The Bell Helicopter Textron Story

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{detailed description}Foreword:
I believe that no one could have possibly imagined how much positive impact Bell products, and the people who make, sell and support them, would have on the world. In March 1946, the first helicopter - an odd looking contraption with a bubble nose and a tail boom resembling an oil derrick - became the first vertical flight machine to be certified for use in civil aviation. It was, of course, the venerable Bell 47 helicopter.
Our company's history has been filled with achievements and accomplishments that have not only advanced vertical flight technology, but enriched the very way we live our lives. Our journey has not been easy. Successes have been tempered by tragedy, our humor diminished by seriousness, and even our doing things "the Bell way" uprooted to ensure survival in an ever-changing world marketplace. But, over time, Bell products and people have changed the way the world flies.
Born in wartime, reared over the battlefields of Korea and Vietnam, and nurtured in civilian life, this technology is now used hundreds of ways with little thought given to its miracle. What made the helicopter truly unique was its use in moving wounded soldiers from Korean battlefields to frontline tent hospitals. Now helicopters move the critically injured to fully equipped hospitals. Tactics and techniques honed in battlefield surveillance are now used daily by airborn police officers as they patrol our cities, helping to keep our families safe. Heavy duty lifters of soldiers, cannons and rocket launchers now move crews to offshore oil rigs and lift giant logs from primeval forests. Our helicopters have come a long way in relatively short period of time. We can take pride in these noble accomplishments.
But, I believe we have only begun. The next 50 years holds even more promise for an ever-expanding use of the technology, in ways not yet even imagined. The helicopters and tiltrotors of the future will have even greater impact on our lives.
What better way is there to celebrate 50 years of progress than to reflect on Bell's glorious heritage by reading a book filled with reflections and reminiscences by Bell's own storytellers. After reading it, you'll discover that the best parts of the Bell story are not in the descriptions of the many Bell products developed and built over the years, but the words of the people who are, were and will always be the heart and soul of Bell Helicopter. From its humble beginnings in an abandoned car dealership outside of Buffalo, New York, in the early 1940s to its move to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1951, to establish a vertical flight dynasty, many events and superhuman efforts have led to Bell taking its place as a leader in the world helicopter community. This book is dedicated to all those who take pride in themselves as a member of the Bell Helicopter Textron family. Please read this book to help you not only understand our company's past, but to encourage you to build on this solid foundation. Read to reflect on the glories and the agonies, the sweet victories and defeats. Take enthusiastic pride in Bell's past and complete faith in its future.
Webb E Joiner
President
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by David A. Brown
published by Aerofax (USA) 1995 1st edn. 220pp profusely illustrated, index 23x28 paperback
{condition}near fine
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