Aero-TV: Lawrence Bell's 47H -- The Original Businessman's Helicopter | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-10.06.25

AirborneNextGen-
10.07.25

Airborne-Unlimited-10.08.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-10.09.25

AirborneUnlimited-10.10.25

Wed, Sep 08, 2010

Aero-TV: Lawrence Bell's 47H -- The Original Businessman's Helicopter

An Attempt To Redefine The Business Rotorcraft

Preserving history is a tough gig... especially bits and pieces of it that comprise a fairly small part of it all. Such is the ultra-dedicated mission of the Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving the legacy of the man that created one of the iconic helicopter companies of the century.

Lawrence D. Bell devoted forty-four years to the aircraft industry. From a barefoot boy in Mentone, Indiana, the town of his birth, he became chairman of the board of one of the nation's foremost aircraft firms, Bell Aircraft Corporation. This firm produced such significant aviation contributions as the nation's first jet propelled airplane, the world's first commercial helicopter, the world's fastest and highest flying airplane, the Bell X-1A, and the first jet vertical take-off and landing plane.

ANN had the coveted chance to visit the museum during the annual PRA Convention and came away with some interesting stories. In this case; our attention is on one of the rarest early efforts of bell to not only build his company but build a market for helicopters as business transportation... the Bell 47H.

 The three-seat 47H offered an enclosed cabin, a full cowling and a monocoque tail boom -- making for a rakish and aerodynamic look in an attempt to offer a "luxury" version of the more basic 47G. Some 33 were known to have been produced.

The Bell 47H's enclosed cabin offered sound-proofing and 'car-size' leather seats and leather trim. Baggage was stored in a compartment in the tail boom. The Bell 47H was powered by a 200 hp Franklin 6V4-200-C32 six-cylinder piston engine.

FMI: www.bellhelicopter.com, http://bellaircraftmuseum.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.14.25): Severe Icing

Severe Icing The rate of ice accumulation is such that ice protection systems fail to remove the accumulation of ice and ice accumulates in locations not normally prone to icing, s>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (10.14.25)

“...The Airmen that work on the flight line can turn around to the shelf, grab the part, put it in the airplane, and now it’s going to perhaps be several more days befo>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.14.25)

Aero Linx: Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation (AASF) Welcome to the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation. The foundation was created to improve aviation safety in Alaska through educ>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Curtiss Jenny Build Wows AirVenture Crowds

From 2022 (YouTube Edition): Jenny, I’ve Got Your Number... Among the magnificent antique aircraft on display at EAA’s AirVenture 2022 was a 1918 Curtiss Jenny painstak>[...]

True Blue Power and Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics Power NBAA25 Coverage

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics and True Blue Power ANN's NBAA 2025 Coverage... Visit Them At Booth #3436 101 Aviation Nears STC Approval for Lithium Battery Upgrade on Gulf>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC