Microsoft Flight Simulator celebrates a historic period of rotary wing aviation with this Local Legend launch!
BIRTH OF A LEGEND
The single-engine, four-seat Bell 47J Ranger is likely one of the most essential and profitable helicopters developed within the early period of rotary wing aviation. Famend for its versatility, ruggedness, and reliability, the Ranger traces its improvement to the Golden Age of Flight, the interval from the tip of World Battle I to the start of World Battle II aeronautical expertise loved exceptional strides. Within the late Twenties, American Arthur Younger, impressed by flight improvements of the time, started independently experimenting with fundamental helicopter design. In 1941, after greater than a decade of labor on his personal, Younger joined the Bell Plane Firm to develop a full-size, absolutely functioning helicopter.
His work yielded the Bell 30, an indication helicopter that took its maiden flight on June 26, 1943. The profitable Bell 30 design supplied the premise for Bell’s first industrial helicopter, the Bell 47. The Bell 47 is a “tail rotor helicopter” that makes use of a 2-blade predominant rotor and a 2-blade anti-torque tail rotor. The prototype took its maiden flight on December 8, 1945, and Bell launched the primary manufacturing variant, the 2-seat 47A, in 1946. The 47A was the primary helicopter to be licensed for civilian use in the US and shortly grew to become extensively adopted for quite a lot of functions. Many iterations adopted, together with the H-13 Sioux, utilized by the U.S. and British army.
YEARS OF SUCCESS AND REFINEMENT
The Bell 47 household of rotorcraft grew to become one of the profitable plane lineages, of any sort, in historical past. Bell and different firms underneath its license manufactured greater than 5,000 47s. Many stay airworthy many years after the prototype first flew. Within the Fall of 1954, Bell launched the Bell 47G, a strong 4-seat basic utility model of the 47. The Bell47H, based mostly on the 47G, shortly adopted. The 47H was the primary helicopter meant for government use, and Bell bought solely 33 fashions of it. Though the 47H proved a industrial disappointment, Bell remained steadfast in its resolve to introduce a helicopter for the enterprise and government transport market.
THE BELL 47J RANGER TAKES FLIGHT
In 1956, Bell launched the 47J Ranger, a 4-seat model of the 47H. Bigger than its predecessor, and fitted with a extra highly effective engine, it proved an amazing success. The Ranger was the primary helicopter to move a sitting American president and was featured in plenty of standard motion pictures, together with the James Bond movie “Thunderball.”
The Bell 47J contains a single-pilot console that’s centered on the ahead portion of the cabin. The helicopter’s bubble cover offers most visible situational consciousness for the pilot, with a 180-degree unobstructed area of view. The cabin is roomy and has seating for as much as three passengers behind the pilot. The helicopter makes use of customary skids for its touchdown gear and will be fitted with floats for marine operations.
The 47J Ranger proved to be one of the profitable members of the Bell 47 household. The firm manufactured 361 Rangers, with a mixture of civil and army subvariants. The helicopter was used worldwide for each industrial functions and in transport for the governments of a dozen nations. Along with government transport, the Ranger was used to maneuver individuals and cargo, air ambulance, commuter flights, aerial surveying, and quite a lot of army functions, together with liaison and reconnaissance.
The U.S. Air Drive bought two 47Js, designated UH-13J Sioux, in March of 1957 to be used as the primary presidential transport helicopters in American historical past. On July 12, 1957, American President Dwight D. Eisenhower grew to become the primary U.S. president to be transported by helicopter when an Air Drive Sioux lifted off from the White Home garden. The Bell 47J measures 32 ft, 5 inches in size, stands 9 ft, 3 inches tall, and has a
2-blade predominant rotor system with a diameter of 37 ft, 2 inches. It’s powered by a 6-cylinder Lycoming VO-540-B1B piston engine that delivers as much as 260 horsepower to the rotor methods. It has a variety of 260 miles, climbs at 870 ft per minute, and has a service ceiling of 11,000 ft above sea degree. It cruises at 91 miles per hour and has a prime velocity of 105 mph.
THE MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR BELL 47J RANGER EXPERIENCE
The Microsoft Flight Simulator Bell 47J Ranger is the 14th plane within the franchise’s Local Legend collection, and the primary time a rotary-wing craft has been featured. Recreated in gorgeous element, Microsoft Flight Simulator pilots will savor their time within the 47J Ranger’s cockpit, flying one in all rotary wing aviation’s nice icons all through the world.
With two touchdown gear sorts—standard skids and floats—pilots will have the ability to discover your entire globe by means of infinite flying alternatives. Every variant is obtainable with seven liveries: White; White and Blue; Pink, White, and Black; Yellow; Pink, White, and Blue; Xbox Aviators Membership; and Aviators Membership. Purchase it right now for $14.99. The sky is asking!
Microsoft Flight Simulator is obtainable for Xbox Collection X|S and PC with Xbox Recreation Move, PC Recreation Move, Home windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported cell telephones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs by way of Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the newest data on Microsoft Flight Simulator, keep tuned to @MSFSOfficial on Twitter.