Famously pictured in the opening credits of the popular television
series M.A.S.H., Bell's Model 47 helicopter was the first helicopter
certified for civilian use in March 1946 and went on to serve a wide
variety of military and civilian applications. With its signature bubble
canopy, the Model 47, and particularly its H-13 Sioux military variant,
served in both Korea and Vietnam. It became a stalwart in civilian
aviation with a variety of uses: agricultural aerial sprayer, aerial
firefighting, police work, aerial oil exploration, medevac, news
coverage, and mail service. More than 5,600 Model 47s were built, many
under license in Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The type retains
its popularity in the civilian market to this day.