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Bell XH-40

1956 COLD WAR X-PLANE

History of the Bell XH-40

During the Korean War (1950-1953), the helicopter proved itself to the Americans as a combat item. This description led the U.S. Army to investigate the expanded use of this type, especially in contested areas, where helicopters proved to be a life-saving measure for the wounded.

The war led the Air Force to make significant investments in rotorcraft, which can handle casualty evacuation and other missions that require vertical take-off and landing (VTOL).

With this in mind, Bell Helicopter began work on a prototype helicopter powered by a turbine engine in 1955 with funding from a U.S. Army contract. This powerplant has been tested on the Model 47 (known as the "XH-13") to demonstrate the fundamentals of the arrangement sound.

Moving to the larger and heavier "Type 204" presented its own challenges, but success was within reach. As a military prototype, the Type 204 was designated "XH-40" and flew for the first time on October 22, 1956.

The following year, two more prototypes entered the development stage, and in 1958 no less than six helicopters - with extended cabins - were delivered to the Army under the development designation "YH-40" for further testing.

In the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and the world's first mass-produced turbine-powered helicopter.

When completed, the aircraft has a crew of two, seated side by side in a heavy glass cockpit and cabin space for additional crew members. The cabin is accessed through sliding side doors, while the pilot can be accessed through hinged car doors at the front. The engines are mounted above and aft of the passenger cabin and drive the overhead twin-blade main rotor unit and the starboard twin-blade tail rotor unit. A shaft connects the powerplant to the rear rotor below the tailstock frame. The engine exits from a circular port above the tailstock itself.

Ground handling is handled by a simple double landing gear arrangement, allowing the helicopter to take off and land from almost anywhere.

The XH-40 is one of the most iconic and successful rotorcraft in aviation history, its shape and function influenced today's long-running family of helicopters represented by types such as the UH-1Z USMC "Venom" (detailed elsewhere on this website).