The venerable Bell 47
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
From: swansea, wales
bell 47's in Miami Fla
I fondly remember the 80's in Miami, and a bell 47 that operated pleasure flights off biscayne boulevard. It had floats fitted and another operated along with some jet rangers and a long ranger from a facility near to where Charlie Chalks seaplane facility was. I have tried an internet seach but cannot find if any of these are still operating. Can anyone help me with info or pics?
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
From: swansea, wales
thanks for that bit of info, yes that is the place I was referring to, lived there in the eighties when a few ships ran out of there, I recall a pair of jet rangers (belonging to a lawyer?), a long ranger, the bell 47 and a hugghes 500 flown by Adrian? Cant recall his last name. Another bell 47 used to run from up biscayne boulevard, I think it came to watson at evening times, and it had floats and curiously wooden main rotor blades.
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 465
Likes: 0
From: swansea, wales
Thanks for that Savoia, I do recall the one from Biscayne Blvd had floats, was white and had a sort of stuck on circular cover over the top of the plexiglass I assume to reduce glare. Police also used them frequently at that time (the 47) and I recall during the time of the Liberty City riots they frequently patrolled the I95 in the Miami area as some residents were disabling cars on the motorway by throwing old wheels in front of them. Exciting times.
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,422
Likes: 3
From: Milano, Italia
.
Correct, it was applied precisely for this purpose and was oft times painted atop the canopy.
In Italy in the 1960's this circular visor was referred to a the 'zucchetto' by one of Agusta's AB47 test pilots - so named because of the similarity of shape with the zucchetti used by the Roman Catholic curia (the small skull cap worn by Cardinals).
AgustaBell 47G 3B1 I-PYCG at Brescia Montichiari on 6th September 2009 wearing a 'zucchetto' (Photo: Maggiolo Paolo)
More images from Italy here
.. had a sort of stuck on circular cover over the top of the plexiglass I assume to reduce glare ..
In Italy in the 1960's this circular visor was referred to a the 'zucchetto' by one of Agusta's AB47 test pilots - so named because of the similarity of shape with the zucchetti used by the Roman Catholic curia (the small skull cap worn by Cardinals).
AgustaBell 47G 3B1 I-PYCG at Brescia Montichiari on 6th September 2009 wearing a 'zucchetto' (Photo: Maggiolo Paolo)
More images from Italy here
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,957
Likes: 0
From: Australia
They look like 47G2 which would be why they have 'paper mache' blades & no turbo charger. Good little helicopter to sort the men out from the boys!
The nearer machine for sure is th G2 or the 2A and with the large bubble it has confused me some. Did Augusta ever make them? as all their other variants had bubbles which seemed twice as large and if one read the fine print on the bubble (lower stbd side if I remember right) quite a bit heavier than the real McCoy. (65 lbs springs to mind)
The rear one looks much like a standard G5 or 5A but with non standard tanks. Note the Rabbit ears and no oil tank. Our 5A's had the upright skids with straight cross tube, (well err supposed to be able to see light through them eh?) but the standard 5's had curved cross tubes.
The bubble cap was painted on, some or most all of the HM machines had a darkish green underlay, nice on a hot day.
I must laugh, it looks a little as if the close machine is carrying the standard '47 equipment on the litter. Oil drums.
did my license on the wooden blades and 12K + in the 5's
Never got to fly the franklin engine but really would have liked to later.
tet
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 803
Likes: 52
From: Pensacola, Florida
Guys, if the near machine on floats is a "wide-cabin" G-2A or G-2A1, then it has metal blades. Can't really tell- might be a straight wooden blade G-2 (which is what it looks like to me).
The machine in the background is an anomaly - a real mix-and-match. It obviously has a Franklin engine and the D-1 cabin, but it's got the "straight" G-model tanks plus the aforementioned "rabbit ears" flap restraints (which are fittable on all 47 models, I suppose), not to mention a sync elevator. I'm guessing the operator built up that ship from a bunch of 47D and G parts he had lying around...a sort of "Super D-1."
The machine in the background is an anomaly - a real mix-and-match. It obviously has a Franklin engine and the D-1 cabin, but it's got the "straight" G-model tanks plus the aforementioned "rabbit ears" flap restraints (which are fittable on all 47 models, I suppose), not to mention a sync elevator. I'm guessing the operator built up that ship from a bunch of 47D and G parts he had lying around...a sort of "Super D-1."
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,422
Likes: 3
From: Milano, Italia
.
A couple of years before Bolkow's Waston Island 47's were performing their pleasure flights, this East-Coast 47J2 (below) was doing something similar at Long Beach in California as can be see from the gleeful pax and their driver in his headset-free bliss! Presumably the J2's didn't suffer from the 'screaming gearbox syndrome' associated with their turbine successors (notably the 500).
Evidently this sight-seeing aircraft was based at the old Queen Mary helipad which location is close to the current (opened 2001) Queen Mary Heliport.
Bell 47J-2 Ranger N930NR at Long Beach, California on 1st July 1978 (Photo: Ted Quackenbush)
July 4th greetings to Amercian Rotorheads!
A couple of years before Bolkow's Waston Island 47's were performing their pleasure flights, this East-Coast 47J2 (below) was doing something similar at Long Beach in California as can be see from the gleeful pax and their driver in his headset-free bliss! Presumably the J2's didn't suffer from the 'screaming gearbox syndrome' associated with their turbine successors (notably the 500).
Evidently this sight-seeing aircraft was based at the old Queen Mary helipad which location is close to the current (opened 2001) Queen Mary Heliport.
Bell 47J-2 Ranger N930NR at Long Beach, California on 1st July 1978 (Photo: Ted Quackenbush)
July 4th greetings to Amercian Rotorheads!
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,103
Likes: 5
From: Chabanais, France
Around 800 hours of the happiest flying I ever did was on the Bell47G-3B1 Sioux with the Army in Germany. XT198 and XT199.
Being Engineers we photographed every culvert, drain and bridge over and under the autobahn from the south of Hamburg, via Fallingbostel, down to Kassel, doors off, middle of winter! It was our regiments job to demolish them all if Ivan came across the border! South of Kassel it was the Americans sector.
Being Engineers we photographed every culvert, drain and bridge over and under the autobahn from the south of Hamburg, via Fallingbostel, down to Kassel, doors off, middle of winter! It was our regiments job to demolish them all if Ivan came across the border! South of Kassel it was the Americans sector.
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,422
Likes: 3
From: Milano, Italia
.
Parabellum's Westland-Bell Sioux AH1 XT199 of 657 Squadron Army Air Corps seen at Middle Wallop on 24th July 1975 (Photo: Robin Walker)
Parabellum; no stories of your Sioux-flying days, such as the CO getting plastered and then walking out and demonstrating autos etc.
Parabellum's Westland-Bell Sioux AH1 XT199 of 657 Squadron Army Air Corps seen at Middle Wallop on 24th July 1975 (Photo: Robin Walker)
Parabellum; no stories of your Sioux-flying days, such as the CO getting plastered and then walking out and demonstrating autos etc.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,103
Likes: 5
From: Chabanais, France
It happened after I left the Army Savoia, from what I heard at the time 'plastered' is a bit strong though. The gentleman concerned is no longer with us so let us not speak ill of the dead
. Best CO I ever had, by the way.
Thanks for the picture, we collected both of them brand new from Yeovil, 3rd December 1965.
. Best CO I ever had, by the way.Thanks for the picture, we collected both of them brand new from Yeovil, 3rd December 1965.