Bell 207 Sioux Scout
Bell Helicopter · United States · first flew 1963 · helicopter
The Bell 207 Sioux Scout was an experimental armed helicopter concept demonstrator of 1963, built on the Bell H-13 Sioux airframe to explore dedicated attack helicopter configurations.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Narrow tandem-seat fuselage with stub weapon wings |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
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Spot it by:
- Armed helicopter concept demonstrator based on Bell H-13 Sioux
- First dedicated armed helicopter demonstrator in the US
- Narrow tandem-seat fuselage with stub weapon wings
Recognisable by its very narrow tandem fuselage grafted onto the H-13 Sioux rotor and boom system, with a stub wing carrying weapon stores — clearly a lash-up demonstrator rather than a production machine.
Specifications
- The Bell 207 Sioux Scout has a length of 9.4 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.77 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 (tandem).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Bell privately funded the Sioux Scout to demonstrate the military potential of a dedicated armed helicopter to the US Army. First flown in 1963, it directly influenced the US Army's requirement that led to the Bell AH-1 HueyCobra.
Variants
A single demonstrator was built; the lessons learned fed directly into the AH-1G Cobra design.
Where you'll see it
Never entered service; operated purely as a private venture demonstrator to influence US Army procurement.
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- Bell 205A
- Bell AH-1 Cobra
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- Bell 205A-1
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- Fairchild-Hiller FH-1100
- FH-1100 Phoenix
- MD 500
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