Ferranti Helicopters Agusta-Bell 206B JetRanger II G-AZZB (cn. 8327) at Farnborough in September 1974 (Photo: Keith C. Wilson courtesy of David Haines)
A Ferranti 206 wears the company's distinctive Dijon livery. The craft was purchased just weeks before this photo was taken (hence the missing Royal Mail cypher on the baggage door) but .. the crew at Gatwick had clearly set-about 'Ferrantifying' her as she already had the hand-sewn leather interior with high-back seats (rare for the early 70's) and which were supplied by Connolly Brothers of London.
In addition to custom leather seats, Ferranti 206's sported various interior trimmings. These appeared on the inside door panels and behind the two front seats and were typically made from Walnut (burr) and supplied by another London-based vendor, Mulliner Park Ward.
Ferranti 206's also sported white seat belts with chrome buckles and chocolate coloured woolen floor rugs. In terms of avionics each Ferranti 206 was equipped with VOR, Decca's DANAC 'moving map' system and, of course, Ferranti's own Stability Augmentation System (SAS) which, so I'm told, made the 206 a 'dream' to fly.
The aircraft were additionally among the first to wear a special blend of polyurethane paint (devised with the assistance of Agusta) and were finished with several layers of clear coating which gave the aircraft their super high gloss appearance. So much so that Bell Helicopter (in 1970-71) appealed to Ferranti to divulge the ingedients and process involved and which resulted in this becoming standard fayre for all US production 206's from the early to mid 70's onwards.
Schermuly flares were fitted to all Ferranti 206's for public transport flights at night. (Permissable in singles back then).