Bell Helicopters naming

[Zio Nick]

Hi everybody...
Does anyone know if there is a complete meaning in Bell helicopters' names?
Typically the first number is the number of rotor blades, but what about the remaining 2 numbers?
Ex.: Bell 412, 206, 429 etc...
Thanks!

[Ascend Charlie]

Simple

412 = 4 engineers, 1 problem, 2 days to fix it.:8

[alouette]

Bell 222... Too heavy, too slow, too expensive. :p

[Saint Jack]

Yes, essentially the model numbering system (not names as such) is, and was for the 204, 205, 206, 212, 222, 230 and 430, determined by the number of M/R blades. The 47 was determined by the year of certification. I'm sure your friendly Bell Tech. Rep. can expliain it in more detail - the methodology Bell used was on their website but it's now been taken down.

The current Bell models are 206L4, 407, 412 and 429. A completely new design is in the works and is presently known only as 'Magellan', I suppose the speculation can now start regarding it's model number.

[Zio Nick]

Thanks, so, if I understand well you mean that the numbering goes somehow like this: first number = blades number; other numbers = somehow related to the blades geometry ?

[Jet Ranger]

For example;

0 means single eng, 5 means twin
Middle number=weight

120... 2 tones, 0 - single eng
130... 3 tones, 0 - single eng
135 ... 3 tones, 5 - twin engines
145... 4 tones, 5-twin eng
155... 5 t, twin eng


225... 20 tones, 5-= two eng...

btw. sorry if I was off-topic

[GoodGrief]

That would be below 12 tons in the 225...

[vfr440]

St J
Think you are on the money there :D. I had an input to the (now) 429 when it was conceptual. At the time we looked at the sigle/twingle naming of a possible 407 deveopment. Impossible - under-rotored for a start so we are back to a 206LT :E.

I think the insertion of digit 2 indicates a shift-change in design so a significant development of the craft's design. Hence 427 and 429. The balance of their aircraft are sequential, and prototypes that never got to frozen production standard. Witness the 406, (which didn't work at all well - the shrouded T/R) and then the sucessful 407 which did.

But there are anomales with this suggestion - how does one explain the 210? (and come to that the 214 ST - an exceptional aircraft I'm told, though I only managed to con a ride in teh basic 214B on its demo tour of Eastern Canada many years ago - when I had hair!) :O

I've a mind that Magellan came from the acronym MAPLE which stood for Modular something-or-other? But there are Pruners here who will correct me if I am wrong, that's a given!

Best -VFR

[Zio Nick]

@Jet Ranger: I recently flew the Eurocopter 355 FX2 but I don't think it exceeds 2 tons...

[Bravo73]

@Jet Ranger: I recently flew the Eurocopter 355 FX2 but I don't think it exceeds 2 tons...

No, Zio, you flew the Aerospatiale (AS)355!


For the EC225, take the 12 and add it to the 'cilivian 1'. This gives you 225.

For a Eurocopter military variant, add a 5 to the first digit of the model number. eg 635, 725 etc etc.

[Zio Nick]

@ vfr

Earlier this week I was at Bell facility in Mirabel: I had a chat with the chief of flight testing and a bunch of FT guys... they all new the (evident) meaning of the first number but nobody could really explain the other two digits... but I tend to agree with you that probably the second digit recalls a change of design and the last one is a sequential chronological number related to the model (maybe)...
Still there are can be many objections to my interpretation...

[Zio Nick]

No, Zio, you flew the Aerospatiale (AS)355!

Yes, you're right, the AS 355 dates back to the Aerospatiale age, so it's surely using a different naming criteria...

[topendtorque]

47? almost that many grease nipples if I remember, that's including the couple spare in yer tool kit. like a blessed sunshine harvester 87 on them.

[hillberg]

47 was a model number not the year certified.:= Model numbers can be anything and in any order. Bell 222? (LTS 101) Bell 230 (RR C 30)
Bell 205 (T-53 703) Bell 212 (Pt6 T3) No rhyme or Reason other than to identify parts, Drawings and sales posters.:}

[Jet Ranger]

@Bravo73 (about EC225)

Sorry, I made some mistake, but you did right correction:ok: