1965

• The U.S. Army takes delivery of its first Bell TH-13T instrument trainers.
• Bell Aerosystems’ Agena engine is used to send NASA’s Ranger 9 on moon photo missions.
• The U.S. Air Force elevates Bell Aerosystems to prime contract status, calling for the delivery of all Agena engines directly to the Air Force.
• Bell Helicopter sets a production record believed to be unprecedented in the aerospace industry, with 100 consecutive months of on-schedule deliveries to U.S. Government entities.
• A new vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) trailing rotor convertiplane design is unveiled.
• Selection of the Bell UH-1D is approved by the West German Parliamentary Committee in Bonn, which places an order for 406 helicopters, valued at approximately $125 million.
• The twin-turbine powered Bell UH-1D is developed and takes first flight.
• Bell Helicopter receives additional U.S. Army orders for 720 helicopters (225 Bell UH-1Bs and 465 Bell UH-1Ds).
• Bell Helicopter announces the development of the Bell AH-1 Cobra, a highly modified Bell UH-1B derivative featuring a streamlined fuselage, armament package, and dedicated crew for flying and weapon system control.
• Known also as the HueyCobra or Snake, the Bell AH-1 Cobra makes its first flight. The aircraft later became the backbone of the U.S. Army’s attack helicopter fleet.
• Bell Aerosystems announces a Federal Government transportation project using two SK-5 Air Cushioned Vehicles to shuttle passengers between the Oakland and San Francisco airports.
• As an addition to its 1966 commercial line, Bell unveils the new five-seat, turbine-powered Bell 206 JetRanger. It will fly at speeds in excess of 140 mph and will carry a 1,500-lb useful load.
• he new Bell AH-1 Cobra records a sustained level flight cruise speed of 200 mph. Until this time, the official world speed record for its weight class was 180.1 mph.
• A $297,000 contract is awarded for a preliminary design study for a new research VTOL rotary-wing composite aircraft.
• The third and final SK-5 Air Cushioned Vehicle is produced for the U.S. Navy and shipped to Coronado, CA.
• The Bell X-22A V/STOL aircraft number 2 is rolled out.

1966

• Rollout of the first Bell 206 JetRanger takes place at the Hurst, TX, facility. The flight test program is initiated with the first flight occurring on the same day. Successfully derived from the prior YOH-4 “Ugly Duckling,” with a stylistic redesign accredited to Dwayne Jose, Vice President of Marketing, the Bell 206 becomes the most successful commercial helicopter in history.
• The U.S. Army awards Bell Helicopter a contract for 110 production Bell AH-1s.
• Testing takes place for a three-blade spacecraft rotor recovery system that would allow astronauts to reduce landing speeds and control choice of landing sites.
• A $249,457,443 contract is received for 2,115 Bell UH-1 Iroquois, the largest contract in Bell history and largest ever awarded by the U.S. Army Aviation Materiel Command.
• The Federal government’s transportation project, using two Bell SK-5’s Air Cushioned Vehicles, successfully concludes in San Francisco, logging 179,700 passenger miles and carrying 13,600 passengers.
• Altitude testing of the modified multiple restart Gemini/Agena rocket engine is carried out in preparation of Gemini VIII.
• Halvorson-Lent’s Trans-Canyon Pipeline Project nears completion at the Grand Canyon. It is one of the greatest construction challenges in history, using helicopters exclusively to lay water pipe in the floor of the canyon.
• The U.S. Army awards Bell Helicopter a $44,377,858 contract for 708 Bell UH-1Ds.
• A unique radar antenna that is built into the blade of a helicopter is successfully tested.
• Two new “flying devices” – the Flying Chair and Pogo Stick – are developed and announced.
• The delivery of three Bell UH-1Ds completes an order for 11 helicopters, constituting New Zealand’s first armed forces rotary-wing fleet.
• First flight occurs for the X-22A V/STOL research airplane, featuring four ducted fans that can rotate together between vertical and horizontal positions for various flight modes.
• The U.S. Army continues to expand its fleet by placing a $21,795,000 order for 210 additional Bell AH-1s.
• Three Bell SK-5 Air Cushioned Vehicles (ACVs) arrive for the U.S. Navy operation near Moc Hoa, South Vietnam. The three craft are able to access areas that were previously inaccessible, successfully destroying and capturing Viet Cong supplies and soldiers.
• The Bell Aerosystems Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) sets a new flight record by staying aloft for 9.5 minutes.

1967

• The first two Bell 206A JetRanger deliveries take place during the Helicopter Association of America (HAA) convention. The first is purchased by Harry Holly of Hollymatic Corp. in Park Forest, IL, and the second by the National Helicopter Service & Engineering Co. of Van Nuys, CA.
• Canadian operators Dominion Helicopters Ltd. and Pegasus Airlifts establish a joint air taxi service using four Bell 206 JetRangers and four Bell 47J-2s at the Canadian International Exposition of 1967.
• The Brazilian Air Force purchases its first Bell UH-1Ds, acquiring six aircraft to supplement its Bell 47G and Bell 47J fleets.
• Helicopter Sales Pty. Ltd., a Bell Helicopter dealer in Australia, receives first export delivery of a production Bell 206A.
• The Los Angeles County Fire Department becomes the first municipality to purchase a Bell 204B.
• “Cobra” is officially adopted by the U.S. Army as its name for the Bell AH-1.
• The first production Bell AH-1G is delivered to the U.S. Army.
• A U.S. Army contract is awarded for 141 Bell TH-13T instrument trainers.
• The West Germany Federal Defense Force accepts the first of 380 Bell UH-1Ds assembled in West Germany under a co-production contract between Bell Helicopter and Dornier, GmbH.
• Ten Bell UH-1Ds are ordered following the aircraft’s selection as the first helicopter to be used in the all-around ground support operations of the Canadian Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force).
• Bell Helicopter announces a new 15-seat commercial model, the Bell 205A, to be available during 1968. It is the largest helicopter ever manufactured by the company at that time.
• The U.S. Army announces it has deployed the Bell AH-1 Cobra in Vietnam. The first combat kill is credited to Maj. Gen. George Seneff, commander of the First Aviation Brigade, who destroyed a sampan (river boat) with four Viet Cong onboard.
• U.S. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey rides in a SK-5 ACV down Niagara River from Buffalo to Bell Aerosystems’ Wheatfield, NY, plant. He also witnesses a ducted fan transition on the X-22A aircraft, a double “rocket belt” flight, and tours the facility. Neil Armstrong, who is also visiting, gives a detailed explanation of Bell’s Lunar Landing Training Vehicle to the Vice President.
• A double Rocket Belt flight by Bob Courter and Bill Suitor is aired on national television during the first Super Bowl football game in Los Angeles.
• Over 4,000 employees and officials witness the X-22A’s first successful public flight.

1969

• Bell Helicopter’s compound research helicopter, a highly modified Bell UH-1, attains a speed of 316 mph in level flight. This is an unofficial speed record and has remained unchallenged.
• The U.S. Air Force awards Bell Helicopter a contract to define the design characteristics of a folding prop-rotor aircraft.
• Bell Helicopter announces that its twin-engine Bell 212 flight test program is well underway.
• The U.S. Army accepts the first Bell OH-58A light observation helicopter. The Bell OH-58 is officially named the Kiowa.
• A licensing agreement for co-production of the Bell 205 is signed by the People’s Republic of China and Bell Helicopter.
• The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps place orders for the new twin-engine Bell HU-1N. The total includes 79 for the Air Force, 40 for the Navy and 22 for the Marines.
• Fifty twin-engine Bell CUH-1Ns are ordered by the Canadian government for its armed forces.
• The U.S. Marine Corps’ Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra, a twin-engine version of the U.S. Army Cobra, is unveiled by Bell Helicopter before a gathering of armed forces representatives. The U.S. Marine Corps orders 49.
• The U.S. Navy accepts its first Bell UH-1L utility helicopter from Bell Helicopter for deployment to the Pacific Fleet.
• A U.S. Army announcement is made that the first deployment of the Bell OH-58A Kiowa to battle units in Vietnam has occurred.

1970

• The U.S. Army awards a contract for 170 additional Bell AH-1s with an initial funding of $5 million.
• With $20 million in initial funding, the U.S. Army orders 289 Bell UH-1Hs.
• Selected by the Canadian government as the light observation helicopter for the Canadian Armed Forces, 74 Bell OH-58As are ordered.
• The U.S. Air Force formally accepts its first Bell UH-1N Twin Huey at Eglin AFB, FL.
• FAA certification is received for the Bell 212.
• The Bell 214 is initiated, built, and has first flight. Also known as the “Huey Plus,” the Bell 214 was conceived from a request by the Imperial Iranian Air Force.

1971

• The U.S. Army contracts with Bell Helicopter to provide 300 Bell UH-1H helicopters, funded at $37.5 million.
• Delivery of the first Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is taken by the U.S. Marine Corps.
• The Bell 206B JetRanger II, powered by an Allison 250-C20 engine, receives FAA type certification.
• Acceptance of the first of 50 twin-engine Bell CUH-1Ns is made by the Canadian Armed Forces.
• In honor of the company’s 20th year in Texas, the mayor of Fort Worth proclaims “Bell Helicopter Week.”
• The first Bell 206B JetRanger II production model delivers to Okanagan Helicopters Ltd. of Canada.
• The Bell 212 receives FAA Category A certification.
• Presentation of the Bell 207 Sioux Scout prototype from 1963 to the U.S. Army Aviation Museum in Ft. Rucker, AL, occurs.
• The first of 74 Bell COH-58A light observation helicopters is delivered to Canadian Armed Forces.

1972

• Commercial and international marketing break all-time records with firm orders for 105 helicopters valued at $23 million.
• Bell Helicopter receives a $24,732,793 contract from the U.S. Army as prime systems integrator of the Improved Cobra Armament Program (ICAP). The contract calls for integrating the tube-launched, optically tracked, wireless-guide (TOW) system into eight U.S. Army Bell AH-1Gs.
• Twenty-four Bell UH-1Hs are added to a co-production contract between Bell Helicopter and the People’s Republic of China.
• The U.S. Air Force takes delivery of the first two of 30 Bell HH-1H local base rescue helicopters.
• Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) orders 33 new Bell helicopters, valued at $5 million. This is the largest single commercial helicopter order in history.
• Bell Helicopter announces a breakthrough in the elimination of helicopter vibration by suspending the fuselage from a “nodalized” beam.
• Four Bell UH-1s are assigned to launch a site recovery force team during the last programmed Apollo lunar mission – the first night launch from Kennedy Space Center.
• Texas Congressman Jim Wright announces the sale of 287 new Bell 214As and 202 Bell AH-1Js to Iran through the U.S. Government. Total value of the purchase exceeds $500 million.
• James F. Atkins becomes president of the company, replacing Edwin J. Ducayet.

1973

• The U.S. Army orders 74 additional Bell OH-58A helicopters. The contract is valued at $6.5 million.
• An additional 20 Bell AH-1J SeaCobras are ordered by the U.S. Marines. The contract is valued at $5 million.
• The U.S. Army orders 180 Bell UH-1H helicopters. The contract is valued at $27.4 million.
• Under an option, the U.S. Army orders 16 additional Bell UH-1H helicopters. The contract is valued at $2.6 million.
• The 1,000th Bell 206B JetRanger II is delivered.
• In a contract valued at $9.5 million, the U.S. Navy orders 24 additional Bell UH-1N helicopters.
• Bell Helicopter is awarded a NASA/U.S. Army contract to build and test two tiltrotor research aircraft. Estimated cost of the four-year program is $28 million.
• The U.S. Army awards Bell Helicopter a $44.7 million contract to initiate development of an Advanced Attack Helicopter system. Total development funds could reach $120 million. The three-year program calls for Bell Helicopter to design and fabricate two flying prototypes and one ground test vehicle. The Army will select the production contractor for an estimated $500 million run in three to five years.
• A single-month record of 70 commercial aircraft deliveries is achieved.

1976

• Bell Helicopter Operations Corporation is formed to carry out a long-term co-production and joint venture agreement with the Iranian government.
• The company adopts a new name, Bell Helicopter Textron.
• FAA certification is received for the Bell 214B.
• Ceremonies for the 25th anniversary celebrating the Hurst, TX, plant occur.
• The Bell AH-1T prototype (improved AH-1J) makes its first flight.
• Delivery of the first of 198 Bell AH-1Ss modified from existing aircraft is made to the U.S. Army at Bell Helicopter’s Amarillo, TX, plant.
• The 2,000th Bell 206B JetRanger II is delivered to the McDonald’s Corporation. Delivery was accepted by founder Ray Kroc.
• First flight occurs for the Bell 222 prototype.
• The U.S. Army awards Bell Helicopter Textron a production contract for 22 additional Bell AH-1Ss, increasing the total order to 66.
• The first NASA/U.S. Army Bell XV-15 tiltrotor is rolled out at Bell Helicopter’s Flight Research Center.
• Dedication ceremonies for Bell Helicopter’s Machining Center are held in Grand Prairie, TX.
• A contract is awarded for 82 additional Bell AH-1Ss.
• Bell Helicopter sets a new one-month delivery record of 90 commercial helicopters.

1977

• The Bell 222 makes its initial public flight at Helicopter Association of America’s annual meeting. Later versions include the Bell 222A, 222B, 222SP and 222U.
• Bell Helicopter announces the development of a Bell 206B-3 JetRanger III, a more powerful version of the world’s most popular helicopter.
• The U.S. Army formally accepts the initial production model of the Bell AH-1S.
• First hover flight of the Bell XV-15 (aka Bell 301) tiltrotor research aircraft takes place at Bell Helicopter’s Flight Research Center.
• Deliveries of the Bell JetRanger III to customers all over the world begin.
• The U.S. Marine Corps orders 22 additional Bell AH-1Ts.
• Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) records 1,100,000 flight hours on its Bell 47s. This is a record unequaled in commercial helicopter operations.
• Bell Helicopter announces the development of the Bell 214ST, an 18-seat, twin-engine, stretched version of the Bell 214.
• The U.S. Marine Corps formally accepts the first production Bell AH-1T.
• An option to purchase 83 additional Bell AH-1Ss is exercised by the U.S. Army.

1979

• Bell receives an order for eight commercial Bell 212s from the People’s Republic of China, a first by a U.S. helicopter manufacturer.
• The second Bell XV-15 makes its first flight in helicopter mode.
• First flight of the Bell 214ST occurs.
• The second Bell XV-15 completes its first conversion from hover to conventional airplane mode and back again.
• The Bell 412, destined to become Bell Helicopter Textron’s first four-blade production helicopter, makes its first flight.
• Construction begins on a 270,000 square-foot, $10 million manufacturing building at the Hurst, TX, facility.
• During ImaginEighties, a Bell Helicopter Textron sponsored program, orders are received for more than 200 commercial aircraft, valued at $200 million. Included are $150 million in customer commitments for the Bell 214ST.
• Bell Helicopter Textron achieves record-setting delivery of 585 commercial helicopters to domestic and foreign customers.