Bell Aircraft Corporation Buffalo, NY
Three seats
Restored by American Helicopter Museum volunteers
The Bell 47D, developed from the 47B, introduced the ‘goldfish bowl’ molded canopy; this new model received F.A.A. certification on February 25, 1948.
The U.S. Army ordered 65 H‑13Bs and 15 of an ambulance version as the H‑13C, and the U.S. Navy ordered 12 HTL‑2s. In 1949 the 3‑seat Bell 47D‑1 appeared, with an openwork tailboom (as on the H‑13C) and an underfin. Eighty-seven H‑13Ds and 490 dual‑control H‑13Es were supplied to the U.S. Army; the U.S. Navy counterparts were the HTL‑4 and HTL‑5. The Navy’s HTL‑3 corresponded to the Model 47E, a two-seater with a 200 h.p. Franklin 6V4‑200‑C32 engine; while the Army’s XH‑13F (Bell Model 201) was a solitary testbed for a Continental T51 turbine engine.
The H‑13D was primarily used by the Army as an evacuation helicopter that became the mainstay of the MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) units during the Korean War. Eighty percent of the 25,000 helicopter evacuations in Korea were accomplished by Army and Marine H‑13s. The aircraft was popularized by the hit television show, “M*A*S*H.” Civil and military versions of the aircraft were produced by Bell until 1966 and production continued overseas for many years thereafter.
| Aircraft Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rotor Diameter | 35 ft 1 in |
| Fuselage Length | 27 ft 4 in |
| Maximum Speed | 100 mph |
| Cruise Speed | 85 mph |
| Height | 9 ft 6 in |
| Empty Weight | 1,564 lbs |
| Gross Weight | 2,450 lbs |
| Engine | 200 hp Franklin |
| Acquisition Source | Peter Wright Donation |