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Bell 47

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This article is about the civil versions and operators of the Bell Model 47. For the military versions and operators, see Bell H-13 Sioux.

Bell 47
Bell 47G
General information
TypeMultipurpose light helicopter
National originUnited States
ManufacturerBell Aircraft
Bell Helicopter
Designer
Primary usersUnited States Army
Number built5,600
History
Manufactured1946–1974
Introduction date1946
First flightDecember 8, 1945
Developed fromBell 30
VariantsBell H-13 Sioux
Bell 47J Ranger
Kawasaki KH-4

The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946.[1][2] The first civilian delivery was made on 31 December 1946 to Helicopter Air Transport.[3] More than 5,600 Bell 47s were produced, including those under license by Agusta in Italy, Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan, and Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom. The Bell 47J Ranger is a modified version with a fully enclosed cabin and tail boom.

Design and development

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Early models varied in appearance, with open cockpits or sheet metal cabins, fabric covered or open structures, some with four-wheel landing gear. Later model D and Korean War H-13D and E types settled on a more utilitarian style. The most common model, the 47G introduced in 1953, can be recognized by the full "soap bubble" canopy,[4] exposed welded-tube tail boom, saddle fuel tanks and skid landing gear.

The later three-seat 47H had an enclosed cabin with full cowling and monocoque tail boom. It was an attempt to market a "luxury" version of the basic 47G. Relatively few were produced.

Engines were Franklin or Lycoming vertically mounted piston engines of 175 to 305 HP (130 to 227 kW). Seating varied from two (early 47s and the later G-5A) to four (the J and KH-4).

In April 2011 there were 1068 registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States[5] and 15 in the United Kingdom.[6]

Bell 47s were produced in Japan by a Bell and Kawasaki venture; this led to the Kawasaki KH-4 variant, a four-seat version of the Model 47 with a cabin similar to the Bell 47J. It differed from the "J" in having a standard uncovered tail boom and fuel tanks like the G series. It was sold throughout Asia, and some were used in Australia.

In February 2010, the Bell 47 type certificates were transferred to Scott's Helicopter Services.[7] The sister company that was formed, Scott's - Bell 47, is in the process of starting production of a turboshaft powered version of the Bell 47, the 47GT-6, using a Rolls-Royce RR300 engine and with composite rotor blades, with deliveries planned from 2016.[8]

Operational history

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Bell 47J Ranger
Bell 47 in Germany, 2011

The Bell 47 entered US military service in late 1946, and operated in a variety of versions and under different designations for three decades. It was designated H-13 Sioux by the US Army, and during the Korean War, it served a variety of roles, including reconnaissance and scouting, search and rescue, and medevac.

The "Telecopter" was a Bell 47 rented by television station KTLA in Los Angeles, California. It was outfitted with a television camera and it made the world's first flight by a television news helicopter on July 3, 1958, with its inventor, John D. Silva, aboard. When the television station reported it was receiving no video, Silva exited the helicopter's cockpit to climb onto its landing skid while it hovered at 1,500 feet (457 m) so he could investigate the microwave transmitter bolted to its side, where he discovered a vacuum tube had failed due to vibration and hot weather. After Silva fixed the problem overnight, the Telecopter made the world's first successful television news flight on July 4, 1958.[9]

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had a number of Bell 47s during the Apollo program, used by astronauts as trainers for the lunar lander. Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan had a nearly disastrous crash into the Indian River in Florida in 1971, before his flight to the Moon.[10] The 47 has also served as the helicopter of choice for basic helicopter flight instruction in many countries.

Records

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  • 13 May 1949, a Bell 47 set an altitude record of 18,550 feet (5,650 m).[11]
  • 21 September 1950, first helicopter to fly over the Alps.[11]
  • 17 September 1952, Bell pilot Elton J. Smith set a world distance record for piston helicopters of 1,217 miles (1,959 km) by flying nonstop from Hurst, Texas, to Buffalo, New York.[11] As of 2018, this record still stands.[12]

Variants

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Section source: Complete Encyclopedia[13]

Civilian

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47
Pre-production version, powered by a 178 hp (133 kW) Franklin piston engine. Ten pre-production examples built, which varied in appearance.
47A
Improved version of the Bell 47, powered by a 175 hp (130 kW) Franklin O-335-1 piston engine.
A 47B on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 2011
47B
Equivalent to the military YR-13/HTL-1, powered by the 175 hp (130 kW) Franklin O-335-1.
47B-3
Agricultural/utility version with open crew positions. Also, offered in a version to the US Postal Service as the Bell Airmailer .[14]
47C
47D
First to appear with a molded "soap bubble" canopy.
47D-1
Introduced in 1949, it had an open tubework tail boom reminiscent of the Bell Model 30 and three seats.
47E
Powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Franklin 6V4-200-C32 engine.
47F
Bell 47G
47G
Combines a 200 hp (149 kW) Franklin engine with the three-seat configuration of the 47D-1 and introduced the twin saddle-bag fuel tank configuration.
47G-2
Powered by the Lycoming VO-435 engine. Produced under license by Westland Aircraft as the Sioux for the UK military.
47G-2A
Powered by a 240 hp (179 kW) VO-435.
47G-2A-1
Wider cabin, improved rotor blades and increased fuel capacity.
47G-3
Powered by a supercharged 225 hp (168 kW) Franklin 6VS-335-A.
47G-3B
Powered by a turbocharged 280 hp (209 kW) Lycoming TVO-435.
47G-4
Three-seat helicopter powered by an Avco Lycoming VO-540 engine.
47G-5
A three-seat utility version. A two-seat agricultural version was later known as the Ag-5. The 47G-5 remained in production even after H & J production had ended.[citation needed]
A Bell 47H-1
Bell 47H-1
A three-seat version with an enclosed cabin and fuselage.[15]
47J Ranger
A four-seat version powered by a VO-435 engine.[15]
47K
Military two-seat training variant of the 47J.

Military

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See H-13 Sioux
1957 47H-1

Licensed versions

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Agusta A.115 1971 Italian prototype of a Bell 47J with an unclad, tubular tail boom, and powered by a Turbomeca Astazou II turboshaft engine Meridionali/Agusta EMA 124 Italian prototype with redesigned forward fuselage. Not produced.[16][17]

Kawasaki KH-4 Japanese production version with redesigned, lengthened cabin, and redesigned control system

Conversions

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Carson Super C-4 El Tomcat Mk.II Bell 47G-2 modified extensively for agricultural spraying by Continental Copters Inc. First flew in April 1959, followed by further improved versions.

Operators

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Military operators

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For all military operators, regardless of the actual model, see Bell H-13 Sioux operators
Bell 47 in RAF livery, 2022
An Agusta-Bell 47G of the Italian Carabinieri
A retired Bell 47 of the Peruvian Navy, now on display

Government operators

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 Canada
  • Ontario Lands and Forests[18]
 Italy
 United States

Aircraft on display

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Canada
Chile
France
Germany
Japan
Malta
New Zealand
Norway
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
  • G-AZYB (painted in former SABENA markings as OO-SHW) – Bell 47H on static display at the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. It supported a scientific expedition in Antarctica.[47][48]
United States

Surviving aircraft

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Bell 47 owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association
Austria
  • OE-XDM – Bell 47 G-3B-1T (a former United States Army TH-13T) airworthy with The Flying Bulls in Salzburg.[70][71][72]
Australia
  • A1-402 - Bell 47 G former Australian Army 161 Independent Recce Flight on static display at HARS Parkes Aviation Museum
United States

Specifications (Bell 47G-3B)

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3-view line drawing of the Bell 47
3-view line drawing of the Bell 47

Data from International Directory of Civil Aircraft[15]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 or 2
  • Capacity: 1 passenger or 2 litters (1,057 lb (479 kg) payload)
  • Length: 31 ft 7 in (9.63 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
  • Empty weight: 1,893 lb (859 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,950 lb (1,338 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming TVO-435-F1A six-cylinder vertically mounted horizontally-opposed air-cooled piston engine, 280 hp (210 kW)
  • Main rotor diameter: 37 ft 2 in (11.33 m)
  • Main rotor area: 1,085 sq ft (100.8 m2)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 91 kn (105 mph, 169 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
  • Range: 214 nmi (246 mi, 396 km)
  • Rate of climb: 860 ft/min (4.4 m/s)

Notable appearances in media

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Main article: Aircraft in fiction § Bell 47

See also

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Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Bell Helicopters". Helicopter History Site.
  2. ^ "Biography of ARTHUR MIDDLETON YOUNG".
  3. ^ "Bell 47B". Heli Archive. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Arthur M. Young. Arthur Young on the Helicopter (Part 2) (YouTube) (YouTube). Arthur M. Young. Event occurs at 10:15 to 11:45. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2016. I thought the bubble was a great idea, and we tried it. It consisted of taking a large sheet of Plexiglas, and a plywood form, cut for the final dimension for the outside of the bubble, then heating the Plexiglas, putting it under the plywood form, letting air pressure come up through the middle, and it would blow just like a soap bubble. And, then we had a gauge saying how far to blow, and when it reached that point, we turned off the air pressure.
  5. ^ "FAA". Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  6. ^ "CAA". Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  7. ^ Bell Helicopter (February 2010). "Certificate transfer boosts support of Model 47". Shephard Group Limited. Retrieved June 10, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Majumdar, Dave (March 6, 2013). "HELI-EXPO: 1950s Era Bell Model 47 helicopter to return to production". Flightglobal. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  9. ^ Pool, Bob, "Obituary: John D. Silva, 92; TV Engineer Devised the World's First News Helicopter," The Washington Post, December 11, 2012, p. B6.
  10. ^ "The Helicopter that Fell to Earth, Gene Cernan's Bell 47 Crash, January 23, 1971". Check-Six.com.
  11. ^ a b c McGowen, p. 56.
  12. ^ "FAI Record ID #976 Archived 2015-06-11 at the Wayback Machine" Record date 17 September 1952, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Accessed: 18 November 2013.
  13. ^ Donald, David, ed. "Bell Model 47". The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Barnes & Noble Books, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
  14. ^ "The Bell Airmailer", Popular Mechanics, July 1947, p. 78.
  15. ^ a b c Frawley, page 42
  16. ^ Taylor, M. J. H. (1989). Jane's encyclopedia of aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 40. ISBN 1-85170-324-1.
  17. ^ Simpson, R. W. (1998). Airlife's Helicopters and Rotorcraft. Ramsbury: Airlife Publishing. p. 37.
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  29. ^ "Bell 47D". Alberta Aviation Museum. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
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  32. ^ British Columbia Aviation Museum (August 15, 2021). "Bell Model 47D". bcam.net. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  33. ^ Canadian Museum of Flight (2021). "Bell 47J Ranger". canadianflight.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
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  38. ^ "日本におけるベル47ヘリコプターの歴史". dansa.minim.ne.jp. Retrieved February 12, 2020.[permanent dead link]
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  40. ^ "Bell 47G-3B-1 Sioux". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  41. ^ "Bell 47 D-1". Norsk Luftfartsmuseum. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  42. ^ "What to see". Museo Aeronáutico de Málaga. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  43. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell-Agusta-Bell AB-47G-3B1, s/n HE.7B-31 EdA, c/n AB-1613, c/r EC-DZL". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  44. ^ "On the museum". ABBA The Museum. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  45. ^ Rolander, Niclas (May 2, 2013). "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!... An ABBA Museum in Stockholm". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  46. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell 47G-1, c/n 0689, c/r G-AVKS". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  47. ^ "The Collection [American]". The Helicopter Museum. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  48. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell47 / H-13 Sioux, c/n 1538, c/r G-AZYB". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  49. ^ "Bell 47B". American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  50. ^ "FAA REGISTRY [N5H]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  51. ^ "FAA REGISTRY [N3H]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  52. ^ "Aviation Photo #0716698". Airliners. Leaf Group Ltd. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
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  54. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell 47B, c/n 0036 (47B), c/r N116B". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  55. ^ "Aircraft on Display". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  56. ^ "FAA REGISTRY [N39KH]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  57. ^ a b Stevens, Jos. "Complete (Historical) Civil Rotorcraft Register of Argentina". Rotorspot. Jos Stevens. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  58. ^ Skaarup, Harold (2012). California Warplanes. iUniverse. p. 50. ISBN 9781475901450. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  59. ^ Meegan, Ken (June 8, 2014). "LV-AEF". Flickr. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  60. ^ "1948 Bell-47 helicopter in the Motion gallery at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville". www.atlantaphotos.com. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  61. ^ "FAA REGISTRY [N996B]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  62. ^ "Bell 47H". American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
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  64. ^ "Bell 47D-1 / H 13D". American Helicopter Museum & Education Center. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
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  69. ^ "African Grasslands, Wildlife Management Headquarters". African Grasslands. omahazoo.com. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  70. ^ "50 YEARS BELL 47 "SOLOY" of the Flying Bulls". The Flying Bulls. Archived from the original on December 12, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
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Bibliography

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  • Donald, David (1997). The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. NY, NY: Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
  • Elliot, Bryn (March–April 1997). "Bears in the Air: The US Air Police Perspective". Air Enthusiast. No. 68. pp. 46–51. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Elliott, Bryn (January–February 1999). "On the Beat: The First 60 Years of Britain's Air Police, Part One". Air Enthusiast (79): 68–75. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Elliott, Bryn (May–June 1999). "On the Beat: The First 60 Years of Britain's Air Police, Part Two". Air Enthusiast (81): 64–69. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Frawley, Gerard (2003). The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004. Fyshwick, ACT, Australia: Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-875671-58-7.
  • Jane, Fred T; Taylor, Michael John Haddrick (1989). Jane's encyclopedia of aviation. New York: Portland House. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.
  • Mutza, Wayne. H-13 Sioux Mini in Action. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-89747-345-0
  • McGowen, Stanley S. Helicopters: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Weapons and warfare series. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2005. ISBN 1-85109-468-7
  • Pelletier, Alain J (1992). Bell Aircraft since 1935. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-056-8.
  • "Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation". Air Enthusiast Quarterly (2): 154–162. n.d. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Riley, David (February 1958). "French Helicopter Operations in Algeria". Marine Corps Gazette. pp. 21–26.
  • Shrader, Charles R. (1999). The first helicopter war: logistics and mobility in Algeria, 1954–1962. Westport, CT: Praeger. ISBN 0-275-96388-8.
  • Spenser, Jay P. (1998). Whirlybirds a history of the U.S. helicopter pioneers. Seattle: University of Washington Press in association with Museum of Flight. ISBN 0-295-98058-3.
  • United States, Headquarters Department of the Army, Army Concept Team in Vietnam. Final Report of Essential Load of Scout Helicopters. Saigon, Vietnam: Army Concept Team in Vietnam, 1966.
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