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Andries Waardenburg
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Agusta Bell 204B(I) UH-1 225 Royal Netherlands Navy
Agusta Bell 204B(I) UH-1 225 Royal Netherlands Navy

30 August 2025
Nationaal Militair Museum
Soesterberg (UTC/EHSB), Netherlands
Agusta Bell 204B(I) UH-1
3023
225 Royal Netherlands Navy

The 225 was delivered on 14 December 1962, and assigned to VSQ 7, first at Valkenburg and later with VSQ1 at De Kooy. The 225 was also stationed at Hato, Curaçao. In addition to transport duties, the aircraft was also used as a rescue helicopter.
This aircraft is also known to have made an emergency landing in Willemstad, North Brabant, November 1968.

The aircraft was phased out on 23 December 1977, and in May 1978, along with all other Agustas still in service, it was sold to Sky Controls Inc., Sun Valley, California, United States. The aircraft were shipped via Germany, and it seems the new owner was disappointed, believing they were UH-1Bs instead of AB204s. The AB204 has a different rotor system and a Rolls-Royce engine. The aircraft were offered for sale to Iran, but this was met with political resistance.
In 1992, the Swedish Air Force purchased the aircraft, including the 225. The Swedish Air Force was flying the same type and was experiencing significant problems with its rotor systems, for which no new parts were actually supplied. The Swedish Air Force never used the aircraft again and transferred them to the Flygvapenmuseum in Linköping, Sweden. However, they held no historical value for the Swedes.

To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (Naval Aviation Service) in 2002, an Agusta-Bell was needed. The Military Aviation Museum also wanted an AB-204 for its collection, and the Swedes ultimately agreed to deliver two aircraft: the 220 and the 225, with the 225 proving to be in by far the best condition. In 2002, the 225 was restored at De Kooy, and a team consisting of Adjutant Faken and Corporals F. de Vries, A. de Rover, F. Boulier, V. van Ieperen, and M. Schenk spent over 1,000 hours working on the restoration.

On 1 February 2003, during a symposium on "Half a Century of Search and Rescue" at the Military Aviation Museum (MLM), the 225 was officially handed over to the director of the MLM by Sven Scheiderbauer, director of the Flygvapenmuseum in Linköping.

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Taken on: August 30, 2025
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with Soest Soest Everybody's photos tagged with Utrecht Utrecht Everybody's photos tagged with Nederland Nederland
Sets appears in:   • Nationaal Militair Museum Zomeroffensief 2025   
Camera: Sony ILCE-6700, f/5.6, 1/320 sec, 51mm (=76mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Sony ILCE-6700
Lens: E PZ 18-105mm F4 G OSS
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure Time: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length: 51mm (35mm equivalent: 76mm)
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Saturation: Low
Sharpness: Hard
Color Space: sRGB
Software: Adobe Photoshop 26.11 (20250827.m.3196 64d840b) (Windows)
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