From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
who ever wrote this article needs his head examined. the Iranian helicopter in question is a Bell 214B heavy-lifter built originally for the Shah's army back in the 70's. As for maginally improved, is a ferarri a moderately improved model A ford?
The 214 is based loosely on the huey, but its unique in many ways. the engine is a T55 Lycoming, making 2900 shp....more than double that of any model huey. on a cold day with a very stiff wind, a UH-1H can barely lift 4000 lbs on the external cargo hook. A 214, on almost any day can lift almost double that. The rotor system is completely different, the internal structure is completely different, and the engine is an absolute powerhouse compared to the single or twin Huey. they only share a vague resemblance, like cousins at a family reunion. but its ALL Bell helicopter. The Irainians may have tried to build their own version of it, but they lacked the support for engines and parts and technology used in the original version. I currently work with an Iranian, and his experience with them was they were cannibolized extensively to keep a small fleet operational.
That type of helicopter is used for heli-logging operations in Canada's west coast rain forrest.
