Top Ten Helicopters

No. 10: Bell 47 OH-13 Sioux
Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter
Type: General Utility Helicopter
Powerplant: One Lycoming V0-435-A1B 6-Cylinder Engine
Principal Armament: Two 7.62-mm Machine Guns
Carrying Capacity: 2 Medical Litters or 1,000-pound Cargo
Maximum Cruising Speed: 83 mph

The first of many U.S. Army helicopters to be named after Native American tribes, the Bell 47 Sioux was distinctive for its bubble canopy, exposed welded-tube tail boom and saddle fuel tanks. Its two-bladed rotor made a "chop-chop" sound, leading to the nickname "chopper" for helicopters. Easily recognizable for its appearances in the smash hit film and television series MASH, the Sioux earned its reputation during the Korean war -- the conflict in which helicopters first cut their teeth.



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