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Old 6th Oct 2022, 19:08
  #48 (permalink)  
RVDT
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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The "205" boondoggle.

Bell 205A - Commercial helicopter with an FAA TCDS - made by BHT - T5311 originally - TR LH side - MTOW 8500 lbs. Can and I think most were upgraded to A-1's as only 39 odd produced but some not eligible.

Bell 205A-1 - Commercial helicopter with an FAA TCDS - made by BHT - T5313 originally - TR RH side (212 part) MTOW 9500 lbs Internal 10500 lbs external. Count upgraded A models and roughly only 293 ever in existence.

AB205A - Non commercial (i.e. Military) No TCDS - UH-1D/H equivalent made by Agusta under licence in Italy (UH-1 is a US military designation as they "own" the type hence not called a UH-1.) TR LH side.

Park a UH-1 next to a commercial US built 205A-1 and they look "similar" but there are a lot of differences - electrical, drive train, engine, structure, etc etc. To me a "205" is the commercial version of type and everything else is a UH-1 of which there were thousands built.

Over the years there have been a huge amount of mods and STC's with UH-1's getting commercial parts fitted and upgrades to the basic 205A-1 to A-1+, A1++ (212 parts and bigger engines), and even to a B model which is basically a single engine 212 with a T5317. And of course not to be confused with a 212 Eagle "Single".
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