Bell 206 retractable gear: info please [Archive]

Earl of Rochester

25th Aug 2010, 08:42

- Unstable Load!

There are doubtless other PPRuNers who shall be able to respond more authoratitively to this question but, during the hey day of the 206 (around the early 80's) Bell toyed with the prospect of fitting retractable undercarriage to this model.

As far as I know only one experimental version was adapted in this way (with fully retractable gear) and there may have been a second offering a tricycle undercarriage although I am not entirely sure about the latter.

Needless to say, neither the tricycle or retractable options went into production. The rationale in the industry at the time (from observers) was that it was an attempt by Bell to boost 206 sales which were feeling the impact of the AS350B.

Rgds

Earl

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Bell_209.jpg/220px-Bell_209.jpg

Not quite the same but retractable nonetheless!
Experimental Bell 209 AH-1

Nige321

25th Aug 2010, 09:41

Unstable - can you post the pic?

There was a 47 with wings...:ok:

http://www.aerofiles.com/bell-47g2a1.jpg

Nige321

30th Aug 2010, 10:14

Many thanks to Unstable Load for sending this pic through...

Is it real?
Any info??

http://www.modeltek.com/206Wheels.JPG

FH1100 Pilot

30th Aug 2010, 12:23

If I'm not mistaken, that 206B with wheels was something National Helicopter of Los Angeles, US did. At least, it's on their website:

National Photos (http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/natLfotos.html)

http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/imgs/10LFRetractablegear1.gif

Darkhorse30

30th Aug 2010, 12:27

Global Helicopter Technology, Inc. designed tricycle gear for the Bell 412 and 206 back in the early 90's. Neither design was put into production and sold. In some way Clint Eastwood was involved in the retractable geared 206. Nothing came of it either.

Senior Pilot

30th Aug 2010, 12:52

National also came up with this (http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/Npicture24.html) retractable gear :eek:

http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/imgs/642Circlevision.gif

4 foot high retractable skid gear National designed and flew for use with the circlevision camera system developed by Disney. This is the film you see at Disneyland that in which you are surrounded by the image. The need for the retractable gear was due to the fact that the original camera system was mounted to the cargo hook and was jettisonable. That precluded us from flying over populated areas, these gear would retract out of the way of the lenses, and would allow us to land anywhere in case of an emergency.

http://www.nationalhelicopter.com/imgs/296_Ret_Skid2.gif

fly911

30th Aug 2010, 13:09

Hmmmm.... Don't know if I would want to do a run-on landing with that CG.

Saint Jack

30th Aug 2010, 13:37

The photograph of the wheeled Jetranger in Post #4 shows a decidedly non-Bell paint scheme so it's unlikely that this unique modification had any Bell sanction or input.

Also, Darkhorse30 in Post #6 refers to a Bell 412 tricycle gear modification by Global Helicopter Technology, Inc. I always thought that was by Parker Hannefin, or was there more than one company attempting this?

Darkhorse30

30th Aug 2010, 14:51

Parker Hanifin had Global do the design, test, and fabrication of the test article for the 412. We were on contract to them. I don't know if they ever went into production. The 206 gear was built, flown, but not Certified. This was a fixed gear, not a re-tractable.

FH1100 Pilot

30th Aug 2010, 16:13

The 206 in pic #4 certainly looks like it has retractable gear - there are gear doors!

fly911

30th Aug 2010, 20:28

This came off a Bell promo video on youtube. N412VS. Not retractable though.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q140/fly911/N412VS.jpg

GrnThg6UjQc

Encyclo

30th Aug 2010, 20:49

In the aerly 1990s HDM bought about 10 Bell 412HPs and most were delivered on fixed wheel gear. Even the Pope Mobile (412 in Poland used by the Pope at one point) was on wheel gear.

From the guys that flew it, the fixed gear ground handling was good (read stable) as it did not have the tendancy of hydraulic gear to settle in tight turns causing the aircraft to lean out of the turn.

Saint Jack

31st Aug 2010, 09:05

Ah yes, the 'Pope Mobile'. The last time I came across this particular machine was in Taiwan back in February 1999. The historical records of Bell 412SP, S/N 33179 then registered locally as B-55521 and operated by Daily Air Corporation, clearly stated that the helicopter was previously equipped with wheeled landing gear and an airstair door manufactured by Premier Aviation. Both the Daily Air personnel and the BHT CSR confirmed it was used to fly His Holiness - when he was in the US. In the furthest reaches of my mind I do recall seeing a photograph of John Paul II boarding this helicopter via an air stair door whilst waving to the assembled crowd.

Therefore after reading Encyclo's post above, in which he states "...bought about 10 Bell 412HPs and most were delivered on fixed wheel gear. Even the Pope Mobile (412 in Poland used by the Pope at one point) was on wheel gear...." suggests there was more than one fixed wheeled 412 'Pope Mobile', anyone got any ideas?

Encyclo

31st Aug 2010, 12:04

One of the first Bell 412 to use wheel gear was Sun Company's.

The aircraft was lost in a tragic "landing gear" related accident over Pennsylvania in April 1991 ASN Aircraft accident 04-APR-1991 Bell 412SP N78S (http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=42636)The Bell 412 crew offered to verify if an Aerostar's gear was down & locked when both made contact :sad:

fly911

31st Aug 2010, 13:54

If I remember correctly, Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz, a pilot himself was aboard, although not flying the Aerostar at the time.

Flagelpater

27th Oct 2010, 15:08

The helicopter was lost as reported but the landing gear configuration was Skids at the time of the accident. Sun used the Wheeled Landing Gear for a few months on a trial basis. Normal operation only. The gear performed very well. As a side note, after the gear was returned to Bell it was discovered that the Aft Crosstube was installed backwards by the manurfactor. This may have affected performance for a high speed run-on landing Sun Co. Inc. only performed Normal Operations, No Experimental Operations.

John Eacott

24th Mar 2017, 09:58

The things that surface on the internet!

Back in The Days (1970s) not all operations had access to cranes to lift the 206 for a change from skids to bags or vice versa. Apparently the odd circuit was done to check Vne, which was easily reached ;)

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/8093-1/Okanagan+206+gear+change.jpg

albatross

24th Mar 2017, 16:43

Nubian

24th Mar 2017, 17:42

Yes you could reach VNE no problems. (or so I have heard LOL)

Now, spill the beans Albatross...;)

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 05:06

C-FAHX (originally Associated Heli) was one of the very first Sperry 212's. She lived in the Beaufort Sea for many years under OKie colours. When this was taken she was on contract to Imperial Oil.

We had switched to skids to sling an OKie 206 from the Firth River to YEV after an engine failure.

Problem was, when we got back to YEV no crane was available, so, .... good old Canadian ingenuity.

We cleverly put a barrel of fuel in the right two man to level her out. What we forgot to do was ground her. Many sparks when the cross tube brackets connected with the saddles.

Crew chief was Guy Murrison and meself was flying.

And yes, I did a (very fast) circuit.

John Eacott

25th Mar 2017, 05:13

oleary, that must have taken some co-ordination to get the crosstubes in place: and how fast was 'fast'? ;)

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/8096-2/Okanagan+212+gear+change.jpg

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 05:21

oleary, that must have taken some co-ordination to get the crosstubes in place: and how fast was 'fast'? ;)

Actually, it was surprisingly easy. Obviously the sling mirror wouldn't do it so we put a guy out front where I could see him to give me directions.

How fast was "fast"? Harold Baba didn't need to know. ;)

Outwest

25th Mar 2017, 05:41

I see you say "one of" the very first Sperry 212's. I was always under impression that Bow had THE very first Sperry 212.

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 05:57

I see you say "one of" the very first Sperry 212's. I was always under impression that Bow had THE very first Sperry 212.

Right you are, mate, C-FBHF.

When Okie bought Bow we inherited 4 x 212's. BHF (full Sperry), BHX (full Sperry), BHJ (Sperry but no FD) and BH(?) wrecked at Naskusp on a power line job before we got her.

Sadly, Fred and Jimmy smoked BHX on a night approach to Imperial Oil's Rig 3 NW of Tuk in about '83.

I have MANY hours in both of the HX's.

dusk2dawn

25th Mar 2017, 09:36

Excuse my ignorance: if it wasn't Sperry what else would it be?
And "full" Sperry is with autopilot as opposed to just SAS/SCAS?

albatross

25th Mar 2017, 12:26

Have time in both AHX and BHF.
Can't recall- AHX was a single Batt switch - but was BHF also?
Always funny when someone engaged the autopilot without centering the heading bug...LOL

Outwest

25th Mar 2017, 14:00

Excuse my ignorance: if it wasn't Sperry what else would it be?
And "full" Sperry is with autopilot as opposed to just SAS/SCAS?

It would be a Bell IFR machine.....the one with the big fin on the roof.

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 16:56

Have time in both AHX and BHF.
Can't recall- AHX was a single Batt switch - but was BHF also?
Always funny when someone engaged the autopilot without centering the heading bug...LOL

Yes it was. All the 212s up to SN 724 (I think) were single batt.

The heading function was pretty abrupt all right. That's why we didn't use the VOR/ILS capture function, it would scare the pax. Early FD days for sure.

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 17:00

Excuse my ignorance: if it wasn't Sperry what else would it be?
And "full" Sperry is with autopilot as opposed to just SAS/SCAS?

The "full" Sperry was Heli 1 & 2 plus Flight Director (autopilot). Some aircraft (BHJ) just had Heli 1 & 2 but no Flight Director.

albatross

25th Mar 2017, 20:45

Yes it was. All the 212s up to SN 724 (I think) were single batt.

The heading function was pretty abrupt all right. That's why we didn't use the VOR/ILS capture function, it would scare the pax. Early FD days for sure.

Once we got the sensitivity adjusted correctly the VOR / ILS function worked very well. You are correct ...if it wasn't the ride was interesting.
Of course with the Bell System we got very good at rolling those little wheels.

oleary

25th Mar 2017, 20:54

Once we got the sensitivity adjusted correctly the VOR / ILS function worked very well. You are correct ...if it wasn't the ride was interesting.
Of course with the Bell System we got very good at rolling those little wheels.

Dear God don't remind me of that setup. :ugh:

For night slinging it was hopeless. We usually just turned off the AFCS and hand bombed it in SCAS.

Blueberry1

14th Mar 2020, 21:07

I saw that helicopter at a Helicopter Convention in New Orleans. It did belong to Clint Eastwood. It was a Bell 206 modified to look like a Bell 222. It had a stub wing attached near the cabin floor housing the main retractable landing gear. The retractable nose wheel went up into the former landing/taxi light space. New lights were on the stub wing. Parker Hannefin supplied the landing gear for this helicopter as well as many experimental fixed wing aircraft of the day.
The paint job was kind of dark but the overall appearance was quite beautiful. I believe it had all leather grey interior. Totally executive.