Bell 47J Ranger

The Bell 47J Ranger is an American single-engine, single-rotor light helicopter that Bell built as an executive variant of the highly successful Bell 47. It enlarged the three-seat 47H, a deluxe variant of the 47G with a fully clad fuselage and enclosed cabin, which had proved too small. The pilot sat centrally at the front of the cabin under a Lexan bubble windscreen with an unobstructed view, and a single rear bench seat spanning the cabin carried three or four adults depending on weight. In March 1957 the United States Air Force bought two as presidential transport and designated them H-13J, and on 13 July 1957 one carried Dwight D. Eisenhower from the White House, the first helicopter used by a United States president. Production variants ranged from 220 to 260 horsepower, and the United States Navy and Coast Guard flew the HUL-1.