Bell 47
| Bell 47 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bell 47G | |
| Type | Multipurpose light helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter Textron |
| Designed by | Arthur M. Young |
| Introduced | 1946 |
| Primary users | United States Army British Army |
The Bell 47 (military H-13 Sioux) was the first helicopter to be certified for civil use on March 18, 1946[1][2]. It was largely designed by Arthur M. Young who joined Bell Helicopter in 1941. Over 5,600 were produced up to 1974, including 1200 under license in Italy, 239 in Japan, and 239 in the UK.
Contents |
History
Early Bell 47 models had open cockpits or sheet metal cabins, but the most common model, the 47G , introduced in 1953, can be recognized by the full bubble canopy, exposed welded-tube tail boom, and saddle fuel tanks. Later 47H and 47J Ranger models had a regular cabin with full cowling and monocoque tail boom. Engines were Franklin or Lycoming horizontally-opposed piston engines of 200 to 305 HP (150 to 230 kW). Seating varied from two to four. Many are still in use as trainers and in agriculture (as of 2005).
The British version of the 47G, called by the British Army the Sioux AH.1, was built by Westland Helicopters for use by the Army Air Corps, who used it until the early 1980s.[citation needed] The Sioux military version was often equipped with military evacuation panniers, one to each skid, with a plexiglass shield to protect the patient from wind.
The first Bell helicopter to use a turbine engine was a modified Model 47G (designated the XH-13F or Model 201), first flown in October 1954.
NASA had a number of Bell 47s during the Apollo programme, used by astronauts as a trainer for the Lunar Lander. Eugene Cernan had a near disastrous accident shortly before his flight to the moon on Apollo 17 by crashing one into the Indian River.
Military Operators
- Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, India, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Senegal, South Yemen, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom (British Army, RAF), United States (US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Marine Corps), Uruguay, Venezuela, Zaire, Zambia.
Specifications (Bell 47G)
General
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3
- Length: 9.63 m (31.6 ft)
- Height: 2.83 m (9.28 ft)
- Rotor diameter: 11.32 m (37.2 ft)
- Main rotor disk area: 100.8 m² (1085 sq ft</sup>)
- Empty: 858 kg (1893 lb)
- Maximum takeoff: 1340 kg (2950 lb)
- Powerplant: one Lycoming TVO-435-F1A flat six piston engine, 210 kW (280 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 169 km/h (105 mph, 91 kt)
- Cruise speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kt) at 1,525 m (5,000 ft)
- Range: 395 km (245 miles, 214 nm) at 1,830 m (6,000 ft)
- Hover ceiling: 5,400 m IGE; 3900 m OGE (17,700 IGE; 12,700 OGE ft)
- Rate of climb: 262 m/min (860 ft/min)
Popular culture
The Bell 47G was used in the 1957–1959 television series The Whirlybirds, and later the movie and television series M*A*S*H. It was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art of New York in 1984.
References
- Riley, David, French Helicopter Operations in Algeria, Marine Corps Gazette, February 1958, pp. 21-26.
- Shrader, Charles R. The First Helicopter War: Logistics and Mobility in Algeria, 1954-1962, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers (1999)
- Spenser, Jay P., Whirlybirds: A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press (1998)
External links
- Story of Arthur M. Young and the development of the Model 47 (PDF file with photographs)
- Bell 47 Enthusiast site
- Model 47G Museum site
- Model 47G specs from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft by Gerard Frawley
Related content
Related development<h3>
<h3>Comparable aircraft<h3><h3>Designation sequence<h3>- U.S. Military:
- - H-13 -
Categories
Articles with unsourced statements | Helicopters | U.S. military utility aircraft 1940-1949 | U.S. civil utility aircraft 1940-1949