Bell Sioux AH.1

The Bell 47 is a legendary early-generation single-engine light helicopter that first flew in 1946. The Bell 47 was manufactured in various guises right through to 1974 and the military version was designated the Bell H-13 Sioux. Often used by militaries for medical evacuation from the battlefield, the Sioux shot to fame via the iconic TV series M*A*S*H where the entire title sequence and many episodes centred around the delivery of casualties via Sioux. It was the civilian version of this helicopter, the Bell-47D which first introduced the type’s signature bubble canopy.

The Army Air Corps operated the Sioux AH1 from 1964 through to 1977, eventually 280 of these iconic helicopters were delivered to the Army with a further 15 being delivered to the RAF. In Army service, the Sioux performed a variety of roles from air observation post, to casualty evacuation, to pilot training to name but a few.

Sioux AH1 XT131 was one of the airframes to appear at the first RAF Fairford Air Tattoo 40 years ago and will be appearing on static once again at RIAT25 as part of our celebration of this milestone. The helicopter is now operated by the Historic Army Aircraft Flight.

Photo Credit: Andrew Evans