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