The Bell HSL, Bell Model 61, was an American anti-submarine warfare helicopter of the 1950s that Bell Helicopter built for the United States Navy, and the only tandem-rotor type Bell designed. The Navy chose the Model 61 in a June 1950 competition, and the prototype first flew on 3 March 1953. It carried a crew of two pilots and two sonar operators, a dipping sonar and two Mark 43 torpedoes, and used a single Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radial engine. Development problems made it obsolete before it entered service in 1957 and the Navy found it unsatisfactory, so the production contract was cancelled after only 50 had been built. A handful were used for airborne mine-sweeping development, and the last was struck off in early 1960.
Facts
Engine Class Top Speed (km/h) Maximum Mass (kg) EnginePratt & Whitney R-2800-50 18-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial 1 Comparison
Body StyleAircraft (no road body style) 1 Connections
Of Make
Source Bell HSL (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Bell HSL (Wikipedia)
Lead, first flight
The prototype Bell Model 61 first flew on 3 March 1953
Specifications (HSL-1), empty weight
Empty weight: 13,073 lb (5,930 kg)
Specifications (HSL-1), maximum takeoff weight
Max takeoff weight: 26,500 lb (12,020 kg)
Specifications (HSL-1), maximum speed
Maximum speed: 124 mph (200 km/h, 108 kn) (search mission)
Development and service, production total
only 50 were built
Specifications (HSL-1), powerplant
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-50 18-cyl. two-row air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,100 hp (1,600 kW)
Lead, aircraft description
The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter
Lead, production contract
resulting in the cancellation of the production contract
Lead, builder
The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter built by Bell Helicopter for the US Navy.
Lead, country
The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter built by Bell Helicopter for the US Navy.
In Group: Naval Helicopters, Lead, role of the aircraft
The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter built by Bell Helicopter for the US Navy.
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