Bell Helicopter’s Early History on Display at largest WWII event

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Bell Helicopter’s Early History on Display at largest WWII event

Before we were Bell Helicopter, we were known originally as Bell Aircraft Corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Back in those days, the men and women who made up Bell Aircraft were focused on creating fighter aircraft to supply to the various wars during that time period.

One of these fighter aircraft, the Bell P-63 Kingcobra, was developed during the WWII time period. The Bell P-63 was the successor of the Bell P-39 Airacobra and stayed in production throughout the war. 

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As you can imagine like most aircraft during that time that eventually halted production, the remaining ones still in a good condition, let alone flying became few and far between. However, the memory of the Bell P-63A was brought back to life after a 16-year restoration by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing. The CAF Dixie Wing is one of the largest units of the Commemorative Air Force that maintains and flies seven WWII aircraft now including the P-63A.  

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The restored aircraft experienced its first flight after 40 years of being in pieces just a couple months ago and the made its public debut at the CAF Dixie Wing’s WWII Heritage Days event. 

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About Bell

Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.

We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.

Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

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