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HTL Sioux
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Photo: Robert
Deering 4/18/2015 National Museum of Naval Aviation NAS Pensacola (NPA) Pensacola, Florida |
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Originally designed as a commercial
helicopter, the HTL Sioux was acquired by
the U.S. Navy for training purposes in the
late 1940s, and were in use until retirement
in April 1964.
HTLs were used in the Apollo program
to familiarize astronauts with its
auto-rotation sink rate which was similar to
the Lunar Excursion Module
Initially, the United States Navy
procured several Bell 47s, designated
HTL-1,
between 1947 and 1958. The United States
Coast Guard evaluated this model, and
procured two HTL-1s for multi-mission
support in the New York Harbor. The most
common U.S. Navy version of the 47 was
designated the
HTL-4,
and dispenses with the fabric covering on
the tail boom. The U.S. Coast Guard procured
three
HTL-5s
in 1952 (similar to the HTL-4 but powered by
a Franklin O-335-5 engine) and used these
until 1960. The Coast Guard procured
two of Bell's Model 47G and designated them
HUL-1G
in 1959.
SOURCE: National Museum of
Naval Aviation & Wikipedia |
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