Famous
Bell Aviation
"Firsts"
-
FIRST twin-engine escort fighter
(Airacuda).
-
FIRST aircraft to mount 37 mm
cannon and flexible gun turrets (Airacuda).
-
FIRST modern multi-place fighter,
establishing a new type for the Army Air Force (Airacuda).
-
FIRST American Fighter airplane
designed around its armament (P-39 Airacobra).
-
FIRST use of tricycle landing
gear on modern military aircraft (P-39).
-
FIRST satisfactory .50 caliber
machine gun shock dampener, which became standard for both Army and Navy.
-
FIRST modern all-wood military
fighter (XP-77).
-
FIRST helicopter with automatic
stabilizing control.
-
FIRST jet-propelled fighter
airplane in the United States (P-59).
-
FIRST commercial helicopter.
-
FIRST supersonic airplane (X-1).
-
FIRST commercial helicopter
with 200 hp engine and skid landing gear.
-
FIRST airplane able to vary
degree of wing sweepback during flight (X-5).
-
FIRST radio-guided bomb (Tarzon).
-
FIRST helicopter designed specifically
for anti-submarine warfare (HSL-1).
-
FIRST airplane able to fly at
speeds two and one half times the speed of sound and at altitudes of 90,000
feet (X-1A).
-
FIRST turbine-powered helicopter
(XH-13F).
-
FIRST jet-propelled vertical
take-off and landing airplane (VTOL).
-
FIRST automatic carrier landing
system.
-
FIRST convertiplane incorporating
tilting-rotor system (XV-3).
-
FIRST aircraft to break MACH-3
(X-2).
|