Bell Textron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bell Textron Inc.

Logo as of 2018
Formerly	Bell Helicopter Company Bell Helicopter Textron Bell Helicopter
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Aerospace Defense
Predecessor	Bell Aircraft
Founded	1960; 65 years ago (1960) (Bell Helicopter) 1935; 90 years ago (1935) (Bell Aircraft)
Headquarters	Fort Worth, Texas , US
Key people	Lisa Atherton (president & CEO)
Parent	Textron

Bell Textron Inc. is an American company that builds aircraft. It is based in Fort Worth, Texas. Bell is part of a larger company called Textron. Bell makes military aircraft like helicopters in Texas. They also build helicopters for everyday use in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada.

The Story of Bell: How It Started

Early Days: Bell Aircraft

The company began on July 10, 1935. It was called Bell Aircraft Corporation. Lawrence Dale Bell started it in Buffalo, New York. At first, the company focused on making fighter aircraft. These were planes designed to fight other planes.

Some of their first fighter planes were the XFM-1 Airacuda and the P-39 Airacobra. Bell also made the P-59 Airacomet. This was the very first jet fighter plane made in America. They also built the P-63 Kingcobra and the famous Bell X-1. The X-1 was the first plane to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Building Helicopters: A New Direction

In 1941, Bell hired a clever inventor named Arthur M. Young. He helped with research on helicopters. Lawrence Bell wanted his company to make more than just military planes. He wanted to build things that weren't only for the government.

The Bell 30 was their first full-size helicopter. It flew for the first time on December 29, 1942. Then came the Bell 47. This was the first helicopter approved for civilian use. It became very popular with both civilians and the military. Because the helicopter business grew so much, it moved to Hurst, Texas, in 1951. It became its own separate part of the company.

Bell Helicopter: A New Chapter

In 1960, a company called Textron bought Bell Aerospace. This included the helicopter part of Bell Aircraft. The helicopter division was renamed Bell Helicopter Company. It grew quickly. The UH-1 Huey helicopter became very famous during the Vietnam War. This made Bell Helicopter the biggest part of Textron. In 1976, its name changed again to Bell Helicopter Textron.

Bell Helicopter worked closely with another company, AgustaWestland. They had agreements to build helicopters together. This included models like the Bell 47 and Bell 206. Bell also worked with AgustaWestland on the AW609 tiltrotor. A tiltrotor is an aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter. It can also fly forward like a plane.

On February 22, 2018, the company changed its name simply to "Bell".

What Bell Builds: Aircraft Products

Bell has a facility in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. This factory opened in 1986. It puts together most of Bell's helicopters for everyday use. On December 12, 2017, they delivered their 5,000th helicopter from this location.

Helicopters for Everyday Use

Bell makes many types of helicopters for civilian use. These are used for things like transport, rescue, and business.

Helicopters for Military Use

Bell also builds many helicopters for armed forces around the world.

• Bell H-13 Sioux
• Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey)
• Bell UH-1N Twin Huey
• Bell AH-1 Cobra
• Bell AH-1 SeaCobra/SuperCobra
• Bell OH-58 Kiowa
• Bell UH-1Y Venom
• Bell AH-1Z Viper
• Bell CH-146 Griffon
• Bell 360 Invictus – a proposed reconnaissance helicopter

Aircraft That Tilt: Tiltrotors

Tiltrotors are special aircraft. They can take off and land like helicopters. Then, their engines tilt forward, and they fly like airplanes.

• Bell XV-3
• Bell XV-15
• Bell V-247 Vigilant – being developed
• Bell V-280 Valor – first flew in 2017, being developed
• V-22 Osprey – made with Boeing BDS
• TR918 Eagle Eye UAV – an unmanned tiltrotor
• Quad TiltRotor – made with Boeing BDS

Where Bell Builds: Facilities

Bell has several important locations where they build and support their aircraft.

For Military Aircraft

• Fort Worth, Texas: Bell has six factories in this area. The Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) in Fort Worth is key. It helps develop new aircraft like the Bell V-280 Valor and Bell 360 Invictus.
• Amarillo, Texas: This plant is near the airport. It puts together military helicopters like the H1 and V-22. It also assembles the Bell 525.

For Commercial Aircraft

• Mirabel, Quebec, Canada: This facility opened in 1983. It is next to the Montreal-Mirabel International Airport. It makes parts for and assembles Bell's commercial helicopters. These include the 407, 412, 429, 505, and 525 models.

Images for kids

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  A Bell 47 is shown at the MoMA.

• 

  A previous Bell logo.

• 

  Bell 206B JetRanger III

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  Comparison of the Bell 212 (U.S. Navy HH-1N) and 412 (Mercy Air) at the Mojave Airport

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  Bell 412EP Griffin HT1 helicopter of the UK Defence Helicopter Flying School

• 

  Bell Nexus ‘Air Taxi’ at Smithsonian in 2022

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  Bell Nexus ‘Air Taxi’ at Smithsonian in 2022

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  A V-22 Osprey flying.

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  A V-280 Valor taking off.

See also

In Spanish: Bell Textron para niños

• Leonardo Helicopters
• Airbus Helicopters
• Sikorsky Aircraft