From an information panel on site:
The Model 47, developed in 1945 by the Bell Helicopter Corp. of Fort-Worth, Texas, became the first commercially licenced helicopter in the United-States. It remained in production for a record three decades and was perhaps the most important small helicopter ever to be produced. It appeared in many modified and updated versions in the United-States and the 47G variant was also manufactured in Italy, the U.K. and Japan. Altogether, about 6,439 of the many versions of the Model 47 were made by Bell and its licensees.
The Model 47 was usually a three-seater but, according to the version, could carry between two and four people. It entered civil, military and naval service in many countries and some still continue in active use. It was during the Korean War that the military potential of the helicopter became apparent. The U.S. Army's first shipment of medical evacuation helicopters to Korea were Bell 47s that had been fitted with stretcher panniers attached to the landing gear. They were assigned to MASH units (for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) in mid-December 1950 and proved invaluable in the swift evacuation of the wounded, who had previously been forced to endure arduous journeys over difficult terrain.
Despite its success in Korea and its military service in many countries, the Bell 47 is best known as a civil helicopter. It was involved in the full range of activities carried out by light helicopters, including training, surveying, agricultural spraying, light transport, ambulance duties, rescue work and police patrol. In Canada, it was tested in the traditional role of the bush plane: forestry, crop spraying, and supplying isolated exploration camps.
The Royal Canadian Navy accepted three 47D-1s in August 1951, the first helicopters to be operated by the Navy. The Bell 47D was the version that introduced the plastic bubble canopy now characteristic of the helicopter. The Museum's machine, a 47G, joined the three already in service in June 1955. It served with helicopter Squadron HU-21 based with HMCS Shearwater at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. During its naval career it carried out a variety of duties, including service on patrol ships and survey work along the coasts and in the Arctic. It was acquired by the Museum in 1966.
The following is from the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum's Website:
Highlights:
An American single-rotor utility and training helicopter designed and built by Bell Aircraft Corporation/Bell Helicopter Company from 1945 to 1973
First helicopter certified for civil use and first commercial helicopter to go into service
More than 6,400 were produced by Bell and its licensees around the world
Employed in Canada as early as 1947 by Canada's Photographic Survey Corporation and Carl Agar's Okanagan Air Service
Widely used by U.S. Army in Korean War as H-13 Sioux; featured in M*A*S*H (the film and television series)
Became the first helicopter operated by the Royal Canadian Navy, in August 1951
First flight was in 1945 (Bell 47)
Artifact no.:
1967.0641
Manufacturer:
Bell Aircraft Corporation
Manufacturer Location:
United States
Manufacture Date:
1955
Registration no.:
1387 (RCN)
Acquisition Date:
1966
History:
In 1946, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter to be licensed for civil operation. In January 1947 it was the first commercial helicopter to be delivered to an operator. Production for civil and military use continued until 1973. The Bell Model 47 performed light helicopter roles such as training, surveying, spraying, transport, search and rescue, and police patrol. It is probably the most successful helicopter ever built, with many still in use until the early 1990s.
The crew sits side-by-side under a large clear-vision bubble at the front of the aircraft. Because these bubbles were “free-blown” no standard shape resulted. The differing bubble-shapes sometimes caused flying characteristics to vary slightly among aircraft. For search and rescue, the HTL-6 was fitted with two external wire-mesh stretcher carriers.
Current Location:
Helicopters Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Transfer from RCN
This HTL-6 helicopter was manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas in 1955, and began service with the Royal Canadian Navy in June of that year. It served with Royal Canadian Navy helicopter squadron HU-21 at the land base HMCS Shearwater in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where it performed pilot training and utility operations for the fleet. It later served on the icebreaker HMCS Labrador, which carried out resupply, survey and ice-breaking functions in the Canadian Arctic. It was transferred to the Museum in October 1966.
Technical Information:
Rotor diameter 10.7 m (35 ft 1 1/2 in)
Length 12.6 m (41 ft 2 1/2 in)
Height 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Weight, Empty 626 kg (1,380 lb)
Weight, Gross 1,066 kg (2,350 lb)
Cruising Speed 124 km/h (77 mph)
Max Speed 145 km/h (90 mph)
Rate of Climb 244m (800 ft) /min
Service Ceiling 3,322 m (10,900 ft)
Range 346 km (215 mi)
Crew two (wartime)
Power Plant one Franklin 6V4-200-C32, 200 hp horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine
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