Bell Wing Ding

The Bell Wing Ding was an experimental compound helicopter built by Bell Helicopter in the 1960s. Bell wanted an aircraft that could lift a heavier payload than an ordinary helicopter while hovering, yet still gain the benefit of the conventional takeoff and landing of a standard aircraft. The machine was built around a standard 1958 Bell 47G-2A-1 helicopter, with a 25 foot wing taken from a Piper Comanche monoplane set just behind the canopy and above the engine. A small all-flying elevator sat ahead of the tail rotor, the ventral fin was enlarged, and a four-wheel landing gear replaced the original skids. It first flew at Amon Carter Field in Fort Worth, Texas in May 1963 and tests ran through to May 1964, but the wings proved too large for acceptable handling qualities and performance.