The Sioux
The Sioux
It had a single two-bladed rotor and a small vertical propeller at the tail. In April 1945, the third Model 30 made its flight, demonstrating many of the characteristics that were soon incorporated into the Model 47, which flew on December 8, 1945. In March 1946, it became the first commercially certified rc helicopter simulation. The H-13, which the U.S. Army named the Sioux, normally could carry a pilot and two passengers in the bubble cockpit. The Army fitted stretchers on both sides of the cockpitoutside of the cockpitatop the landing skids so a pilot could carry the wounded soldiers to medical help. Small plastic bubbles were fitted at the fronts of the stretchers to protect the men’s heads.
The Bell 47/H-13 had a two-seat cockpit enclosed by a distinctive plastic bubble. The two-bladed rotor made a “chop-chop” sound, leading to the nickname “chopper” for rc helicopter games. It became the first successful commercial helicopter beginning in the early 1950s. It is perhaps most famous for its extensive use during the Korean War.
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