Bell 212

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Bell 212 Twin Huey

Bell 212 (C-FOKV) registered to Canadian Helicopters at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada
Type	Multipurpose utility helicopter
Manufacturer	Bell Helicopter Textron
Introduced	1968
Primary users	United States Marine Corps Canadian Forces United States Navy
Developed from	UH-1 Iroquois
Variants	Bell 412

UH-1N's lifting from a field outside Baghdad on April 10, 2003

The Bell Helicopter 212 or UH-1N (also known as the Twin Two-Twelve and Twin Huey) is a medium military/civilian helicopter that first flew in 1968. The 212 has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the 212 has an internal capacity of 6.23 m³ (220 ft³). An external load of 2,268 kg (5,000 lb) can be carried by the civilian model and 1,534 kg (3,383 lb) by the United States military version.

1 History
2 Variants
3 Specifications civil version
- 3.1 General characteristics
- 3.2 Performance
4 Military operators
5 Related content

[edit] History

Based on the stretched fuselage 205, the 212 was originally developed for the Canadian Armed Forces under the designation CUH-1N which later became CH-135. The original order for the Canadian Armed Forces was 50 with an option for a further 20. At the same time the United States military services ordered 141 Bell 212's under the designation UH-1N.

By 1971 the 212 had been developed for commercial applications. Amongst the earliest uses of the 212 in civil aviation was by Helikopter Service AS of Norway to be used in support of offshore oil rigs. Today the 212 can be found used in logging operations, maritime rescue and resupply in the Arctic on the Distant Early Warning Line or North Warning System.

The 212's main rotor is powered by a PT6T-3 Turbo Twin Pac made up of two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T turboshaft engines. They are capable of producing up to 1,342 kW (1,800 shp). Should one engine fail the remaining engine can deliver 671 kW (900 shp) for 30 minutes or 571 kW (765 shp) enabling the 212 to maintain cruise performance at maximum weight.

On the 6th March 1972 Hendrick V. Gorick of the US Navy Antarctic Development Squadron Six jumped at an altitude of 6,248 m (20,500 ft) from a UH-1N helicopter. In doing so he set a record for parachute jumping over the Antarctic continent.

In 1979, with the purchase of eight by the Civil Air Authority, the 212 became the first U.S. helicopter sold in PRC.

The ICAO designator for this aircraft as used in a flight plan is B212.

The Bell 412 is a further development of the Bell 212, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.

[edit] Variants

Bell Model 212 - Bell Helicopters company designation for the UH-1N.
- Twin Two-Twelve - Civil utility transport version. It can carry up to 14-passenger.
- Agusta-Bell AB 212 - Civil or military utility transport version. Built under licence in Italy by Agusta.
- Agusta-Bell AB 212ASW - Anti-submarine warfare, anti-shipping version of the AB 212 helicopter.
Bell Model 412 - Bell 212 with a four-bladed semi-rigid rotor system.

Main article: Bell 412

[edit] Specifications civil version

UH-1N on the ground at Camp Fallujah, Iraq in July of 2004

[edit] General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 14
Length: overall including main rotor 17.46 m (57 ft 3 1/4 in)
Length: fuselage 12.92 m (42 ft 4 3/4 in)
Main rotor diameter: 14.69 m (48 ft 2 1/4 in)
Height: 4.39 m (14 ft 4 3/4; in)
Main rotor area: 169.5 m² (1,825 ft²)
Empty: 2,517 kg (5,549 lb)
Maximum takeoff: 5,080 kg (11,200 lb)
Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 Turbo Twin Pac 1,342 kW (1,800 shp)