Bell 206 Jetranger for The Helicopter Museum

40 years after the first deliveries of the Bell 206 JetRanger helicopter, The Helicopter Museum (THM) has acquired an example for its International collection at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

 Recognised worldwide as a helicopter icon, more than 4800 JetRangers have been built to date and the type remains in production at the company's Mirabel plant in Montreal, Canada. Second-hand examples still command high prices, as the five-seat aircraft remains popular in a wide range of passenger-carrying training and load-carrying roles.

The Chairman of THM Trustees, Capt. Elfan ap Rees said today "The introduction of the JetRanger in 1967 marked a high point in the development of the helicopter for civil applications, moving from the bulky and unreliable piston engine powerplant to the more efficient turboshaft, and with a much more streamlined appearance in keeping with the spirit of the sixties".

The JetRanger donated to the museum currently has an unknown history but had been dismantled and stored on a farm in Wiltshire for the last decade. Along with it were two other anonymous JetRanger fuselages and parts, which have also been acquired by the museum. Log books for three airframes have however been found, indicating that two of the fuselages are from early production airframes 239 and 405, whilst the third may be 2401. All three were withdrawn from use in the early 1990s after flying with a mix of private and commercial operators.

As the aircraft will need to be rebuilt before it can go on display, The Helicopter Museum is placing it in storage, pending space becoming available in a new 661 sq m (7200 sq ft) restoration and conservation workshop. This is expected to be completed later this year.

Meanwhile anyone in the UK interested in assembling a JetRanger in their spare time from a kit of parts is invited to contact The Helicopter Museum.

A maintenance manual will be provided!