If there was an award for the most legendary helicopter of all time, it would undoubtedly go to the venerable Bell UH-1 Iroquois or, as it is almost universally and affectionally known, the Huey. The Huey refers to a line of Bell helicopters beginning with the Model 204 which was developed in the 1950s for casevac and utility roles but ended up performing nearly every role imaginable due to the necessities of war in Southeast Asia. As such, tt ended up becoming one of the single most recognizable images of the Vietnam War where thousands served with distinction as the undisputed workhorse of the US Army's airmobile units in what was the first true helicopter war in history. In that conflict, they were used for general support, air assault, cargo transport, casevac, search and rescue (SAR), even electronic warfare and ground attack; over two thousand were lost, a testament to their importance in the struggle. They were also constantly upgraded throught their service life and despite having been largely replaced by the UH-60, hundreds are still found in service not only in the US but with the bewildering number of foreign nations which have used it: approximately 70. Overall, the Huey might not be as prominent in today's battlefield as it was various decades ago but it will nevertheless be remembered forever as one of the finest helicopters ever made, a true air legend.

The Huey's origins lay in the Bell Model 204 helicopter which was initially ordered as the XH-40 and first flown on 22 October 1956. It entered service as the HU-1A and the resulting acronym was the basis of the 'Huey' nicknamed which long survived even after it was redesignated UH-1A Iroquois. The first upgrade was the UH-1B with an enlarged cabin and with a new engine in some of the latter units, both of these were eventually superseded by the UH-1C with a revised main rotor which gave it increased performance. Similar variants in use by the other services included the UH-1E (USMC) and the UH-1F (USAF) while the US Navy ended up with the HH-1K optimized for SAR duties. Other versions included the UH-1L utility helicopter and the UH-1M night fighter gunship (trainer versions were designated TH-1F and -1L). The second generation of Hueys were based on the Model 205 which differed from its predecessor by having a larger-diamater rotor, a lengthened fuselage and increased payload capacity. It entered military service as the UH-1D followed by the UH-1H with a revised powerplant, other variants were the EH-1H ECM and UH-1V medevac conversions. The third generation of Hueys were adapted from the Model 212 which began via a Canadian requirement for a twin-engined version but was eventually adopted by the US as the UH-1N, mostly for support of special operations forces, and the most recent UH-1Y which will soon enter USMC service. Finally, the Model 214 Huey Plus deserves mention as the largest variant ever produced. It was originally designed for Iran but also ended up in the hands of various other nations although it never saw service with the US. Foreign versions of the Huey include the Canadian CUH-1H (or CH-118) and CUH-1N (or CH-135) as well as the Fuji-built HU-1H for Japan. Agusta of Italy has also built a number of helicopters based on the Huey which are described separately.