BELL 47 HELICOPTER HISTORY

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TIME TO RENEW YOUR 2004 MEMBERSHIP! USE OUR E Z MAIL IN FORM

I'M LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON THE USE OF THE 47 IN VIET NAM. I WAS TOLD BY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT AROUND CAM RAHN BAY HE SAW A 47 SPRAYING AGENT ORANGE, THIS IS HIGHLY DOUBTFUL, SINCE HUEYS WERE USED FOR THAT, AND GIVEN THE PAYLOAD OF THE 47, SUPPOSEDLY CARRING A BARREL OF CHEMICAL ON EACH ON EACH SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT,.. FIRST THE WEIGHT FULL BARRELS, THE THE BOOM, ETC.PLUS THE KNOWHOW TO MOUNT BARRELS AND RIG PUMP AND BOOM, DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY THE ARMY WOULD KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

THE HUEY USED A SYSTEM BUILT BY AGRINAUTICS OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. I COULD SEE THE 47 MAYBE?? SPRAYING FOR MESQUITOES, BECAUSE OF THE LOW VOLUME OF LIQUID NEEDED TO CARRY,

BUT NOT HERBICIDE, EVEN THOUGH THE ARMY DID NOT USE A CARRIER, JUST SPRAYED PURE QUILL..

S O AFTER ALL THIS INFORMATION, I'M HOPING TO FIND AN EX ARMY PILOT THAT FLEW OR KNOWS HOW IT WAS USED IN VIET NAM. THE H-23 HILLER WAS USED FOR ARTILLERY SPOTTERS, USUALLY FLOWN BY ARTILLERY OFFICERS, AND OTHER TRANSPORT OF INDIVIDUALS .

I JUST DON'T THINK THE INDIVIDUALS CLAIM IS LEGIT( SAID BARRELS WERE ORANGE IN COLOR) MAYBE THINKING ORANGE BARRELS WOULD ADD CREDENCE TO HIS "OBSERVATION".

I SPRAYED WITH 47'S IN THE CiVILIAN WORLD SO KNOW WHAT THERE CAPACITY IS AS FAR AS HOW MUCH THEY CAN CARRY.

HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME WITH SOME VALID INFORMATION.

GARY DOWLER [gldwlr@msn.com]

BELL 47 VETERAN PILOTS AND HONORARY MEMBERS

William G. Johnson #299, purchased a Bell 47 in 1948 and started the Frontier Helicopter Service in Niagara Falls, NY. He did crop dusting, whale spotting in the St. Lawrence, power line patrols, and many other services, such as landing Santa Claus in Niagara Falls, NY.

LAW ENFORCEMENT PICS AND STORIES

This is in our Long Beach PD Bell47 G2A1. Pic was taken in about 1987. Pictured are myself & Alan Wilson. The Queen Mary is in the background. I have a few more to send as soon as I can scan them.

Tim Ferrill
Sergeant
Vice Investigations

KOREAN WAR PICS & STORIES

Excellent site for Korean War Machines: http://plannedchaos.org/korea-war-vehicles.html

Korean War: 25 June 1950 through 27 June 1953

> 63 H-13's in the US Army inventory, 31 Navy/Marine HTL versions in service when
    hostilities started.

> Over 785 in the US inventory when the armistice was declared.

> The first US Army helicopter to fly into a combat area was a Bell H-13B piloted
    Captain Marcus Sullivan.

> The first US Army helicopter medivac to a M.A.S.H. unit was a Bell H-13D piloted
     by Captain Albert C. Sebourn, ( 2nd. Helicopter Detachment ) in January 1951
     using litters fabricated by Captain Sebourn.

> In the first month of the war, the US Army evacuated over 500 injured soldiers.

> Over 5040 injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopter by the end of 1951.
    Lt. Joseph Bowler evacuated 824 in 1951, and Lt. William Brake evacuated over
    900 in 1952.

> The total number of wounded evacuated by all makes of helicopter during the war
     was 21,212.

HERES SOME BRIEF LETTERS ON WHAT B47HA DOES TO KEEP MEMORIES ALIVE

Hello, Joe,

A friend of mine, Don Underwood, talked with you at Brackett Field in Laverne, CA last week and I spoke briefly with you on his cell phone.

I am almost ready to publish my book, "Chopper". It is the part fact, part fiction (very realistic) story of my own experiences, and those of others whom I knew, while evacuating casualties to MASH hospitals during the Korean war.

I commanded one of the five detachments of 'First Helicopter Ambulance Company' and had the privilege of helping save the lives of many UN troops. It is a book that I believe will be of general interest and especially to those of us intimately involved with the Bell 47 Helicopter, the world's 'finest and flyingest'.

It was good to get acquainted with you and your organization. Until Don's phone call, I was unaware of your organization's existence. I was a Bell 47 operator for many years and have over 25,000 hours of helicopter pilot in command flight time.

Most of it is in Bell 47's, Hillers and several miscellaneous other types.

Keep up your good work in preserving a national treasure. Like the DC-3, the Bell 47 will not die!

Best regards,

Bill Hall

Good Day Mr. Rhodes,

I have been researching data on my Grandfather Major Albert C. Sebourn and found your website that states...the Bell H-13D piloted by Captain Albert C. Sebourn... but was unable to locate the photograph.

As you may know, My Grandfather became the 1st United States Army aviator in the Korean War to conduct a battlefield evacuation mission in a helicopter. He was the commanding officer.

Captain Albert C. Sebourn designed an aerial litter basket for the H-13 that carried wounded out in a helicopter. His helicopter, "The Mechanized Angel", evacuated more wounded than any other helicopter operating in Korea. He rescued 1,506 troops in 10 months.

Major Albert C. Sebourn was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross" and the Air Medal for work with field artillery over enemy lines.

I have old photographs from Bell Helicopter that my Mother obtained. Bell Helicopter was throwing the photos in the trash when my Mother rescued them. I am including a photo of my Grandfather with his famous "Mechanized Angel".

WARBIRDS ADVENTURES, ORLANDO FLORIDA AREA MASH HELICOPTER RIDES page10.html

If you have any other information about my Grandfather, please let me know where I can find the information. We have quite a bit of material on him already but we are always looking for new pictures.

Thank You for the work you do on you website. It is fantastic.

Carol Ann Lyde

SPECIAL REQUEST

Hi Joey,

I would like to know if you can help me with locating a Bell Helicopter (47) that was shot down in Korea, July 14, 1952. I was assigned to the 8th U.S. Army, X corps, 5th Light Air Section from September 1951 through March 1953. The tail number of the helicopter was "12454". The Department of the Army records Claim they do not have any records about this helicopter, in fact they do not have any records of the 5th Light Air Section of X corps, U.S. 8th Army.

I was an observer when it was shot down in the Punch Bowl Mts in N. Korea on July 14, 1953 around 9:10 AM. If you can give me any information or direct me to who can give me info, I would be very grateful. Thank You.

Muzio Pellegrini

18 Hearthstone Road

Yonkers, NY 10710-1038

Tel/Fax Number 914-779-22443

E-Mail Address: pro18kip@optonline.net

OPERATIONAL SERVICE IN SOUTH VIETNAM

History of Bell 47 G3B-1 Sioux Helicopter

history_of_bell_47.htm

B47HA highly recommends the following links for learning more about The Bell 47.

INTERESTING FACTOIDS

Trivia: How many Bell 47s are registered in The USA?

1209

B47HA 2002

HOW MANY VARIATIONS OF THE BELL 47 MODEL ARE THERE LISTED IN THE WORLD?

1986

The Bell Helicopter Model 47 Helicopter
" The Helicopter That Saved So Many Lives "

FORMER VP/TRUSTEE PAUL FALTYN SUBMITTED THIS IMAGE OF AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT SHOULD MAKE OUR BELL 47 COMMUNITY PROUD TO REFLECT UPON. THIS PLAQUE WILL BE PLACE IN THE NIAGARA AEROSPACE MUSEUM IN THE BELL HELICOPTER DIVISION.

AUSTRALIAN BELL 47s

Bell helicopters

B47HA Member Charles Lumsden FANTASTIC 47 SITE:

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