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Bell Helicopters - Part III
Back to Part II
1970 : Bell 212 Twin-turbine Hueys ( UH-1N )
After the successful of the Models 204 / 205, Bell joined
Pratt & Whitney Canada for develop a twin engine derivative,
the result was the Model 212 Twin Two Twelve , soon
followed by the Model 214 that was a lengthened version (with single and twin engine) of the Bell 205.
In 1979 follows the Model 412 with a 4 blades main rotor
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1971 :
UTTAS program - Bell 240.
The proposal for the 1971 's US Army UTTAS program
( Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System ) for a new helicopter
to replace the Bell Huey.
Lost the competition against the
Sikorsky UH-60 BlackHawk
Sept. 10, 1971: Bell 309 King Cobra.
Because the US Army 's AAFSS ( Advanced Aerial Fire
Support System ) competition was cancelled ( See
Lockheed Cheyenne
) , Bell designed the model 309 King
Cobra as a company-funded project.
Only 2 units of the KingCobra were built but some of the improvements would be
applied to the following US Marines model: the AH-1T
1972 : Bell 214 Huey Plus / Big Lifter .
A "big 205", Was first developed for the Iranian Armed Forces
1974 :
Bell conmemorates the delivery of it 20000th helicopter
October 1, 1975 : Bell 409 (YAH-63)
Developed from the Model 309, two units were built for the
US Army AAH ( Advanced Attack Helicopter ) program.
Lost competition against the Hughes YAH-64
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1976 :
New Name :
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Also this year, the 2000th JetRanger roll out.
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1977 : Bell 222
America 's first commercial midsize twin-turbine helicopter
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1978 : Bell 214ST
A 19 place stretched version of the 214 with
twin General Electric CT7 turboshafts developing 1625 shp.
1979 : Bell 412
The four-bladed version of the Bell 212
1979 :
First sale of US helicopters to China, 8 Bell 212s
1980 :
The first trasatlantic LIGHT helicopter crossing is completed ( 5100 miles )
by german pilots Karl Wagner and Warner Roschlau in a LongRanger II
1981 :
Delivery of the 25000th helicopter, a 222.
Bell is selected as a contractor for the
ACAP
( US Army Advanced Composite Airframe program )
1982 : Bell 222B
1982 :
Bell join Boeing in the JVX program ( Joint Services Vertical
Lift Aircraft that will end in the V-22 Osprey.
New sale of 55 TH-57C advanced instrument trainers to the US Navy.
The XV-15 demostrates its capabilities during three days of navy trials
aboard the assault carrier
USS Tripoli.
Ross Perot Jr and Jay Coburn become the first pilots of an around the world
flight in the Spirit of Texas, a Bell JetRanger II.
The flight departed 9/1/82 and returned 9/30/82. It was 29 days, 3 hours, 8
minutes, 13 seconds. The average speed was 56.97 km/h.
Australian pilot Dick Smith departs from Bell in a JetRanger III to fly the first
solo flight around the world. ( 35.258 miles )
On August 9, Smith lands in the UK after making the
first solo helicopter crossing of the atlantic Ocean
Continue - Part IV
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