Graupner Bell 47G (1975)

		Specification:  Full Length of Fuselage  1230 mm  Rotorhead  Fix Pitch  Main Rotor Dia  955 mm  Tail Rotor Dia  228 mm  Engine  HB25, 4.08ccm  Full Equipped Weight  2650 g
Documents:
Bauanleitung Building instructions	BaustufenPhotos StepByStep Pictures	Glaskuppel Bubble  Updates		Schwimmer Floats
Reports:
Nürnburg 1975	Sywell 1975	UK advert May 75

Developed in conjunction with HB engines then introduced at the Nürnberg 1975 Toy fair and on sale a few months later.  Ahead of its time in that the main construction was from injection moulded plastic like a 'Super Airfix' kit; this allowed a lot of detail to be easily produced thereby endowing it with a very good scale look for 25 'size' Helicopter.

Decal

Only shown in the catalogue News1984 :

The model was predominantly injection moulded plastic and the various assemblies were built up with plastic cement.  The tail boom was secured to the body be four screw for maintenance and ease of replacement purposes.  The engine had been especially developed for the 47G and incorporated a built in flywheel mounted cooling fan and also a large rectangular cylinder head to additionally aid cooling; this type of head was to become synonymous with future versions of engines developed for specific helicopter.

As well as an unusual construction method the model also utilised a number of other unusual/different features.  The rotor head had moulded plastic paddle assemblies instead of a steel flybar with paddles screwed onto the end and the main blades holder were a pair of open 'claws' with the main blades (fully plastic moulded as well) not bolted to the hub but just held in place by centrifugal force on a pin through the root of the blade engaging these 'claws'.  Tail rotor control was by 'indirect' operation in that the operating arm was not physically connected to the tail pitch control rod but merely pushed it, with the return action being provided by a spring; the photo above show both these features better than any description.

  Bell 47G build review - Comprehensive construction review but unfortunately 2nd part flying review not available.

After this one review of the Bell 47G then interest, at least in the UK. seemed to evaporate and no further mention is made other than the standard Graupner adverts?????  Possible reasons for this lack of popularity could have been its unusual construction.  Plastic of the type used for the fuselage moulding was quite 'brittle' when subject to shock forces as would be experienced in a crash; it would either survive or break.  It was also not very adaptable for upgrade as the paddles and the main blades where mouldings so basically how it flew was how it was going to fly and that would be it.  Whatever the reason, it does not appear to have been sold in large numbers.

 Alouette 2

There have been made 2 prototypes, one for the catalogue and one for an exhibition. Have seen the exhibition model on the  vintage helicopter meeting 2017 in Fehraltdorf/CH