The Bell Helicopter Model 206 JetRanger is a two-bladed main rotor, turbine powered helicopter with a conventional, two-bladed tail rotor. The aircraft uses hydraulic boosted flight controls.

Development
In October 1961, the Army submitted a request for proposals (RFP) for the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). Bell, along with 12 other manufacturers (including Fairchild-Hiller and Hughes Tool Co. Aircraft Division), entered the competition. Bell submitted their design for Model 206, which was selected out of the design phase of the Navy-run competition by the Army and designated as the YHO-4A.

Bell produced five prototype aircraft in 1962 to submit to the army for the test and evaluation phase. During the testing phase, the test pilots complained about the power problems of the aircraft, an issue that apparently knocked it out of the running, because when the winners were announced to progress on to the final selection phase, Bell's YOH-4A wasn't selected.[5] Afterwards, Bell attempted to market the model 206, but it didn't fare well commercially. Bell's market research showed that it was the body design that customers found mostly unpalatable. Bell redesigned the fuselage of the airframe to be more sleek and aesthetic, and reintroduced it as Model 206A JetRanger which was a commercial success.

The 206A, and B are five-seat designs, with two seats in the front and a three seat bench in the back.

Bell 206L LongRanger
The 206L LongRanger is a stretched variant with seating for seven (the LongRanger adds two rear-facing seats in between the front and rear seats). In 1981 a military version was released, the 206L "TexasRanger". The original 206L utilized a Allison 250-C20B engine, and a series of model upgrades replaced this engine with more powerful versions; the 206L-1 used a 250-C28 and the 206L-3 and 206L-4 used the 250-C30P with 490 shaft horsepower.

In 2007, Bell announced an upgrade program for the 206L-1 and 206L-3 which is designed to modify the aircraft to the 206L-4 configuration; modified aircraft are designated 206L-1+ and 206L-3+. Modifications include strengthened airframe structural components (including a new tailboom), improved transmission, upgraded engine for the L-1, all of which result in a max gross weight increase of 300 pounds and increased performance.

Gemini ST and TwinRanger
The TwinRanger name dates back to the mid-1980s when Bell first developed the Bell 400 TwinRanger, but it never entered production.

In 1989, Tridair Helicopters' began developing a twin engine conversion of the LongRanger, the Gemini ST. The prototype's first flight was on January 16, 1991, while full FAA certification was awarded in November. Certification covers the conversion of LongRanger 206L-1s, L-3s and L-4s to Gemini ST configuration. In mid-1994 the Gemini ST was certificated as the first Single/Twin aircraft, allowing it to operate either as a single or twin engine aircraft throughout all phases of flight.

The Bell 206LT TwinRanger was a new build production model equivalent to Tridair's Gemini ST, and was based on the 206L-4. Only 13 206LTs were built, the first being delivered in January 1994, and the last in 1997. The TwinRanger was replaced in Bell's line-up by the mostly-new Bell 427.

Bell 407
Derived from the Model 206, the Bell 407 and OH-58D use a newer, 4-bladed, soft, in-plane rigid rotor system which offers improved performance while reducing vibration and noise. The Bell 417 was a follow-on to the 407, but it's development was cancelled.

Operational history
The JetRanger entered the civilian market in 1967. The Model 206 has since been updated three times, with the 206B "JetRanger II" arriving in 1971 and the 206B-3 "JetRanger III" with its modified tail rotor and more powerful engine in 1977. The basic shape and design remain unchanged since 1967.

The JetRanger is popular with news media for traffic and news reporting. The U.S. Army eventually selected the 206 for use as the OH-58 Kiowa, fulfilling its originally intended role. The United States Navy and Marines use 206 variants known as the TH-57 Sea Ranger. The TH-67 Creek variant is used by the U.S. Army as a trainer for helicopter students. The LongRanger is commonly used as an air ambulance (the standard JetRanger version is too short for this function).

The Model 206 is flown by a single pilot, who sits in the front right seat. In flight plans the ICAO designator for the JetRanger and the LongRanger is B06.

Variants

Civilian

• Bell 206 - Five (5) YOH-4A prototypes, for flight evaluation in the Army's LOH program (1963).
• Bell 206A - FAA-certified in 1966. Selected as the OH-58A Kiowa in 1968.
• Agusta-Bell 206A - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206A-1 - OH-58A aircraft that are reverse-modified for FAA civil certification.
• Agusta-Bell 206A-1 - Licese-built in Italy
• Bell 206B - Upgraded Allison 250-C20 engine.
• Agusta-Bell 206B -
• Bell 206B-2 - Bell 206B models upgraded with Bell 206B-3 improvements.
• Bell 206B-3 - Upgraded Allison 250-C20J engine and added 2 inches to tail rotor diameter for yaw control.
• Bell 206L - Stretched, seven seat configuration. 250-C20B engine.
• Agusta-Bell 206L LongRanger - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206L-1 - 250-C28 engine
• Agusta-Bell 206B-1 - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206L-1+ - Bell modifications, including 250-C30P engine, to upgrade aircraft to 206L-4 configuration
• Bell 206L-3 - 250-C30P engine
• Agusta-Bell 206B-3 - License-built in Italy
• Bell 206L-3+ - Bell modifications to upgrade aircraft to 206L-4 configuration
• Bell 206L-4 - 250-C30P engine and transmition upgrade.
• Bell 206LT TwinRanger - twin-engined conversions and new-builds of the 206L; replaced by the Bell 427
• Bell 407 - based on the 206L with four-bladed rotor system
• Bell 417 - upgraded 407 with bigger engine; project cancelled.

Military

• Bell OH-58 Kiowa - Light observation helicopter that replaced the OH-6A Cayuse.
• Bell TH-57A - 40 commercial Bell 206A aircraft purchased as the primary U.S. Navy helicopter trainer in January 1968, designated "Sea Ranger".
• Bell 206L TexasRanger - proposed export military version, only a demonstrator was built in 1981.
• Bell TH-57B - 45 commercial Bell 206B-3 helicopters purchased in 1989 as replacements for the TH-57A for primary training under visual flight rules.
• Bell TH-57C - 71 commercial Bell 206B-3 helicopters purchased in 1989 with cockpits configured for advanced training under instrument flight rules.
• Bell TH-57D - Planned upgrade program to convert TH-57B and TH-57C to a single standard digital cockpit.
• Bell TH-67 Creek - 137 commercial Bell 206B-3 purchased in 1993 as the primary helicopter trainer for the U.S. Army. 35 in VFR configuration and 102 in IFR configuration.

Operators

Military operators of the Bell 206

• Albania
• Australia
• Austria
• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Brunei: Royal Brunei Air Force
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Canadian Forces
• Chile
• Colombia
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Ecuador
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Kuwait
• Libya
• Malta
• Mexico
• Morocco
• Myanmar
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Peru
• Philippines
• Republic of China (Taiwan): Republic of China Army
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia:Police
• Slovenia: Slovenian Armed Forces
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• South Africa
• Sweden
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Uganda
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States: U.S. Army, U.S. Navy
• Venezuela
• Yemen

Specifications (206B-3)

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 5
• Length: 39 ft 1 in (11.9 m)
• Rotor diameter: 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
• Height: 2.83 m (9 ft 4in)
• Disc area: 872 ft² (81.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,632 lb (742 kg)
• Loaded weight: 3,200 lb (1,500 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 3,350 lb (1,520 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Allison 250-C20J turboshaft, 420 shp (310 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 139 mph (121 knots, 224 km/h)
• Range: 437 mi (380 nm, 703 km)
• Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,120 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,280 ft/min (6.5 m/s)
• Disc loading: 4 lb/ft² (177 N/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.26 hp/lb (420 W/kg)