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BELL HELICOPTER Bell Helicopter Company, originally a division of Bell Aircraft,
became a branch of Textron Inc. in 1960 and a
fully-integrated subsidiary in January 1982. Bell Helicopter
Textron Inc. is its current name; Bell has produced
well over 33,000 helicopters. In 1986
commercial/civil helicopter production moved to Canada
(see Bell Helicopter Textron Canada). Came to an agreement
with Historically, Bell was responsible for design and construction of the Model 47, the first helicopter to receive Approved Type Certificate from the U.S. Civil Aviation Authority (on March 8,1946), and which remained in production for more than 25 years. Later helicopters of particular importance included the UH-1 Iroquois (Model 204) military utility helicopter (first flown October 1956), and the world's first purpose-designed tandem two-seat attack helicopter, the Model 209 (military AH-1 HueyCobra), first flown September 1965 and operated by the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1967. Production of HueyCobra in the U.S.A. has ended, but Fuji in Japan is still producing examples in the modern AH-1S version. Current Bell programs include remanufacture of 180 AH-1W SuperCobras and 100 UH-1Ns of U.S. Marine Corps into AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys respectively under the H-1 Program, with upgrades common to both helicopter types including the installaton of General Electric T700 engines, four-blade composite hingless and bearingless rotors, and much more besides; upgrade and life-extension of UH-1Hs of other forces to UH-1H-II or Huey II standard (joint Bell and AlliedSignal program) by installation of AlliedSignal T53-L-703 turboshaft engine plus airframe improvements; production of the twin-turboshaft AH-1W SuperCobra for the U.S. Marine Corps (introduced 1986); and upgrade of 411 U.S. Army 0H- 58 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters to OH-58D Kiowa Warrior armed configuration (also for Taiwan). Also development and production of the BA 609, a civil 10/11-seat tiltrotor transport (to fly 1999; production in association with Agusta of Italy, after Boeing's share in the program was passed to Bell), and participation in the very important Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military tiltrotor program (first flown March 1989) to provide the U.S. forces with a vertical-lift transport and multipurpose aircraft capable also of strike, rescue, amphibious combat assault, and anti-submarine work.RON INC. |
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| USA |
Bell Helicopter Company, originally a division of Bell Aircraft,
became a branch of Textron Inc. in 1960 and a
fully-integrated subsidiary in January 1982. Bell Helicopter
Textron Inc. is its current name; Bell has produced
well over 33,000 helicopters. In 1986
commercial/civil helicopter production moved to Canada
(see Bell Helicopter Textron Canada). Came to an agreement
with
Historically, Bell was responsible for design and construction
of the Model 47, the first helicopter to receive
Approved Type Certificate from the U.S. Civil Aviation
Authority (on March 8,1946), and which remained in
production for more than 25 years. Later helicopters of
particular importance included the UH-1 Iroquois (Model
204) military utility helicopter (first flown October 1956),
and the world's first purpose-designed tandem two-seat
attack helicopter, the Model 209 (military AH-1
HueyCobra), first flown September 1965 and operated
by the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1967. Production of
HueyCobra in the U.S.A. has ended, but Fuji in Japan
is still producing examples in the modern AH-1S version.
Current Bell programs include remanufacture of 180
AH-1W SuperCobras and 100 UH-1Ns of U.S. Marine
Corps into AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys respectively under the
H-1 Program, with upgrades common to both helicopter
types including the installaton of General Electric T700
engines, four-blade composite hingless and bearingless
rotors, and much more besides; upgrade and life-extension
of UH-1Hs of other forces to UH-1H-II or Huey II
standard (joint Bell and AlliedSignal program) by installation
of AlliedSignal T53-L-703 turboshaft engine plus airframe improvements; production of the twin-turboshaft
AH-1W SuperCobra for the U.S. Marine Corps
(introduced 1986); and upgrade of 411 U.S. Army 0H-
58 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters to OH-58D Kiowa
Warrior armed configuration (also for Taiwan). Also
development and production of the BA 609, a civil
10/11-seat tiltrotor transport (to fly 1999; production
in association with Agusta of Italy, after Boeing's share
in the program was passed to Bell), and participation
in the very important Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military
tiltrotor program (first flown March 1989) to provide
the U.S. forces with a vertical-lift transport and multipurpose
aircraft capable also of strike, rescue, amphibious
combat assault, and anti-submarine work.
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 All the World's Rotorcraft |
