N5751M Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger c/n 45522 - Welborn Baptist Hospital LifeFlight - Evansville, Indiana, USA - 28 January 1993

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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.

The EMS helicopter in Evansville in Indiana, USA is based at St.Mary's Riverside campus and operated as 'St.Mary's LifeFlight', known before as 'Life Flight of the Welborn Baptist Hospital'. In 1999, 'Life Flight of the Welborn Baptist Hospital' was renamed after St.Mary's purchased the Welborn Baptist Hospital. The 1980-built "LifeFlight/WELBORN Baptist Hospital" Long Ranger N5751M was photographed at the airport of Evansville on 28 January 1993. Long Ranger N5751M was owned at that time by Air Methods - Air Medical Services Division and is an example for the EMS helicopters used the USA in the nineties.

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