For those not averse to a bit of a read, I offer the following piece and would be immensely grateful if those with a better understanding of all things Bell would be interested in contributing any comments, corrections or informed opinions where appropriate.
Bell Helicopter: A Potted History
For thee decades Bell Helicopter created products which defined an industry and, in the process, established themselves as a dynamic manufacturer with a reputation for delivering reliable rotorcraft. By 1970, after the successful launch of the last of the 'Three Great Bells' sales of Bell products seemed unstoppable - Bell was at the top of the pile, was the name on everyone's lips and were an aviation force to be reckoned with. From these heady days emerged a renewed commitment to their XV-3 project and which effort took the form of the XV-15, a development which was to usher in a new breed of rotorcraft and take the helicopter further and faster than it had ever been before.
But, and with the exception of the aforementioned tilt-rotor endeavour, Bell's residence at the crest of rotary ingenuity and market dominance was to wane as the influence of the Three Great Bells gave way to the efforts of competitors and Bell, perhaps affronted by the 'audacity' of others to tread where they had once flown, found themselves in more pedestrian times and which seems to have lasted as long as their initially encountered success.
The Three Great Bells
Bell's legacy was built on their creation of three supremely successful designs, the Bell 47 (1946), the Bell 204 (1956) and the Bell 206 (1966). Each of these aircraft pioneered important aspects of early rotary-wing operations, each were commercial triumphs and each became icons of the industry.
47
"By the autumn of 1941, Arthur M Young had been testing helicopter scale-models on his farm in Pennsylvania for some thirteen years. After this period of research, many failures and his big breakthrough with the invention of the stabiliser bar, Young had perfected a design that would appeal to a manufacturer. Young's first attempts at interesting aircraft companies in his machine met with little enthusiasm until one of his friends visited Bell's factory. This led to an appointment for a demonstration on 3 September, 1941. Larry Bell and Arthur Young reached an agreement in due course and, on 24 November, 1941, Young and his assistant, Bart Kelley, arrived at Bell to supervise the initial building of two prototypes as specified in the contract. On 23 June, 1942, Young and his team (some fifteen people) were installed in an old Chrysler agency and garage in Gardenville, a suburb of Buffalo. Dave Forman was assigned to supervise the project."
The result of the Young-Bell alliance was that Bell agreed to fund the production of a number of full-scale prototypes (designated the Bell 30) the first of which NX41860 had an open cockpit, an enclosed fuselage and a fixed three-wheel landing gear. The craft was powered by a 178hp Franklin piston engine which drove a two-bladed main rotor and a two-bladed (anti-torque) tail rotor. It was only the third helicopter to fly in America.
The Bell 30 during a test flight and from which the Model 47 was to emerge
From the Bell 30 emerged the model 47 which was certified on 8th March 1946 and went on to become the world's first commercially successful helicopter. By the end of the year Bell had delivered its first examples of the 'YR-13 [later H-13] Sioux' to the US Army and from there the model 47 went on to achieve worldwide popularity with close to 6,000 examples being produced. Among the 47's numerous achievements were an altitude record of 18,550 ft, the first flight of a helicopter over the Alps and non-stop distance record of 1,217 miles between Hurst, Texas to Buffalo, New York.
Bell's refinement of the original Model 30 into what became the 47 was to reveal one of their key traits - namely their ability to apply often substantial improvements to tested designs and which process resulted in the development of highly capable products. This technical 'morphing' resulted in some 18 variations of the Bell 47 as well as the larger 47J Ranger.
204
A full decade after the certification of the 47 the Bell 204 was to make its maiden flight on 22nd October 1956. The model 204 had been developed in response to a US Army requirement published the previous year for a casevac and utility helicopter. The 204 was, much like its predecessor, of ground breaking design this time offering substantially greater performance over the model 47 Ranger (its closest relative) thanks largely to its 'revolutionary' Lycoming turboshaft engine.
"The US Army's first order was for three prototypes for testing, under the designation XH-40, the type having the H-40 designation allocated to it at that time to identify it in the USAF helicopter category. The first of these prototypes made its first flight on 22 October 1956, and these were used by Bell for their test program. Just before the first flight, six examples of the pre-production YH-40 were ordered by the USAF, all being delivered by August 1958. One remained with Bell, but the remainder were distributed one each to Eglin AFB and Edwards AFB, and three to Fort Rucker, for trials. Duly ordered into production, nine of the definitive pre-production HU-1A were delivered on 30 June 1959, and were followed into service by 74 production examples, of which 14 went to the Army Aviation School at San Diego. The latter aircraft had dual controls and were used as instrument trainers. First major use overseas was with the 55th Aviation Company in Korea, and HU-1As were among the first US Army helicopters to operate in Vietnam."
The XH-40, later to become the 'Huey' makes its maiden flight on 22nd October 1956
The 'Huey' as it was to become known (derived from the 204's original 'HU-1' military designation) did not fail to benefit from Bell's morphing process from which numerous variants were developed including the larger 205 series. The type became synonymous with the Vietnam War, was embraced as an icon of the military helicopter and debuted Bell's trademark 'whop' - the distinctive sound created by the Huey's two-bladed rotor.
The Huey's success was almost unfathomable with the type becoming the the light/medium utility workhorse of the industry resulting in the production (all variants) of more than 16,000 units. Bell had arrived.
206
While busy churning-out Hueys by the hundred, Bell received another request from the US Army, this time for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). The requirement was fielded among a string of manufacturers including Bell, Hiller and Hughes who were the final three contestants. Bell's proposal, the D-250, was endorsed (along with Hiller's) at the design phase but failed to make the grade when it came to the 'fly off' which took place between Bell's redesignated entrant the YOH-4A, Fairchild-Hiller's YOH-5A and Hughes Aircraft's YOH-6A.
L-R: Bell's 'Ugly Duckling' YOH-4, Hiller's YOH-5 and Hughes Aircraft's YOH-6A lined up at the US Army Camp, Fort Hunter Liggett. In the foreground are the members of 'Task Force Whirlwind' the group who were responsible for evaluating each of the LOH contestants. Photo taken on 18th May 1964
Bell's response to this failure was to apply their now well-honed morphing skills to the YOH-4 prototype in an attempt to develop a product for the civilian market. Less than a year after their failure at the LOH trials Bell had transformed their 'Ugly Duckling' into the sleeker all-new model 206 which made its maiden flight on 10th January 1966. It was to become one of the most successful civilian helicopters ever produced with over 7,000 examples delivered and a fleet time in excess of 50 million hours. Bell had arrived - again.
The End of an Era
It was at the apex of their ride of glory (from the late 60's to the mid-to-late-70's) that Bell made some questionable choices the results of which were to unravel their well woven success.
With endless Huey's continuing to roll out of the factory for defence forces the world over and with 206's filling the skies with profusion, Bell's confidence was bulging at the seams and it was little wonder therefore that the company which was now such a rotary-wing force began targeting the heavier market which had largely been served by Bell's kinsman rival, Sikorksy.
214ST
But it was this ambition, in the form of the 214ST, which was to herald the beginning of a series of Bell-blunders relating to the civilian market from which I sometimes wonder if they ever recovered. The 214ST, though aimed at the offshore and heavier utility markets, was spawned by a funded requirement from the Iranian government which, once jeopardised, forced Bell to reconsider the 214ST's future. It was at this point that Bell, in my view, could have looked more closely at the difference in demand between their original customer's requirements and the markets they now intended to penetrate, and which they did, but - it was in their analysis that I tend to believe they may have misjudged the market.
"The 214ST was originally designed specifically for production in Iran with development funded by the Iranian Imperial government. An interim prototype was built by Bell in 1977, introducing two 1,625 shp General Electric CT7 engines and incorporating a stretched and widened fuselage. Construction of three definitive ST prototypes began in 1978 but the fall of the Shah in 1979 forced Bell to rethink the original military transport plan, and to re-launch the aircraft with their own funding as a 7,938kg gross weight commercial helicopter produced at Fort Worth."
Bell's devotion to their two-bladed recipe was a hindrance which may well have cost the 214ST its success in that while the type also suffered from non-rotor-related issues the perception among many was that the retention of the two-bladed format sought to borrow credibility from the goodwill earned by the undisputed performance of the 214ST's hardworking smaller sister, the Huey. The two-bladed format had reached its zenith and there was curiosity as to where Bell would go next ... a 30 seat two-blader perhaps?
As it was the 214ST had a blade chord to rival the Chinook and designers knew that with a growth in AUW there was always going to be a problem (in terms of dynamic loads) from trying to swing around two massively heavy paddles as opposed to several smaller (and crucially lighter) ones. The result was that the 214ST was Bell's first substantial commercial failure.
Stirrings Across the Atlantic
By the mid-70's, abundantly aware of Bell's resounding success with the 206, Aérospatiale were working on their answer to the JetRanger, the Ecureuil, which first flew on 26th June 1974. At the same time Bell was developing the 206L LongRanger which, as with her smaller sister, would prove to be a success - but the launch of the Ecureuil had sounded the death knell for the JetRanger even if it was to take the better part of two decades to achieve.
Speculation suggests that Bell's response to the Ecureuil was one of confidence (some suggest complacency) based on their belief in the 'superior' qualities of the LongRanger (with its 'Nodamatic' suspension) combined with the faithful subscription of satisfied Bell customers to the 206 series. Perhaps it was hard in those mid-to-late-70's, with 206 orders pouring in by the day, to perceive that this French manifestation possessed the potential to eradicate the 206's seemingly endless appeal?
A Hand on the Tiller
Protective of the immense success of its Huey product Bell did however display adamancy in sustaining this marque at the fore of her field. Two crucial developments kept the Huey alive; firstly, and hot on the heels of the launch of the 206, was the release of a twin variant, the 212, in response to a Canadian Armed Forces requirement and which development enabled Bell to successfully compete among sections of the offshore market. The second development was Bell's perception in recognising the benefits of replacing the two-bladed rotor with something more efficient and which resulted in the 412. Together these initiatives would see the Huey fly into the 21st century thus securing its place as the world's most popular helicopter.
222
For me personally one of the more surprising responses to one of Bell's developments was the 222. In my mind the 222 should have been a resounding success fed by Bell's legion of satisfied single-engine clients but, as we know, this was not to be.
"The first of five prototypes of the Model 222, described as the first commercial light twin-engined helicopter to be built in the USA, flew for the first time on 13 August 1976. FAA certification for a Model 222 in preproduction configuration was received on 16 August 1979. The production 222 received approval for VFR operation on 20 December, and the first delivery, to Petroleum Helicopters Inc, was made on 16 January 1980. FAA certification for single-pilot IFR operations in Category I weather conditions was granted on 15 May 1980. A Model 222 delivered to Omniflight Helicopters on 18 January 1981 was the 25,000th Bell helicopter built. Another became a flying testbed for Bell's Model 680 rotor system. Production ceased in 1989."
The 222's launch to market (1980) was perfectly timed, intentional or otherwise, in that the progression towards twins in the corporate world was underway and many of those preparing to upgrade were Bell customers. The 222 provided a viable contrast to the Agusta 109 and an alternative for those wanting something smaller than an S76. But, the craft was let down by the initially poor performance its Lycoming engines and by generally high maintenance costs including those relating to the Nodal suspension system.
The failure of the 222 made it easier for Aérospatiale's 355 model to flourish and provided impetus to the ongoing refinement of Agusta's 109 series. In the process Bell lost out on a formidable slice of an important market, a market they had dominated for over a decade.
Anomalies
If the 214ST and 222 did not classify as anomalies, the former reaching only 100 units of production and the latter 240, then the 206LT TwinRanger certainly was with just 13 examples delivered between 1994 and 1997 and one can be forgiven for wondering where Bell's strategy and marketing team had gone when this (and other) projects were tabled!
In a similar vein, and in more recent times, one might question the viability of the 427 and whether the sales achieved warranted the expenditure invested and then there were those which never reached production including the 400 TwinRanager and the militarised TexasRanger.
In the End
Bell was a company which literally changed the way people flew. Like many, I grew up surrounded by Bells, was taught on Bells and went on to fly Bells during my stint as a professional pilot. They were reliable, practical aircraft. Bell's products were used across three decades to pioneer almost every form of helicopter operation and have flown from the frozen seas of Antarctica to the dusty deserts of the Sahara and just about everywhere in between.
Bell have sustained themselves with defence contracts, with their brave tilt-rotor technology and in supporting their impressive global population but their presence within those sections of the civilian market they once dominated has been steadily diminishing. Given the success of the 206 series its seems incredulous that Bell were unable to capture the light-twin market and one can only sympathise with their efforts in the shape of the 222, TwinRanger and 427. Perhaps the 429 will triumph where its predecessors failed?
Bell were also unable to penetrate the heavy market relying on their 'get out of jail' card, the trusty Huey (in the form of the 412) to represent them in the medium sector and the 407 to run against the Ecureuil in the single market. When the BA139 emerged I thought "well done" - the type seemed a natural successor to the Huey/412 .. but then Bell pulled-out of the project.
These days Bell are talking more about their commitment to the civilian market but, and especially in the light-twin market, they find themselves doing so from the outside looking in - a predicament few of us would have perceived possible in the 70's.
With European manufacturers having refined their skills and offering a comprehensive array of capable products Bell will find it harder than ever to reassert their influence in the civilian market but, a good (reliable, capable and economic) or revolutionary product will always create a market for itself. The question remains .. will Bell once again create such a product for the civilian market?
Sav