All around the world, the same helicopter seems to have different names or designators. The Jetranger for example is also known in MIL circles as the Kiowa. In civvy street it's called the Bell206, B06, and just the '206.
The Hughes 500 is similar, H500, MD500, H369.

What are some of the other names for these and other helicopters.
Which helicopter has the most?

Not to sure about the 500, but i know the jetranger is called a kiowa, because it is slightly different to the B206, it has a long ranger tailboom, and long ranger blades, amongst other add on's. (anyone correct me if this is wrong). Hope this helps...
JF

Did anybody see the article on the racing identity who flies his own Kiowa in the last Aussie HeliNews? How does that work? I didn't know you could get VH reg for ex military machines?

doesn't the restriction only apply to commercial use of x-mil aircraft?

ie: it's not that they cannot be registered, it's that they cannot be used for general charter, but can be used for airwork or private ops?
hence the limited uptake.

somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

Apparently you can register ex-mil aircraft, VH- but they are "Experimental" cat. There's a few getting about, couple of kiowa'a. . i know of a company who are selling a white kiowa. .there's also a UH-1 (or similar) for sale.
I think a while back a couple of company's were selling kiowa's, one ex canadian mil. Cheap to buy, but you can only use them in the "Exp Cat"

The Australian army wanted to name its Kiowas "Kalkadoon" for some strange reason. After a couple of whoopsies, the name used was "Upside-doon" and was shortly thereafter dropped.

An under-designed, under-engineered, under-powered, useless tail rotored, Bell built piece of s--t.... is what I call them.

SAS, moving from a Scout on to the Kiowa I thought I was hopping into a Rolls Royce - not much good on a rolling ships deck though even on low skids. Enjoyed the time in it very much.

SAS, how does that go down with ATC - "Say again type?!?!"

The Hughes 500 was originally designated as the OH-6 when it won the 1960 competition to provide a light observation helicopter (LOH) for the US Army. It was given the military name "Cayuse", but was often refered to as the LOACH.

this is an interesting link regarding U.S army's helicopter fleet, Stats, numbers, requirements etc. etc.

http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=12&sequence=3

interesting read.

Not sure about the tail boom but the blades are not interchangeable. Same design but a little shorter than the L model.
barryb

The "Jet box"

A World record attempt in one of these ?

Must be a really impressive machine

( Couldn't resist resurrecting this one in view of their "News" )


Coconutty

Cropduster,

The Kiowa is known by that name because all US Army Helicopters are named for Indian Tribes...

Choctaw, Apache, Chinook, Iriqouis, Mojave, Tarhe, Blackhawk, Sioux, Pawnee, Cayuse, all spring to name.

Skidbiter,
I'm almost afraid to ask, but why 'LOACH'? It appears to stand for something...

Jetflite,
I think the difference with the tail boom wasn't the length, just that the tail rotor drive was exposed? Any info on that?
Thanks for that link above. I now know that the following are used as designators;
- Attack helicopter (AH),
- Scout or observation helicopter (OH),
- Utility helicopter (UH), and
- Cargo helicopter (CH). It actually explains a lot that I had never asked before, even though I had riden in a few...

SAS,
Thanks for the extras on the names. It is an interesting thought, naming mil a/c after cunning stealthy hunters. It's almost a sign of repect for the Indians.

Mate how can you say such a thing? I know a guy who gave me a fly of his 206, after 8 years in an R22 I thought I was in heaven! So what do you get around in?

If the ex Mil stuff is not VH reg how do you get on for flying into GAAPs for fuel etc? Is you allowed in without a VH callsign?

Comes from: Light Observation Helicopter - LOH - "Loach"

Like: High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - HMMWV - "Humvee"

Early AStar models: the DeathStar. Not applicable anymore now that all problems with the starflex have been resolved (I hope).

And, of course, UH-1 became 'Huey' in GI slang. (Although I've seen some sources which state that the original code was HU-1, which would make the nickname more obvious).


Also, the Falling Star. (For the same reasons).


For the 206, swap the 'R' with a 'B' and you get the v. affectionate, 'JetBanger'!