The Bell XH-15 (Bell Model 54) was an American two-seat utility helicopter designed and built by

Bell Helicopter Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, United States as well as commercial heli ...

, to meet a requirement for a liaison and utility helicopter for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

and

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

Development

The Model 54 was a conventional pod-and-boom four-seat helicopter with wheeled, fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a single 275 hp Continental XO-470-5 piston engine located in the rear cabin, driving a single two-bladed rotor. The

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) ordered three in February 1946 as the XR-15. The first flight was made in March 1948 with the new designation XH-15, but no orders were forthcoming following evaluation by the

(USAF) and the project ended in 1950.

Variants

;XR-15 :Military designation for three Model 54s ordered for evaluation. ;XH-15 :XR-15 redesignated before delivery.

Operators

; *

Specifications

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{USAF helicopters 1940s United States military utility aircraft 1940s United States helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1948 H-15 Single-engined piston helicopters Single-rotor helicopters Aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear