The Bell 47G is a three-place helicopter (the pilot seats on the left with the two passengers seated side-by-side on the same bench) of standard configuration. It has a two-blade main rotor (the main blades are made of laminated wood) with a stabilizer bar and a two-blade tail rotor. Its cabin is protected by a "bubble" made of Plexiglas (one of the main characteristics of this model which gives unequalled visibility in all directions) and is accessible from each side through quickly removable doors. The helicopter was usually delivered with a skid landing gear, but for amphibious operations it could be also equipped with a float landing gear. 

The Bell 47G, built in the 1950s by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, is an improved version of the Bell 47D1, the first helicopter of the 47 series capable to transport two passengers, instead of just one, along with the pilot. The Bell 47D1, which appeared in 1949, was successfully used by civil and military operators. During the Korean War this helicopter, known as the H-13D and H-13E (USAF) or HTL-4 and HTL-5 (US Navy), was used extensively as an aerial ambulance to transport the wounded to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) units.

The Bell 47G obtained the CAA certification on June 19, 1953, and the first deliveries to civil customers started shortly after. That year Bell sold its 1,000th Bell 47.  In 1953 the sale price of a Bell 47G equipped with skid-type landing gear and base equipment was of about $38,000 US dollars.