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The Bell 206L1 LongRanger II is a 7-seat light utility helicopter powered by a single Rolls Royce Allison 250-C20B
turbine engine. In 1961, Bell developed Model 206 as the OH-4A to meet the U.S.Army requirements. The OH-4A flew
first on 8 December 1962. However the Bell OH-4A didn't win the competition, the helicopter was a
success as the Bell 206 JetRanger. The prototype of this five-seat commercial model, the Bell 206A
JetRanger N8590F, flew on 10 January 1966. Bell received FAA certification for the helicopter on
20 October 1966, and deliveries of the Model 206A powered by a 317 shp Allison C18A engine, started
in January 1967. In the early 1970s, production switched to the Model 206B JetRanger II with a 400 shp
250-C20 turboshaft. In September 1973, the development of the LongRanger, a stretched JetRanger was announced.
The 206L LongRanger flew first on 11 September 1974 and production started early 1975. The Model 206L1
LongRanger II was introduced in 1978. More than 4800 206Bs and 1700 206Ls have been produced since the
introduction of the 206A JetRanger on 13 January 1967, when the first
two production aircraft were delivered to customers. Since then, Bell
has delivered five different generations of the commercial 206 with its
206A/B JetRangers and 206L/L1/L3/L4 LongRangers. Bell 206 aircraft are
currently produced at Bell Helicopter's facility in Mirabel, Canada.
Early 2008, Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced that it is terminating production of its 206B3 helicopter model. All current
customer commitments for the production of its 206B3 helicopter models will be met through 2010. |
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Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-3 Long Ranger III D-HOPY of Heliteam Sued was photographed at the helipad of
"Circuit van Drenthe" near Assen in the Netherlands. During the 75th Dutch TT, Bell D-HOPY was operated as relay-station helicopter
for broadcasting duties together with the camera helicopter Bell 407
D-HUTA of Heliteam Süd. LongRanger D-HOPY
was registered in Germany in 1989. The helicopter was DBR in a crash during sightseeing flights in Westendorf, Germany on 26 July 2008. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
