I know how much some of you love helicopters, 🙂 and I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere, so I thought I’d recommend it (I’m not affiliated with the author or publisher).
There is a huge new book on the classic Bell: The Bell 47 Helicopter Story, Birth of the Commercial & Military Helicopter Industry by Robert S. Petite and Jeffrey C. Evans
To call it an encyclopedia would be an understatement, it’s 731 pages in a large hardbound format.
It covers each model in separate chapters like Bell 47B – First Commercial Production Version and Bell 47B3 – First Commercial Agricultural Version, etc. This approach makes the various models very clear as opposed to some general histories (like the rather unfortunate Putnam book on Bell) tended to lump the various sub models together. Differences and upgrades are clearly explained in detail.
And for those not that familiar with the 47 lineage, it explains why the advanced-looking cabin 47B was replaced by the decidedly less advanced appearing open cockpit B3s.
There are plenty of good B&W photos and several multi page color sections. Portions of Bell sales brochures have been reproduced (something I would have like to see more of) as well as parts from military pilots and maintenance handbooks.
The authors seem to have access to all the Bell archives (provided by the late Ned Gilliand, a production test pilot and Bell historian) to we see details of mock ups and prototypes of the various models (we see that the prototype 47H was much better looking than the final production version, IMHO).
Best of all, it has details or entire chapters on stillborn projects like the 5 place turbine model that eventually led to the OH-4 prototypes and the 206 Jet Ranger. Also covered are Bell 47 mods done by various operators, details on overseas production, STCs, production summaries by serial, type and military/civil breakdowns. There is even a color section devoted to display models and factory brochures.
The author even takes the time to mention survivors in museums and those still airworthy. many of the color photos show aircraft currently in use.
A few complaints:
-A copy editing note would be the transition from Bell documents to the author’s own words isn’t always clear.
-If the captions are correct, it seems that Bell (and to a lesser degree the military) was pretty haphazard with their general arrangement drawings (they seem to be CG drawings from operators handbooks), as several side views of later 47Gs (G-2A and later) do not show the longer tail boom. I’d politely suggest that the author should not have included them if they’re incorrect. There are Bell 47 websites that use incorrect drawings, and model companies and builders always get it wrong trying to pass off a long-boom 47G as a MASH-era ship) so it’s a real pet peeve of mine. (Along the same lines, Corgi did not include the small horizontal stabilizer in their models of 47Gs/Sioux).
-Also, after a technical description of the changes to that model, the book has pages of period notes (presumably, though it’s not directly stated) taken from Bell internal magazines, so you get pages data like ” XXX company bought a Bell 47G-2A I 1957. XYZ company bought a Bell 47G-2A in 1957. ABC company bought two Bell 47G-2As in 1957″. While it’s good to have a roster of initial owners, the style in which it’s presented does get old. I would have recommended a tighter listing by year, perhaps presented in a spreadsheet or chart format. Also, since it doesn’t include serials or registrations, the information is of limited value.
Still, those are minor complaints that anyone serious enough to buy the book will compensate for…(though it might slip up less knowledgeable people who will use the book for research).
The bad news is the cost. being a limited production volume, it’s expensive. And its weight (plus coming from Canada) leads to a hefty mailing charge as well.
With an early buyer’s discount, the total cost came to just over $100 dollars. But being a life-long 47 fan (thanks to the Whirlybirds when I was a kid,) I’m not complaining.
A great book and a must have for the serious helicopter historian. I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in years.
For purchase details, contact the author at: [email]bpetite@telusplanet.net[/email]
By: Flying-A - 22nd January 2014 at 02:57
I’d thought that you would like it. I also saw plenty of Encyclopaedia Britannica films in school and they were pretty good. I still remember the ticking sound of those bluish green 16mm Bell & Howell Filmosound projectors.
Here’s another EB flying film with plenty of classic planes (and the world’s first SUV wagon at about 3:40):
By: J Boyle - 20th January 2014 at 22:37
Fun film, it’s great to see the early Bells (B, B-3 D and D-1) in color.
In school, we used to see film by Encyclopedia Britannica quite often. They were always well produced.
By: Flying-A - 20th January 2014 at 20:57
Glad you enjoyed it, Andy. Interesting to see the 47 and the S-55 early in their long and storied careers. Despite its name, Encyclopaedia Britannica Films was actually based in Chicago and shot most of their pictures in that area.
By: Andy in Beds - 19th January 2014 at 06:43
Thanks for sharing the video–wonderful.
By: Flying-A - 19th January 2014 at 06:28
Thanks for tip, J Boyle! Plenty of early Bell 47s in this film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCwLFNS3nEE
(Sorry about the commercial at the start.)
By: J Boyle - 16th January 2014 at 18:55
To make this book worthwhile, I hope it includes a production list showing a breakdown of deliveries and subsequent fates, often a difficult thing to keep track of.
The book does not have that, the author told me he wanted to include a CD-ROM with the data, but because of costs and production issues, they couldn’t do it at the present time.
However, he does have the information available and would possibly supply a CD if you request one.
According to Flight Global a few weeks ago its now back in production with a turbine engine!
They’ve announced new turbine production beginning in 2016…in the meantime, they sell improved existing aircraft.
Again, despite the cost, (which isn’t that high in comparison with other special interest books out there) it’s well worth having. Hopefully, a UK bookseller or museum will import a quantity.
By: Oxcart - 16th January 2014 at 11:12
According to Flight Global a few weeks ago its now back in production with a turbine engine!
By: Bager1968 - 16th January 2014 at 00:44
With some 5,600 built between 1946 and 1974, that would be a large part of a book by itself!
By: AMB - 15th January 2014 at 11:02
This sounds very interesting as this is one of those types that are extremely well known, yet have had little published on them under one cover. To make this book worthwhile, I hope it includes a production list showing a breakdown of deliveries and subsequent fates, often a difficult thing to keep track of.
As regards cost and postage, this is the sort of book my friend Simon Watson of the Aviation Bookshop would hopefully import to sell locally, thus saving us the postage costs here in UK
By: J Boyle - 13th January 2014 at 02:03
If they are claiming that the Model 47 was the base of the US helicopter industry, then it isn’t accurate.
Sikorsky, Hiller, & Piasecki were all as (or more) influential as was Bell.
Those firms certainly were influential in their specialized areas, and helped build the combined rotorcraft body of knowledge in the 40s, but Bell was the first with a certified civilian helicopter, so I think the authors are correct in the “civilian” part of their subtitle.
As far as the military industry goes, Sikorsky should get that honor having produced the R-4-5-6s during WWII.
However, with the success of the H-13 in Korea, Bell quickly outsold Sikorsky.
Piasecki was a pioneer in the twin rotor field, but didn’t get any big production numbers until the HUP series (they only made 22 HRPs…the grandfather of the Chinook), likewise Hiller was on the scene very early with the co-axial “Hiller Copter” but abandoned that layout and didn’t find success until the UH-12 series which followed the Bell.
You also have to give Larry Bell a lot of credit for backing Arthur Young’s technology and by his financial support and faith in the future of helicopters (as demonstrated by buying 500 engines early in the program. His initial enthusiasm was a but premature as it took years to use that engine stock). While other established aircraft firms toyed with helicopters, Bell (and United Aircraft’s Sikorsky division when they switched from flying boats), bet heavily on the future of helicopters.
They all contributed a great deal to early helicopter technology, but I’d be hard pressed to say any firm other than Sikorsky* were “more influential ” than Bell.
*Sikorsky gets the credit for developing the single anti-torque tail rotor, but remember that he had to temporarily abandon that layout during the later phases of the VS-300s development. Also, Young’s electrically powered models also featured a single tail rotor…before (or at least concurrent with) Sikorsky.
By: Bager1968 - 13th January 2014 at 01:21
If they are claiming that the Model 47 was the base of the US helicopter industry, then it isn’t accurate.
Sikorsky, Hiller, & Piasecki were all as (or more) influential as was Bell.
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January 12, 2014 at 8:37 pm