"HUEY GUNSHIP" HISTORY

The aircraft was accepted in 1969 by the U.S. Navy and designated a TH-1L. The aircraft spent most of its military service serving as an advanced flight trainer for the Naval Air Training Command in Helicopter Training Squadron 8 (HT-8) at Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Florida. The Navy acquired a total of 45 TH-1 aircraft that were used exclusively as flight trainers. The aircraft was surplused from the Navy in 1984 and acquired by a hospital that utilized the aircraft in the emergency MEDEVAC role until 2000. During the aircraft’s MEDEVAC use, it was extensively modified adding an Army UH-1M tail boom, power plant and rotor system. The Army’s UH-1M and Navy TH-1L helicopters were identical model aircraft accept the Navy version featured a main rotor brake capability (retained) and exterior hoist system (removed).

            This aircraft has been rebuilt by the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) as an Army UH-1M “Gunship”. The Army UH-1M was specifically built to serve as an armed gunship version of the UH-1 and featured a significantly upgraded engine, power train, and rotor system. Our aircraft is equipped as it appeared in the later days of the Vietnam war with a XM-21 weapons system consisting of two 7.62mm Miniguns (replicas), two M-158 seven tube rocket launchers; and two cockpit gun sights, a XM-60 Reflex rocket sight and a XM-6 Minigun targeting sight. Both of these cockpit gun sights have been totally rebuilt to like-new condition. The aircraft markings are those carried in Vietnam by AAHF member COL Pete Booth USA (R) on his personal aircraft when he served as Squadron Commander of the 1/9^th Air Cavalry Squadron, 1^st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile).