DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?
From the desk of Jan Hommel, Director:
If it has been more than a week since you stopped by the American Freedom Museum, you have missed one of our newest additions. Is that a helicopter I hear? The Museum has recently added a sound box to the outdoor helicopter exhibit. The box was designed by Don Allen (COO and owner of AVTT) and Kevin Weatherly (CEO) of the American Veteran鈥檚 Traveling Tribute in Flint, Texas. The 鈥渟ound box鈥� captures one of the most memorable sounds of the 1960鈥檚, the iconic sound of the Huey Helicopter and the Vietnam War.
The classic example of the 鈥渉elicopter sound鈥� is that produced by the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (鈥楬uey鈥�) helicopters used in the Vietnam War. The twin blades of the main rotor moved at speeds very close to the speed of sound, producing a loud 鈥渢hump-thump鈥� sound that has become iconic for helicopters in general and for the Vietnam War. Most other helicopters don鈥檛 produce quite as distinctive or loud a thump-thump sound as the UH-1. Helicopters generate their lift through the spinning of rotor blades. The spinning blades generate aerodynamic pressures and forces that create acoustic waves. These acoustic waves are what we call noise as we hear them while standing on the ground.
The most widely used military helicopter, the Bell UH-1 series Iroquois, better known as the 鈥淗uey鈥�, began arriving in Vietnam in 1963. Before the end of the conflict, more than 5,000 of these versatile aircraft were introduced into Southeast Asia. 鈥淗ueys鈥� were used for Medevac, command and control, and air assault; to transport personnel and material; and as gunships. Considered to be the most widely used helicopter in the world, with more than 9,000 produced from the 1950鈥檚 to the present, the Huey is flown today by about 40 countries.
We invite you to stop by over the holidays and experience our new exhibit!
Holiday Hours:
- Saturday, December 19th: 10:00 a.m. 鈥� 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 23rd: 10:00 a.m. 鈥� 3:00 p.m.
- CLOSED December 26th
- Wednesday, December 30th: 10:00 a.m. 鈥� 3:00 p.m.
- Saturday, January 2nd: 10:00 a.m. 鈥� 3:00 p.m.
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