<P> The helicopter quickly developed a nickname derived from its designation of HU - 1 , which came to be pronounced as `` Huey '' . The reference became so popular that Bell began casting the name on the helicopter 's anti-torque pedals . The official U.S. Army name was almost never used in practice . After September 1962 , the designation for all models was changed to UH - 1 under a unified Department of Defense ( DOD ) designation system , but the nickname remained . </P>
where did the name huey helicopter come from
designation of HU - 1 , which came to be pronounced as `` Huey ''