Bell HSL
| HSL (Bell Model 61) | |
|---|---|
| |
| The U.S. Navy Bell XHSL-1 prototype in flight. | |
| Role | Tandem-rotor ASW helicopter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Bell Helicopter |
| First flight | 3 March 1953 |
| Introduction | 1957 |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 53 including one static test article |
The Bell HSL (Model 61) was an American 1950s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter built by the Bell Helicopter company, the only tandem rotor type designed by Bell.
Design and development[edit]
The prototype Bell Model 61 first flew on 3 March 1953; it had been designed to meet a United States Navy requirement for an anti-submarine warfare helicopter. In June 1950, the Model 61 was announced as the winner of the competition, and three XHSL-1 evaluation aircraft were ordered. The Model 61 had a rectangular-section fuselage structure and four-leg, six-wheel landing gear. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine mounted in the aft fuselage. Crew included two pilots and two sonar operators.[1]
Because of the urgency of the requirement, low-rate production was ordered almost immediately after Bell received a contract for three XHSL-1s. The Navy eventually contracted for at least 160 production aircraft, including 18 intended for the British Royal Navy. Bureau Numbers were assigned for a total of 234. Because of development problems that resulted in poor schedule performance to the contract, only 50 were built. Although all were delivered, after service test and acceptance only a handful were used, for the development of airborne mine sweeping. The rest were delivered directly into storage and were subsequently struck off.
Operational history[edit]
The HSLs were not used operationally. Approximately seven were assigned to the U.S. Naval Air Mine Defense Unit at Panama City, Florida, for the development of airborne mine-sweeping, the first arriving in September 1956 and the last being struck off in early 1960.
Variants[edit]
- XHSL-1
- two experimental flight test and one static test article
- HSL-1
- production version, 50 built.
- Bell Model 61
- Company designation for the HSL
- Bell D-116
- A proposed civil variant of the Model 61, not proceeded with.
- Bell D-216
- A proposed variant of the HSL, not proceeded with.
- Bell D-238
- A proposed variant of the HSL, not proceeded with.
Operators[edit]
Specifications (HSL-1)[edit]
Data from NAVAER-1519B - Bell HSL-1 :Characteristic Summary[3] Bell Aircraft since 1935[4]<
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 (search mission), 3 (attack mission)
- Capacity: Hoist capacity 800 lb (363 kg)
- Length: 39 ft 11 in (12.17 m) (fuselage only)
- Width: 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) (rotors folded)
- Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
- Empty weight: 13,073 lb (5,930 kg)
- Gross weight: 16,958 lb (7,692 kg) (search mission)
- 16,853 lb (7,644 kg) (attack mission)
- Max takeoff weight: 26,500 lb (12,020 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 450 US gal (375 imp gal; 1,703 L) maximum
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-50 18-cyl. two-row air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) for sea level take-off at 2,600 rpm
- normal power at sea level, 1,900 hp (1,417 kW) at 2,400 rpm
- Main rotor diameter: 2 × 51 ft 6 in (15.70 m)
- Main rotor area: 3,840 sq ft (357 m2)
- Blade section: NACA 0015
Performance
- Maximum speed: 124 mph (200 km/h, 108 kn) (search mission)
- Cruise speed: 96 mph (154 km/h, 83 kn) at 1,500 ft (457 m)
- Range: 350 mi (560 km, 300 nmi)
- Combat range: 140 mi (230 km, 120 nmi)
- Endurance: 3 hours 30 minutes loiter on search mission
- Service ceiling: 14,400 ft (4,400 m) at take-off weight with normal power
- Absolute hover ceiling OGE: 10,750 ft (3,277 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,475 ft/min (7.49 m/s) normal power, sea level, at take-off weight in forward flight
- 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s) in vertical flight with take-off power, sea level, at take-off weight in forward flight
Armament
- Bombs: 2x Mark 43 torpedoes
Avionics
- Dipping Sonar
See also[edit]
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References[edit]
- Notes
- ^ Hearst Magazines (August 1953). "Navy's Most Powerful Helicopter to Hunt Submarines". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines. p. 121.
- ^ "Flight 1956 pg.518". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
- ^ NAVAER-1519B - Bell HSL-1 :Characteristic Summary (Revision 10-51 ed.). Navaer. 30 August 1958.
- ^ Pelletier, Alain J. (1992). Bell Aircraft since 1935 (1st ed.). London: Putnam & Company Ltd. pp. 100–102. ISBN 1-55750-056--8. OCLC 25625769.
- Bibliography
- Andrade, John M. U.S.Military Aircraft Designation and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). London, Orbis Publishing, 1985.
- Thomason, Tommy H. The Forgotten Bell HSL. Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 2005. ISBN 978-0-942612-70-7
External links[edit]
