Bell HSL

infobox Aircraft
name = HSL (Bell Model 61)
type = tandem-rotor ASW helicopter
manufacturer = Bell Helicopter



caption =
designer =
first flight =3 March 1953
introduced = 1957
retired =
status =
primary user = United States Navy
more users =
produced =
number built = 53 including one static test article
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter built by Bell Helicopter company, the only tandem rotor design designed by Bell.

Design and development

On 3 March 1953 the prototype Bell Model 61 first flew, it had been designed to meet a United States Navy requirement for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter. In June 1950 the Model 61 was announced as the winner of the competition, three XHSL-1 evaluation aircraft were ordered. The Model 61 was had a rectangular-section fuselage structure and a four-leg, six-wheel landing gear. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine mounted in the aft fuselage. Crew included two pilots and two sonar operators.

Because of the urgency of the requirement, low rate production was ordered almost immediately after Bell received a contract for three XHSL-1s. The Navy eventually contracted for at least 160 production aircraft including 18 intended for the British Royal Navy. Bureau Numbers were assigned for a total of 234. Because of development problems that resulted in poor schedule performance to the contract, only 50 were built. Although all were delivered, after service test and acceptance only a handful were used for development of airborne mine sweeping. The rest were delivered directly into storage and were subsequently stricken.

Operational history

The HSLs were not used operationally. Approximately seven were assigned to the U.S. Naval Air Mine Defense Unit at Panama City, Florida for development of airborne minesweeping, the first arriving in September 1956 and the last being sticken in early 1960.

Variants

;XHSL-1:two experimental flight test and one static test article;HSL-1: production version, 50 built.

Operators

;USA
*United States Navy

pecifications (HSL-1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop
crew=4
capacity=
length main= 29 ft 2¾in
length alt= 11.96 m
span main= 51 ft 6 in
span alt= 15.70 m
height main= 14ft 6in
height alt= 4.42 m
area main= 4,166 ft²
area alt= 387.02 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 20,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 9,072 kg
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney R-2800-50 Double Wasp
type of prop=radial piston
number of props=1
power main= 1,900 hp
power alt= 1417 kW
propeller or rotor?=rotor
propellers=2
number of propellers per engine=2
propeller diameter main=51 ft 6in
propeller diameter alt=15.70 m
max speed main= 115 mph
max speed alt= 185 km/h
cruise speed main= 95 mph
cruise speed alt= 153 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 350 miles
range alt= 563 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
more performance=
armament=

References

* Andrade, John M. "U.S.Military Aircraft Designation and Serials since 1909". Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London, Orbis Publishing.
* Thomason, Tommy H. "The Forgotten Bell HSL". Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 2005

External links

* [http://www.helis.com/timeline/bell.php helis.com: Helicopter history site]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=
* Bell
** 52 - 54 - 60 - 61 - 65 - 68
lists=
see also=