Bell XH-15

XR-15/XH-15

Role	Four-seat utility helicopter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Bell Helicopter
First flight	1948
Status	Cancelled
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	3

The Bell XH-15 (Bell Model 54) was an American four-seat utility helicopter designed and built by Bell Helicopter to meet a requirement for a liaison and utility helicopter for the United States Army and United States Air Force.

Development

The Model 54 was a conventional pod-and-boom four-seat helicopter with a wheeled, fixed tricycle landing gear and was 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 (USAAF) ordered three in February 1946 as the XR-15. First flight was made in March 1948 with the new designation XH-15 but no orders were forthcoming following evaluation by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the project ended in 1950.

Variants

XR-15: Military designation for three Model 54s ordered for evaluation.^[1]
XH-15: XR-15 re-designated before delivery.^[1]

Operators

United States

United States Air Force

Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 3
Length: 27 ft 10 in (8.49 m)
Height: 8 ft 10 in (2.68 m)
Max takeoff weight: 2,795 lb (1,268 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Continental XO-470-5 piston engine, 475 hp (354 kW)
Main rotor diameter: 37 ft 4 in (11.38 m)

Performance

Maximum speed: 106 mph; 92 kn (170 km/h)
Range: 199 mi; 173 nmi (320 km)
Service ceiling: 20,013 ft (6,100 m)

References

Notes

1 2 Andrade 1979, p. 162

Bibliography

Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.

Aircraft produced by Bell Aircraft and Bell Helicopter

Manufacturer designations	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 48 49 50 52 54 58 59 60 61 65 66 67 68 200 201 204 205 206 207 208 210 211 209 212 214/214ST 222 230 249 301 309 400 407 409 412 417 427 429 430 440 445 449 505 525 533 D-188 D-255 D-292

Fighter aircraft	YFM-1 Airacuda P-39 Airacobra XFL Airabonita P-59 Airacomet P-63 Kingcobra XP-77 XP-83

Target drones	PQM-56

Attack helicopters	207 AH-1 (singles) AH-1 (twins) 309 YAH-63

Observation and utility helicopters	H-13 Sioux UH-1 Iroquois UH-1N UH-1Y TH-57 OH-58 Kiowa TH-67 Creek ARH-70 Arapaho

Commercial helicopters	47 204 205 206 210 212 214 214ST 222 230 407 412 427 429 430 505 525

Tiltrotors	V-22 Osprey V-247 V-280 BA609 TR918 QTR

UAVs	MQ-8C

Non-production helicopters	400 417 440

Experimental aircraft	ATV 201 533 D-188 D-255 D-292 L-39 LLRV/LLTV X-1 X-2 X-5 X-14 X-22 XF-109 XP-52 XV-3 XV-15

United States helicopter designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Numerical sequence used by USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941–present; US Army 1948–1956 and 1962–present; US Navy 1962–present

Main sequence
(1941–1962)

Prefix R-, 1941–1948	R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10 R-11 R-12 R-13 R-14 R-15 R-16

Prefix H-, 1948–1962	H-5 H-6 H-9 H-10 H-11 H-12 H-13/J H-15 H-16 H-17 H-18 H-19 H-20 H-21 H-22 H-23 H-24 H-25 H-26 H-27 H-28 H-29 H-30 H-31 H-32 H-33 H-34 H-35 H-36¹ H-37 H-38¹ H-39 H-40 H-41 H-42 H-43 H-44¹ H-45¹

Main joint sequence
(1962–present)

1962 redesignations	OH-13/UH-13J UH-19 CH-21 OH-23 UH-25 CH-34 CH-37 HH-43

New designations	CH-46/HH-46/UH-46 CH-47 UH-48 XH-49 QH-50 XH-51 HH-52 CH-53/HH-53/MH-53/CH-53E/CH-53K CH-54 TH-55 AH-56 TH-57 OH-58 XH-59 UH-60/SH-60/HH-60/HH-60J YUH-61 XCH-62 YAH-63 AH-64 HH-65 RAH-66 TH-67 MH-68 H-69¹ ARH-70 VH-71 UH-72 H-73 to H-89¹ MH-90 H-91¹ VH-92

1962 redesignations
reusing old numbers

¹ Not assigned

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