Bell 47 Helicopter - Australia

[Scar59]

Clinto,
-good point, if it is not fly able and will sit in the front yard, it's worth about $ 1000.00. Simple, it's a piece of history.
If it can be made airworthy, it's worth is between $50k-$100k. Big difference. The OP needs to state his intent, sounds like he wants the helicopter as a toy/ display however his questions lead one to thinks it will be resold and flown. I wish I had the oppurtunity to find an old helo, $50-$100k later it would be flying. Top tiger could be my test pilot, since I do not have a rotorcraft rating. There a several museums that would love to get that thing on display, especially with it being equipped with the litters.

 

[Warthog]

Warthog, you are on the SS forum posting police force?

When you stated 'While the regulation info is helpful, that was not the question. If you can't answer his question about the aircraft please do not post.'

Well, now if an aircraft can be registered and legally flown, it is certainly worth a lot more than one fit only for use as a 57 year old lawn ornament. So you see, Warthog, local CAA regs are quite important and do well apply to the question posted. Go pick on something you know a but more about.

To answer your question, yes, as a forum moderator, I am part of this forums posting police. Only authority I do not have is the website administrator.

While I do not have a rotorcraft rating, I am a commercial pilot so I do have just a little knowledge of the subject.

 

[toptiger]

So how much was he asking????
BTW if you had googled - bell 47 helicopter for sale australia
a lot of things come up in 1 second, most promising is the link to the main aircraft sales firm in Australia, and NZ
http://www.aircraftonline.com.au/air.php
look for helicopters {left side}- there is a 47 listed, call them and get details

 

[Malaponte]

He is asking between 15K-20K for 2 of them. One is apparently still flying, and another one for parts. He was last flying it about 3 months ago. Until I get photos next week I am unsure of what I am going to do with it. I would look sensational restored but I would rather keep my feet on the ground. It sounds like I have upset some people in here with my first post. For that I am sorry. I was only asking for some information about what I should be looking for when I get up and close to this unit. For the person who posted a PDF of some Bell helicopter information " Thank you ". What I have told you is all I know for now. Hopefully in a week or so I can update everyone with some photos and more details.

 

[toptiger]

To Warthog, my apologies. It would give a bit more credence to your posts if your id mentioned Moderator in red or something. But my point still remains valid, a legal aircraft is worth more than a static display.
To Malaponte, You did not piss anyone off to my knowledge as SS is here to help answer questions. Keep asking....and be sure to post some photos of the aircraft.
to Scar 59, no more flying for me but thanks anyway! BTW - here's a true story. A VFW unit received a UH-1D for display, built a concrete mount for it, and arranged a local crane company to donate the time to take it off the 18 wheeler and set it up on the mounting. The truck came directly from a Guard unit disposal station. Well on the day of the delivery the crane was in use elsewhere, and the truck driver said he would wait for 45 minutes and then would have to return the Huey. Well everyone was wondering what to do next when a former Gunship pilot, who I know very well, looked over the aircraft closely, checked the fluids which were all ok, it even still had some fuel! Only thing missing was the 24 volt battery. SO, boys and girls, he asked the vets standing around to go get 2 batteries from their cars and put them in series, hooked them up and started the engine! All was in the green so he told them to remove the tiedowns from the trailer, put some dead weight in the co-pilots seat for CG, took it out of flight idle to flight RPM and brought it to a hover. All was ok at that point and he checked again that all gauges were still in the green. He then hovered over to the mount and set it down!
They was a big celebration afterwards!
True story.

 

[Heath_h49008]

Sounds like an excellent opportunity Malaponte!

If this is an operational unit, then the possibility there are logbooks is significantly increased. And if you didn't before, you now know how valuable those can be to the aircraft.

Even if you don't want to fly her, you may be able to preserve her in a condition where later she may be flown. I have found that it is far better for a machine of historic significance to roar past 100k people in a weekend as a functional warbird, rather than have a million people shuffle past a dead pile of aluminum behind a velvet rope.

More profitable for you, and far better for posterity.



I cannot wait to see the pictures!

 

[Malaponte]

Hi Heath, I am so looking forward to seeing it sometime on the weekend. Hopefully I can come back with heaps of photos and more information for everyone.

 

[cobra5]

The guy is in his late 80's and is asking 15-20K probably because he is done with flying and is trying to retire. All though you have no intent on flying it, you should plan on keeping it airworthy. One day you may decide to sell and it will be worth more $$ in an airworthy condition. My advise is to take an aircraft mechanic with you so he can look at the logs and do the research.

 

[Scar59]

To All,
Looks like we're all on the same page, please post pictures and make sure you get a look at it's maintenance logs. This could be one of those diamonds in the rough. You never know, you might want to learn to fly it.
JC

 

[joediveguy]

subscribed....waiting for the pic's......

 

[Scar59]

Found a copy of AMT (Aircraft Maint. Technology) Jan/Feb 13 issue in the break room. Bell 47 on the cover and an interesting article about current support and upgrades to the craft. Scott's Helicopter Services located in LeSuere, MN holds the Type Certificate for the helicopter. (AMT can be found on www.AviationPros.com)

 

[Skippythebushkangaroo]

Needed Bell 47 not flying

Gday, if you don't take up the offer - any chance you could get the chaps details to me?
I run a Family Day Care in Launceston Tassie and the kids would love to have such a helo to play on. The kids watch an episode of Skippy everyday and they all run around madly being the Bell 47.
My address is p.heaton@bigpond.com

look fwd to your response! Cheers Phil

Hello to Everyone at Steel Soldiers. This is my first post. I am looking at purchasing a very early 50's Korean War Bell 47 Helicopter. Apparently it still is in the Korean war green colours and still has the Medivac Pods on the side of it. It is owned by an old gentleman who is no longer interested in it. It still flies. He doesn't want too much money for it and it is supposed to come with another Bell 47 for parts. Can anyone tell me what type of money I should be paying for something like this. What numbers or codes I should be looking for ? I am mainly into Jeeps and this is very new to me.

Located in Australia

 

[Malaponte]

Just a short update people. I sill have not had a chance yet to view the 2 Bell 47 Helicopters. My friend that knows where they are located has not had a weekend off in weeks. I am hoping that I should be at the very least view and take some photos of the 2 helicopters in a few weeks.

I promise I will take a few photos then.

Cheers

Justin

 

[saddamsnightmare]

September 12th, 2013.

I wish the OP luck, but I will say that we had one of these in the early 1980's to haul construction equipment repair parts (small ones), and all I can remember is the apt saying that a helicopters is composed of 1000's of parts, each trying to destroy the other. The rebuilds on these critters sometimes makes fixed wings look cheap. and that is nearly thirty years ago!

 

[Nicledoux]

I love flying the 47. She has a great rhythm, tough to get her down in autos though.nice that she has the rotor inertia to pic back up and perform a 180 pedal turn and set back down. Absolutely...Get a mechanic to look her over just out of respect. Dutch Country Helicopters in Lancster, PA, may be able to offer some direction to the gentleman selling if not worth recertification. Perhaps the Wings of Freedom Museum. http://wingsoffreedommuseum.org/ in Horsham, PA or the American Helicopter Museum. http://www.americanhelicopter.museum/ in west Chester , PA would be interested in aquiring a second. Should the ship actually have time left and is airworthy in waiting, she should be exercised and flown at shows. The 47 is now a new revived production aircraft, I forget the name of the co. though. Fly safe!

 

[Stoner63]

Its likely a 47D1 or D2. Easy way to tell is the gas tank is flat and goes across the tail boom. Later models had pod tanks on both sides of the tail boom which did not come out until after Korea. There are several D models still flying in the US. At least three (3) I know of. It probably would not pass inspection here even with logs books. The Bell 47 is a fantastic bird to fly. I took my instrument training in an Army OH13 which is a later Bell 47G3B1.

 

[Malaponte]

Thanks Stoner,

I still have not had a chance yet to look at this helicopter. My friend that knows where this is located is a shift worker and for him to get time off is hard. He finishes his contract early next month and I am hoping to go and view it then.

But that is a good way of tell exactly what model it is. I will make sure I take photos as well.

Cheers

Justin

 

[toptiger]

stoner
I took my instrument tng in the oh-13 too, HAA 1968
after 1 year in indian country -charle models- 900 hours- i was staioned again at HAA and got some hours back on the OH-13. really amazing how much they improved them in just 1 year!

 

[Another Ahab]

Subscribed. Don't know much anything about helicopters except what a former ANG pilot (Phantoms, F4 wasn't it?) once told me about them:

- Told me they fly because they're so ugly that the Earth repels them!

 

[Stoner63]

We Army pilots say... "If the wing don't swing, it isn't really flying"