On the previous page we touched upon the origins of the 206 and it seemed only right therefore to give this a little more treatment.
The Bell 206: From Ugly Duckling to Sleek Cygnet
For two decades the Bell 206 JetRanger headlined civilian helicopter sales around the globe and flew in every environment from the Sahara Desert to Antarctica and was employed in (and in many cases pioneered) a diversity of operations .. anything and everything from magnetic surveys to fighting fires.
Here's a summary of the 206's development timeline:
Early Spring 1965: Bell is conscious that its contestant for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter contract (LOH) is not the favourite and begins considering 'alternatives' for the YOH-4 in the event that it is not selected.
May 1965: The Hughes OH-6 is selected as winner of the US Army's LOH contract.
May 1965: Bell hire's industrial designer Charles Butler to give the YOH-4 a complete make-over. Butler designs what is now the 206.
July 1965: Construction begins on the first Bell 206 prototype, s/n 001 N8560F
Fall 1965: Bell President Edwin Ducayet names the 206 .. the "JetRanger"
Fall 1965: Bell signs an agreement with
Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta SpA (aka Agusta) to manufacture and distribute the 206 in Europe.
12th October 1965: A full-scale mock-up of the JetRanger is presented at America's NBAA meeting. At this meeting Bell receives its first orders for the 206.
10th January 1966: The 206 prototype s/n 001 N8560F makes it first test flight.
23rd January 1966: The 206 is exhibited at Helicopter Association of America convention in Arlington Texas. More orders for the type are received.
February 1966: Construction begins on prototypes s/n 002 N8590F and s/n 003 N1300X
20th October 1966: The Bell 206A JetRanger receives FAA type certification.
November 1966: One of Bell's JetRanger prototypes is shipped to Italy and conducts demonstration/publicity flights in Milan and Rome with Bell pilot Joe Mashmann. European orders are received.
13th January 1967: Bell delivers its first JetRanger to customer Harry Holly, President of Hollymatic Corporation of Illinois.
February 1967: JetRanger s/n 006 is sent to Agusta to serve as a European demonstrator.
March 1967: Agusta delivers the UK's first JetRanger c/n 8004 to Bristow Helicopters G-AVIG. Two additional JetRangers are delivered at the same time (also to Bristow): c/n 8007 G-AVIH and c/n 8011 G-AVII.
July 1967: Agusta delivers the UK's fourth JetRanger (and the first non-Bristow 206 in the UK) c/n 8008 G-AVSN to Ferranti Helicopters.
(Well I had to put that in!) 
The JetRanger's origins .. the Bell D-250 YOH-4 developed as a contestant for the US Army's Light Observation Helicopter contract which in May 1965 was awarded to the Hughes Aircraft Company. The failure of the YOH-4 is what gave birth to the development of the JetRanger
During the evaluation between the final three contenders for the LOH contract, the US Army nicknamed Bell's YOH-4 entrant the 'Ugly Duckling' .. citing that it was the worst looking of the three contenders.
After doing his 'magic' .. Charles Butler's re-worked version of Bell's D-250 looked like this ..
Full-scale mock-up of the 206 as presented at the NBAA meeting on 12th October 1965 (Note the drop-down baggage door)
In November 1966 Bell sent one of their prototypes (there were three) along with their pilot Joe Mashmann here to Milan where the aircraft was demonstrated to various prospective customers ..
Bell 206 prototype s/n 001 N8560F
Bell 206 prototype s/n 002 N8590F (Spring 1966)
Bell 206 prototype s/n 003 N1300X (Note the 206's very first cargo sling)
Upon returning to the UK my godfather showed Sebastian de Ferranti the publicity material distributed by Bell.
Bell Helicopter publicity on the JetRanger as made available in Milan and Rome in November 1966
Related Posts:
JetRanger Origins
Bell Helicopter: A Potted History