Bell 207

Infobox Aircraft
name=Bell 207 Sioux Scout


caption=Bell Model 207 Sioux Scout
type=Experimental attack helicopter
manufacturer=Bell Helicopter
designer=
first flight=
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=
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developed from= Bell 47
variants with their own articles=

The Bell 207 Sioux Scout was an early helicopter gunship developed privately for US forces in Vietnam. It featured a tandem cockpit, stub wings for weapons, and a chin-mounted gun turret.

Design and development

The Bell company had been interested in the concept of a dedicated helicopter gunship since 1958, and unveiled a mockup of such a rotorcraft in June 1962. The "D225 Iroquois Warrior" was based on the engine and mechanics of the Huey, but had a new sharklike fuselage that gave it the looks of a fighter. It had a tandem two-seat cockpit with a gunner in front and a pilot in back, with the seats stepped to give the pilot good forward visibility; a turret with an automatic grenade launcher in the nose; a forward-firing 20 millimeter cannon in a belly pack; and stub wings with stores pylons to carry munitions, such as six SS-11 wire-guided missiles. [http://www.vectorsite.net/avcobra_1.html#m1 Greg Goebel's Vectorsite] ]

The Army liked the idea and awarded Bell a contract in December 1962 to develop a proof-of-concept demonstrator. Bell engineers quickly modified the company's well-established Model 47 / OH-13 Sioux piston-powered helicopter to produce the "Model 207 Sioux Scout", which was completed in August 1963. The Sioux Scout featured a streamlined fuselage, with a tandem cockpit and a chin turret with two 7.62 millimeter M60 machine guns. It only generally resembled the Iroquois Warrior mockup and was too light for actual combat use, but after evaluating the Sioux Scout, the Army was impressed.

pecifications

Bell 207

General characteristics

*Crew: Two in tandem
*Powerplant: One Lycoming TVO-435-F1A Flat-6 piston engine (280 hp/210 kW)
*Armament: One Emerson Electric TAT-101 chin-turret armed with two 7.62mm machine-guns

Bell 47G (for comparison)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= copter
jet or prop?= prop

ref=International Directory of Civil AircraftFrawley, Gerard: "The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004", page 420. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7]

crew= Three
capacity=
length main= 31.6 ft
length alt= 9.63 m
span main= 37.2 ft
span alt= 11.32 m
height main= 9.28 ft
height alt= 2.83
area main= 1,085 ft²
area alt= m100.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,893 lb
empty weight alt= 858 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,950 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1,340 kg
more general=

engine (prop)=Lycoming TVO-435-F1A
type of prop=Flat-6 piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 280 hp
power alt= 210 kW
power original=

max speed main= 91 kt
max speed alt= 105 mph, 169 km/h
cruise speed main= 73 kt
cruise speed alt= 84 mph, 135 km/h
cruise speed more= at 5,000 ft (1,525 m)
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 214 nm
range alt= 245 miles, 395 km
range more= at 6,000 ft (1,830 m)
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 860 ft/min
climb rate alt= 262 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
* Hover ceiling: 17,700 ft IGE; 12,700 ft OGE (5,400 m IGE; 3900 m OGE)
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Bell 47
* AH-1 Cobra

similar aircraft=
* OH-23 Raven
* Hughes 300/TH-55

lists=
* List of military aircraft of the United States

References

External links

* [http://www.modelaircraft.org/museum/bio/Young.pdf Arthur M. Young story] and the development of the Model 47 (PDF file with photographs)
* [http://cellmath.med.utoronto.ca/B47/47Home.html Bell 47] Enthusiast site
* [http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=70 Model 47G specs] from "The International Directory of Civil Aircraft" by Gerard Frawley