The Bell Model 206 JetRanger is one of the most successful helicopter designs in the world. The design originated in the mid-1960s as an entry in a US Army competition for a light observation (scout) helicopter. Although Bell lost the contract, the Model 206 "JetRanger" entered the civilian market in 1967. The Model 206 has been overhauled three times, the basic shape and design are unchanged since 1967. The JetRanger is popular with news media for traffic and news reporting. In a twist, the US Army eventually selected the 206 for use as theOH-58 Kiowa , fulfilling its original role. The US Navy , Marines , and Coast Guard use 206 variants known as the TH-57 "Sea Ranger" in the Navy and Marines and the TH-67 Creek in the Army as a trainer for helicopter students.
The Model 206 design has yielded a number of derivative aircraft, including the 407 and military OH-58 Kiowa. The 407 and OH-58D use a newer, 4-bladed articulated rotor system that offers improved performance while reducing vibration and noise.
BELL 206B3
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 4
- Length: 39 ft 1 in (11.9 m)
- Rotor diameter: 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
- Height: 2.83 m (9 ft 4in)
- Disc area: 872 ft² (81.1 m²)
- Empty weight: 1,632 lb (742 kg)
- Loaded weight: 3,200 lb (1,452 kg)
- Maximum Take-Off Weight : 3,350 lb (1,520 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Allison 250 -C20J turboshaft , 420 shp (313 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed : 139 mph (224 km/h)
- Range : 437 miles (704 km)
- Service ceiling : 13,500 ft (4,115 m)
- Rate of climb : 1,280 ft/min (6.5 m/s)
- Disc loading: 4 lb/ft² (18 kg/m²)
- Power/mass : 0.26 hp/lb (0.42 kW/kg)
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