WORLD'S BEST BELL 47 HELICOPTER MODEL - A fabulous kit for the expert modeler in 1975!
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- Опубліковано 30 жов 2020
- An in-depth look at the ultra-rare G-MARK Bell 47G-2 model kit from Japan.
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Such a beautiful clean video! The fact that there wasn't any background score just the narrator and vintage images of the Bell..easily transported to the 47. Thank you for your labour sir.
Makes me want to build one myself
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
The Bell 47 was the definition of a helicopter in those days, just as the Piper Cub and the Lear Jet defined their categories of aircraft to everyday folks. All classics. Hard to say how many TV shows and movies the 47 appeared in. Great photos.
Perfect point, thanks! And yes, Bell 47s appeared in everything from "I Love Lucy" to James Bond's "Thunderball," and many others. Desilu Studious actually produced "Whirlybirds.
Great video as always. The only helicopter model I ever built was a Bell 47 for my brother-in-law who was rescued by his Sergeant in a Bell 47 after being shot in Vietnam. I created a diorama for the helicopter and sealed it in a plastic model display case. My brother-in-law was just wowed and he has the Bell 47 prominently displayed.
Belated thanks for your comment and great story. 'Glad your brother-in-law was OK after being rescued. Bell 47s forever, and Happy Holidays!
Hi Mike, I periodically come back to take another look at your great video. My first ride in a Bell 47, was at age 5, in 1960. That ride cemented my passion for this aircraft, and my loyal following to the late 50's TV series, "The Whirlybirds", to this day ! I also was influenced by our heroes "Chuck and P.T.", that inspired me to pursue a life-long career in aviation ! In 2001, I had the honor and privelidge to meet Ken Tobey (Chuck) at the Bell 47 Fly-in ! Like you, I purchased a G-mark kit in 1978, and painted it as "N975B" from that inspirational show, we all loved and admired ! I also purchased a 47J resin kit, around 2009, from "Tail Boom" models, in Italy, but was reluctant to build it, as it was quite small, but highly detailed ! After Sir Sean Connery's passing in October of 2020, I decided to build this challenging model into the 47 J-2, that Bond flew around (with Felix Leiter), in the 007 movie, "Thunderball", to honor his legacy ! I'm now a retired Army Veteran of 24 years, in both fixed and rotor wing aircraft maintenance, and currently an aviation historian enthusiast. The last thing I'd like to share with you, is the other helicopter in "The Whirlybirds", a 1957 Bell 47J "Ranger", has once again taken to the skies, 65 years later, thanks to the efforts and dedication of "Flyin Brian Walsh", who is owner of WIOE's radio station (and 4 others !) You can see his iconic "Hollywood Legend" on UA-cam !
Wonderful comment, thanks Jeff - Whirlybirds Forever!
Mike :) My 1966 first aircraft flight was a premature "Birthday present" my pick of either 15 minutes in a copter, or a sightseeing flight on a fixed wing plane. I chose the latter, which turned out to be part of a charity operation- Jimmy Fund Airlift for the Boston area Dana -Farber cancer center, which was sponsored by Northeast Airlines. They held the event on an october saturday in 1966 and i was taken for a 45 minute ride on a FH-227C Northeast "Yellowbird" Registered as N377NE- Aircraft was scrapped down in the Caribbean in the late 1990's so I read. Thx again for your story here :)
Sorry- didn't know we had limit in size here.
If they are going to line it out, at least render illegible beyond readability :)
Great story, thanks, and I also never realized the word limit in these comments. Odd they would actually leave the words in.
Thank you for the look at some of your kits! Of course, now i wanna see more...lol
I actually rotate the collection, so yes, I'll share more in future videos. Thanks for watching!
Great video on the Bell G47 and a especially the rare model kit of it I wasn't aware of. Thanks for sharing! My first flight in anything was also in a Bell G47. It was in July, 1968 near Mount Rushmore, South Dakota where the helicopter gave tourist flights. It was just a short three minutes of being airborne. The pilot, my dad, sister and I were strapped into the single bench seat and no doors on either side of the bubble cockpit. In those three minutes the pilot just about demonstrated everything that helicopter was capable of doing in flight. It was extreme tight turns and rollercoaster ups and downs at relatively low altitude amongst the Black Hills. Scared the "daylights" out of me, but boy, what an introduction to flying!
Thanks for the comment Dan, and what a great Bell 47G story! I still vividly remember every moment of my first ride - it literally started my career. Best for the Holidays!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Mike, looking forward to additional terrific aviation themed subjects by you on UA-cam and All the Best for you too come the Holidays!
Oh YES! At last this wonderful machine for so many reasons needs to be celebrated in league with lightbulbs invention, plus 5 other wonders we depend upon and today take for granted yet to do first was monumental and the Bell 47 was the breakthrough that allowed everything everyone loves about civilian or small helicopter flight, just like the Piper Cub and DC-3, Boeing's B-47, 707, B-52 - aviation icons. The Bell 47 is the icon of great TV whirlybird fame and recognition world-wide for rotor-wing potential for widely-varied application, use and unparalleled success. That's what makes this model worthy of all the time and attention - aerodynamic and human historical appreciation. Cheers for the Bell 47 and millions more Happy Landings!
Thanks for a great story… what a way to start a lifetime of aviation …!
I remember seeing one of those on an episode of Highway Patrol. I think it was this helicopter. Sooo cool.
Hi mike. Funny my first helicopter ride was in a Bell 47 J out of Torrance around P.V. Hill to Long Beach Harbor then back to Torrance. Your right, it was loud and bumpy, this was when I was about 10 or 11. I remember it was painted white with blue trim. Thanks for your time and work.
Hello. I remember they gave rides in this machine from a helipad adjacent to the Queen Mary back in the 1970s. N930NR. It crashed there on September 14, 1979. There were hairline cracks found in the tail-rotor grips.
Another great video. Keep up the great work.
Thanks John, and hope you liked that shot at the end with your great 1/48-scale Bell 47G model!
Love your shows mate , l loved the 47 with the floats . In Australia l us to race home from school to watch skippy the bush kangaroo the ranger had a 47 to get around the park.
Many thanks Mark - appreciate the great comment!
Great model collection , and great story , thank You for sharing
So popular that Batman in 1966 had one
Excellent film footage and commentary.
Thanks Lorenzo - appreciate the comment!
1st time I ever flew was in Bell 47 at Ohio State fairgrounds back in early 70's never forgot and nice experience. Today I am a student helicopter pilot w 18 yrs...mostly in R22....but I love the 47 my favorite helicopter and hope to take command of one when I get my licsense.
Neat story Bruce, thanks, and sure hope your dream comes true to fly a Bell 47 someday. Happy Holidays!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thank you Mike!...and thats 18 hrs not 18 years...my typo..lol:)
That's too cool, Mike.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it!
Hi Mike! When you said walk around, I thought it was the real copter but, then I reminded myself it was a beautiful model! The only models I have of this copter are vintage diecast from the 1970's. Keep these videos coming. Thanks
Thanks Alan, and I agree - it's like having a real one, only smaller!
Great video Mike. That kits is awesome and now everyone wants one. Thanks for the history of this great helicopter. I loved he show Whirlybirds and like every kid that watched it, wanted to be a helicopter pilot. Prior to that I wanted to be a rancher, have a big ranch and fly my own Songbird.
So true - there were so many great and inspirational shows for us kids back then!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Yes they were. Simplier times.
Another great video and thanks! It’s an amazing small world as there’s a 8mm movie someplace with me doing a walk around of this very same copter at Zahn’s Airport when I was 6 or 7 years old! Thanks for bringing back the memories!
Great memory, thanks!
Beautiful stuff. Never heard of it before. Japan is paradise for modelers. Such a legacy.
Sweet One Mike
Hello Chuck in Cumberland Tennessee had a bell 47 with wooden blades nice to fly
Again: Great compilation ! When I had been to the museum of modern arts back in April 1999 I had a big surprise: There was a original 47G hanging down from the celling of the foyer of that museum ! From what I recall the reason why was the 47G - or maybe the design team of it ... ;-) - earning an award due to its pure design. I can support this opinion by a 100% !
I remember seeing pictures of that - thanks for sharing!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Actually the 47 models with the fish bowl style cockpit bubble and both the similar Aerospatiale Alouette II and Aerospatiale Lama are simply my favourite copter designs: A pure and bold design with technical details visible right away. Back in 1996 I had the opportunity to see a Lama pilot supporting concret works (refurbishing powerline foundation or the like) in the swiss alps. A perfect copter with a virtuos pilot perfectly choreographed with the supporting staff on both ends.
Great story . And , as always, I learned something
That is great Mike. WIth your consent I am going to borrow an image and talk about it on today's livestream with a plug for your video.
Max, yes, I'd be honored to have you mention this video. Would you like me to send you a hi-res JPG of the image you'd like to use?
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 of course I saw this after the show
👍
BEAUTIFUL model, Mike. Been mowing lawns for a while now with the hope of obtaining this particular kit.
Thanks Daniel, and it will be worth it!
Hello Mike, a recent release of the Bell 47J ( the fully enclosed fuselage version) is now available in 1:72 SCALE by LF Models...just bought one on ebay. Nice kit with engine and photo etch.
Update: it’s back out and also available in 1/48 scale by LF models
Great to know, and I'll look for that one, thanks!
I don’t know if you’d remember ma conversation we had a few years ago. I’m really enjoying your channel
Thanks and appreciate the comment!
So damn good!
Thanks John - means a lot!
What a superb model. My favourite helicopter (Allouette 2 is my second favourite - see the trend here?). The Bell D1 (47) is the only type of helicopter I've got any stick time in, 90 minutes over 45 years! All at Chino during once regular visits to California. I always intended to get out there and train to solo standard when I retired, alas it never happened. Helicoptering is far too expensive here in the UK, so I stick to fixed wing. I too made a model from a kit of the first one I flew, long ago now so no idea which kit it was, but has pride of place in my "I've flown that" display case. Forget all the Airbus, Leonardo and Jet Ranger types when you're of my generation when you think helicopter you think Bell 47.
Thanks for your comment Steve, and we are indeed kindred spirits! I grew-up on Long Island, New York near Farmingdale where Republic Aviation was building the Alouette II under license as the "Lark." It was momentous when they would fly over our house with the unforgettable sound of a real jet helicopter back in 1958!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thanks for your response. There's an Allouette 2, registered 2-ALOU, in the hangar where my Porterfield is "resting" due to covid at the moment, it is flown occasionally. A Bell 47, registered G-MASH, visits once in a while too, both sound absolutely evocative of their time.
@@pfield39 Interesting point about helicopter sounds - if you've ever heard a Robinson R44, it almost sounds like the Bell 47. I still run outside whenever one flies over. Best to you in 2021!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 The mark of a true enthusiast - eyes to the sky immediately an engine is heard aloft. Happy new year, I do hope it's going to see a rapid improvement for our industry and humanity in general of course.
Crying shame it's no longer. As an avid model builder would love one or two of these. I wonder what happened to the tooling?
Good question John, but based on today's collectible prices for that kit, I'm guessing the tooling is long gone.
Very interesting video
Curious that you featured a kit I'd never heard of, but you don't have a copy of the 1:35 Revell MASH version. That 1:20 model is just a jewel -- you can almost smell the avgas. Cheers!
Hi Mike, great video and much appreciated! Question, what make model is your
Hughes 300?
Thank James - appreciate the comment, and my Hughes 300 model is from an Italian company, but I don't know the name. (The stand didn't come with it when I bought it.) It's made primarily out of metal, with plastic cockpit components, plexi-bubble, and main rotor blades.
Mike, thanks for letting me know!
Wow, I'd really like to get my hands on one of those. I friend of mine in (i think) 4th grade, had one. Has dad worked in Japan and he always had the coolest toys. So if you had to pic the best "runner up" kit of this helicopter, which one would it be? I've had my eye on a couple of the Revell 1/35 versions but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'm currently building a couple of Revell 1/32 scale HUES for my UA-cam channel so I'd like to fine one in the same scale. Again, thanks for the video's, I'm really enjoying them.
Appreciate the comment, thanks, and back in 1975 there was no other helicopter model that came close to this one. Today, however, there are a number of large-scale 'copter models (and yes, from Japan) that look spectacular. Saw a stunning Sikorsky US Marine Corps HH-53 desert diorama at a local model contest.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Great information, thanks. I will take a look at the kit's you mentioned. I'm really enjoying your videos, thanks for all of the work you are putting into them. Have a great day.
I had a G-Mark 47G kit that I bought new back in the 1980s from a Manhattan hobby store. Many of the details of the paint trim on your finished G-Mark kit are exactly as I had on mine. It’s almost like seeing my old model again. Did you buy yours new and unassembled as I did mine? If you purchased it used, how did you acquire it?
Although I once had the kit in the 1970s and sold it unbuilt, the one in my video was a restoration project purchased from a private collection in California. It was marked exactly as shown on the box and direction sheet, with Japanese registration number and red-white-and-blue pinstriping. I stripped all that and repainted the 'copter and interior to match photos of the very first aircraft I ever flew-in in October 1957 back on Long Island at age 10 a stock Bell 47G-2. Thanks for watching!
Mike, can you touch on the interstate TDR-1 Bomber?
I can honestly say I flew a cruise missile. Also, it was one of the easiest to fly airplanes .
Thanks for the suggestion!
Fantastic journey but a lengthy one!
Many thanks Paul. 'Always think of you when I'm at Torrance Airport!
Mike, at some point, I was going to ask you, "What is the most detailed model kit you have ever built?"
But I think I have the answer, now.
I purchased and finished a G-Mark 47G a number of years ago and then sold it for about $350.00. Are you the one who bought it? I ask because there are a few hallmarks on the model that look like some things I had done to mine that remain.
Interesting question Terry, and I acquired this model last year from a private collection in California. It was in stock Japanese kit markings and only in 'fair' shape at the time, and I restored and repainted it as you see in the video. 'Hope that helps.
These helicopters were used in the Korean War to transport the wounded from the aids stations to M*A*S*H units. Thusly, they were used in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H, as well as the subsequent 11 season TV series. How did you miss this info?
this kit is from? thanks...
This stunning model kit was produced in Japan in the mid-1970s. Last one I saw listed on eBay sold for $3,000 unbuilt. Thanks for watching!
Какой у него расход топлива?
Hi Mike, just found your Bell 47 video. Have you seen the video about the development of the model 47 on UA-cam by the late Bart Kelly. He was involved along with Arthur Young in the development of the helicopter. Check out Bart’s video.
Many thanks!
add bat wings for a batcopter, then paint a red cross on another for the MASH version...lol
Whirly birds.
who the hell down votes this?🤔
Appreciate the comment, thanks!