Bell Aircraft
Bell Helicopter | |
Headquarters | , United States |
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Key people | |
Number of employees | 28,000 during World War II |
Footnotes / references [1][2][3][4] |
The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American
History
As a pilot, Larry Bell saw his first plane at an air show, starting a lifelong fascination with aviation. Bell dropped out of high school in 1912 to join his brother in the burgeoning aircraft industry at the Glenn L. Martin Company, where by 1914 he had become shop superintendent. By 1920, Bell was vice president and general manager of Martin, then based in Cleveland. Feeling that he deserved part ownership, in late 1924, he presented Martin with an ultimatum. Mr. Martin refused, and Bell quit.
Bell spent several years out of the aviation industry, but in 1928 was hired by
Bell was the third major aircraft builder to occupy the site. The factory complex was originally built in 1916 for the
Bell's first military contract followed in 1937 with the development of the ill-fated
Bell enjoyed much success the following year with the development of the single engine P-39 Airacobra, which 9,588 were built. Putting their previous experience with Allison engines to good use, the P-39 placed the engine in the center of the aircraft, with the propeller driven by a long shaft through which a 37mm cannon was also mounted, firing through the propeller's spinner. Due to persistent development and production problems, the original turbosupercharger was deleted from production models, instead using a single-stage, single-speed supercharger, as was standard on all other Allison-powered products, with the exception of the P-38.
The P-39 performed poorly at high altitudes compared to newer, late-war designs. Most Allied forces thought the Airacobra effective only for ground attack roles, as demonstrated by a few
A somewhat larger and more powerful version of the P-39 was produced shortly before the end of
In October 1942, The Bell-built twin-jet
During World War II, Bell also built
After World War II
As the postwar defense industry downsized, Bell consolidated its operations at the Wheatfield plant, near Buffalo. The aircraft factory in Marietta later became the property of the
The
Perhaps Bell Aircraft's most important contribution to the history of fixed-wing aircraft development would be the design and building of the
Bell went on to design and produce several different
Bell played a crucial role in the development of rocket propulsion after WWII, spearheaded by the likes of some of the most brilliant minds in rocket science like
Helicopter development began at Bell Aircraft in 1941 with the
Lawrence Bell died in 1956, and for several years afterwards the company was in financial difficulty.
Textron purchased the Bell Aerospace division on 5 July 1960. Bell Aerospace was composed of three divisions of Bell Aircraft, including the helicopter division. Bell Aerospace Textron continued to play a significant role in NASA's mission to land men on the Moon in the 1960s. Bell designed and built the Reaction Control system for
Products
Aircraft
Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Bell YFM-1 Airacuda | 1937 | 13 | Twin piston engine heavy fighter |
Bell P-39 Airacobra | 1938 | 9,588 | Single piston engine fighter |
Bell XFL Airabonita | 1940 | 1 | Prototype single piston engine naval fighter |
Bell P-63 Kingcobra | 1942 | 3,303 | Single piston engine fighter |
Bell P-76 | 1942 | 3 | Prototype single piston engine fighter |
Bell B-29 Superfortress | 1943 | 668 | Four piston engine strategic bomber |
Bell 30 | 1943 | 3 | Prototype single piston engine helicopter |
Bell XP-77 | 1944 | 2 | Prototype single piston engine fighter |
Bell XP-83 | 1945 | 2 | Prototype twin jet engine escort fighter |
Bell 47 | 1945 | 5,600 | Single piston engine helicopter |
Bell X-1 | 1946 | 7 | Experimental single rocket engine airplane |
Bell XH-15 | 1948 | 3 | Prototype single piston engine utility helicopter |
Bell X-5 | 1951 | 2 | Experimental single jet engine airplane |
Bell X-2 | 1952/1955 | 2 | Experimental single rocket engine airplane |
Bell HSL | 1953 | 53 | Single piston engine anti-submarine helicopter |
Bell Model 65 | 1954 | 1 | Experimental twin jet engine VTOL aircraft |
Bell 201 | 1954 | 1 | Experimental single turboshaft engine helicopter |
Bell XV-3 | 1955 | 2 | Experimental single piston engine VTOL aircraft |
Bell 204/205 | 1956 | Single turboshaft engine utility helicopter | |
Bell X-14 | 1957 | 1 | Experimental twin jet engine VTOL aircraft |
Lunar Landing Research Vehicle | 1964 | 5 | Experimental jet/rocket VTOL aircraft |
Bell X-22 | 1966 | 2 | Experimental four turboshaft engine V/STOL aircraft |
Bell XP-52 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt single piston engine fighter |
Bell X-16 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt twin jet engine reconnaissance airplane |
Bell D-188A | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt eight jet engine VTOL fighter |
Bell Model 50 | N/A | 0 | Unbuilt convertiplane |
Bell Model 49 | 1 | Experimental single piston engine helicopter | |
Bell Rocket Belt | Rocket pack | ||
Bell 47J Ranger | 1956 | 361 | Single piston engine utility helicopter |
Spacecraft
- Bell Pogo
- Lunar Escape Systems
Missiles
- AAM-N-5 Meteor
- ASM-A-1 Tarzon
- GAM-63 RASCAL
- Nord CT.41/Bell PQM-56aerial target
- Bell X-9 Shrike
Hovercraft
Société d'Étude et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins
Société d'Étude et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins (SEDAM) was a French-based unit of Bell founded in 1965 and builder of N500 Naviplane hovercraft,[10] as well as N.300 Naviplane and Naviplane N102. SEDAM ceased operations in 1982 and factory site re-developed for non-aviation usage.[11]
References
- ^ "Bell Aircraft Corporation". www.bellaircraftmuseum.org. Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum. May 20, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Budge, Kent G. (2007). Bell Aircraft Company. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
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:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Library of Congress. Bell Aircraft Corporation. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
Bell Aircraft Corporation was legally founded 10 July 1935.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Thomas A. Scott. "Bell Bomber - New Georgia Encyclopedia".
- ^ John Percy, "Aviation History on the Niagara Frontier" pub. in Summer 2000 edition of "Western New York Heritage" magazine
- ^ Airacobra or Iron Dog? The Obscure Career of Bell's P-39 in the Soviet Union, by Patrick Masell at chuckhawks.com, Accessed 8 March 2018
- ^ The P-39 has the highest total number of individual victories attributed to any U.S. fighter type, not kill ratio; Finnish modified Brewster Buffalos had the highest kill ratio.
- ^ Bell XP-59A Airacomet, at airandspace.si.edu Archived August 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, retrieved June 6, 2012
- ^ Peck, Merton J. & Scherer, Frederic M. The Weapons Acquisition Process: An Economic Analysis (1962) Harvard Business School p.619
- ^ technologie La SEDAM (Société d'Etude et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins) (est une filiale de la Société BERTIN au même titre que la Société de l'Aérotrain. elle était basée à Marignane.../ SEDAM ...is a subsidiary of BERTIN as also was Société de l'Aérotrain. It was based in Marignane...) (see Aérotrain, Jean Bertin) at gil-sun.skyrock.com, accessed 8 March 2018
- ^ "Aérotrain et Naviplanes - l'Histoire de la SEDAM et des Naviplanes".
Bibliography
- Pelletier, Alan J. (1992). Bell Aircraft Since 1935. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. OL 1571584M.
- August A. Cenkner Jr.: Aerospace Technologies of Bell Aircraft Company : A Pictorial History (1935–1985)
External links
- Bell Aircraft Corporation Photographs, 1942-1945. Kennesaw, Georgia: Special Collections, Scholarly Online Access Repository, Kennesaw State University Archives.
- Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Bell Aircraft Corporation photographs, 1942-1952. Atlanta, Georgia: Album, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center. OCLC 59717619. VIS 92.