Bell YH-40 US Army

These are 1/72 scale decals for the Bell YH-40, the pre-production service test variant of the helicopter that would become the legendary UH-1 Iroquois.

Following the successful XH-40 prototype flights, the Army ordered a batch of YH-40 service test aircraft to evaluate the design under operational conditions before committing to full production. The YH-40 incorporated refinements over the prototype and was used to work out the details of Army service — powerplant tuning, systems integration, and operational suitability testing that paved the way for the HU-1A production order. Like the XH-40 prototypes before them, the YH-40s wore a clean natural metal finish with bold "U.S. ARMY" titling, distinguishing them from the olive drab production aircraft that would follow.

The YH-40 occupies a unique place in aviation history — the critical bridge between the XH-40 prototype and the production Iroquois that would go on to serve in every corner of the world. A rare and distinctive subject for any U.S. Army aviation collection, and a natural companion to the XH-40 and early UH-1A listings. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.