@ Niagara Falls, NY
August 2018
This restored Bell 47H-1, the personal helicopter of Bell president Larry Bell, is on display at the Niagara Aerospace Museum. He used this for personal transport to and from the Bell factory in Buffalo, NY (note the LDB monogram on the door). Bell created the Model 47H, incorporating streamlined design to improve efficiency, targeting the market for executive transport helicopters. Per the sales materials “Here was the first commercial helicopter designed to provide passenger comfort comparable to that of commercial airlines. Automobile-width seat, ample leg room with footrest, and cabin soundproofing were featured. Streamlining of the tail boom, contoured fuel tanks, cabin and curved skid gear, plus hydraulic boost control, synchronized elevator, metal tail rotor blades and Bell’s proven semi-rigid rotor system combined to produce a helicopter with exceptional stability and flight handling characteristics.” The Bell 47H-1 prototype was completed in July 1954 (the Bellairus name did not last long) and only 33 47H-1s were ever built, with production lasting from 1954 to 1956.
