Bell Aircraft Corporation Model 47H “Bellairus”

Bell Aircraft Corporation, founded by Lawrence Bell in 1935, is famous for being the manufacturer of the P-59 which was America's first jet airplane and the X-1 for being the world's first super-sonic plane. With the development of the Bell 47 their reputation for helicopter manufacture soon began to rival their status as a builder of conventional aircraft and in 1951 created a separate helicopter division headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1960 the Bell Helicopter Corporation was purchased by Textron, of which it is still a major subsidiary. For many years pioneers like Floyd Carlson, Joe Mashman, Arthur Young and Dick Stansbury developed their early helicopters in a disused car dealership in Buffalo, New York. By May 1946 they concluded flight tests in NC-1H, an early Model 47, which was to be the first helicopter permitted under US Federal Licence to carry passengers for "hire and reward" commercially. The Bell 47 went on to become the world’s first practical helicopter in both commercial and military roles. The most well-known use of Bell 47s came during the Korean War when the helicopters were used by the United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, MASH, to evacuate wounded soldiers. By the time production stopped in 1973 over 6,000 Bell 47s had been produced and many are still in use across the world. Today a Bell 47 hangs in the entrance to the Architecture and Design wing of New York's Museum of Modern Art. Larry Bell himself commissioned the development of the Model 47H, also know as Bellairus, which remained his personal favourite of all the many variants produced. The three-seater Bell 47H was the deluxe version of the Model 47G having an enclosed sound-proofed cabin with car-size leather seats and leather trim. The baggage could be accommodated in a compartment in the monocoque tail boom. However, the initial purchase price and ongoing maintenance meant it was too expensive for its target market; the affluent American family. It was not a commercial success and only 33 were ever built. The model presented here is a 1/9th scale replica of the Bell 47H. There are no commercially available kits of this model so many components have been scratch built after a considerable amount of research and development. The chassis is based upon a custom made set of carbon frames designed around the popular .30 class two stoke motors and 55cm main blades. The canopy and dummy saddle tanks are made of fibreglass while the tail fairing is vac formed out of styrene to keep weight to a minimum. Interesting features to note include the intricate and strong undercarriage and the kicked up tail boom which is characteristic on all Bell 47s. Further information about the development of this radio controlled model can be found at www.nicherotors.com.

Model details :Carbon main blades : NHP Scale : 1/9Rotor head : Quick UK Gear ratio : 9.625:1:5.5Engine : OS .32 Dry weight : 3.6KgRadio : Futaba

Loaded Weight: 2,350 lbs.

Empty Weight: 1,502 lbs.

Length: 41 ft., 5 in.

Height: 9 ft., 3 in.

Max Speed: 100 mph

Engine: 1 x 200 shp Franklin 6V4-200 C32

Main Rotor: 35 ft., 1 in.

First Flight: 1954

Colour scheme of prototype

The first helicopter to be approved for civilian use: NC-1H a 47B

Larry inspecting the inside of a 47H

Bell Aircraft Corporation Model 47H “Bellairus”