15-667: The Bell 207 Sioux Scout is a modified Bell 47 helicopter, developed by Bell Helicopter under contract from the United States Army , as a proof-of-concept demonstrator for the Bell D-255 helicopter gunship design, featuring a tandem cockpit , stub wings , and a chin-mounted gun turret . After several years of development, Bell displayed the mockup of its D-255 "Iroquois Warrior" to Army officials in June 1962, hoping to solicit funding for further development. The D-255
30-576: A gunsight and turret controls located in the center, so the flying controls were moved to the side of the front cockpit. The gunner controlled a chin-mounted gun turret with twin 7.62 mm (.308 in) M60 machine guns. The stub wings held external fuel tanks. First flown on 27 June 1963, the Bell 207 demonstrated improved manoeuvrability over the Bell 47/OH-13 , derived from the stub wings. A variety of different wings, cowlings and tail surfaces were tested on
45-430: A new forward fuselage and Bell 47G-3 dynamic parts fitted to a Bell 47J center and rear fuselage. The Sioux Scout included all the key features of a modern helicopter gunship – a tandem cockpit , stub wings for weapons, and a chin-mounted gun turret . The tandem cockpit placed the gunner in the lower front seat with the pilot in the rear, with both crew positions featuring flight controls. The gunner's position featured
60-583: 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
75-657: 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. The first civilian delivery was made on 31 December 1946 to Helicopter Air Transport . 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
90-520: The 207 before it was turned over to the Army pilots at Fort Benning , Georgia for further testing at the end of 1963. After evaluating the Sioux Scout in early 1964, the Army was impressed, but also felt the Sioux Scout was undersized, underpowered, and generally not suited for practical use. Later in 1964, the Army requested proposals for its Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS). Bell proposed
105-699: The D-262, a smaller version of the D-255, making better use of the T53 engine from the UH-1. However, the Bell D-262 was not selected as a finalist in the competition, which was won by the abortive Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne . Data from General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Bell 47 The Bell 47
120-572: 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 . 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. The Bell 47 entered US military service in late 1946, and operated in
135-1050: The Moon. The 47 has also served as the helicopter of choice for basic helicopter flight instruction in many countries. 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. Kawasaki KH-4 Japanese production version with redesigned, lengthened cabin, and redesigned control system 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. Data from International Directory of Civil Aircraft General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Fuel tank Too Many Requests If you report this error to
150-486: The United Kingdom. The Bell 47J Ranger is a modified version with a fully enclosed cabin and tail boom. 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
165-453: The full "soap bubble" canopy , 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
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#1732779716257180-710: 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 and 15 in the United Kingdom. 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
195-641: The problem overnight, the Telecopter made the world's first successful television news flight on July 4, 1958. 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
210-474: 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
225-556: Was planned to be a purpose-built attack helicopter based on the UH-1B airframe and dynamic components with a new, slender airframe and a two-seat, tandem cockpit, featuring a grenade launcher in a ball turret on the nose, a 20 mm belly-mounted gun pod, and stub wings for mounting rockets or SS.10 anti-tank missiles . A proof-of-concept contract was awarded to Bell in December 1962 for the Model 207 Sioux Scout, which was, in essence,
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