They used to be flying around everywhere, now you're lucky to see one ever in the air.    

may have something to do with it.

I got my ATP in a G2 in Ardmore Oklahoma from a Mom and Pop shop years ago. Arrived Monday, flew 5 hours Tue/Wed, took checkride Thur, and headed home Fri. Fun week and nice people.

I got my ATP in a G2 in Ardmore Oklahoma from a Mom and Pop shop years ago. Arrived Monday, flew 5 hours Tue/Wed, took checkride Thur, and headed home Fri. Fun week and nice people.

Have a good chunk of time in a D1. There use to be a couple of operations that had tooling for making parts that have since faded. That and just recycling used parts back to airworthiness along with a couple operators getting busted for selling timed out parts as airworthy. Other then a couple Gs floating around for Ag, It just got too expensive to tool parts or find any in the back of someone's hangar. Machine was a blast to fly.. Wooden blades and a Franklin engine made it even more interesting. There was no Time/life on wooden blades. Just based on condition.

they were only good for ag after the 206 and astars came on the scene. Impractical aircraft.

do the same thing as a 47 except go much faster and do it for one quarter of the cost. That might explain it.

But you're not stupid. Are you?

Scott's gonna start stamping them out by the dozen any day now. Oh, that's right. Nobody wanted to pay a million dollars for a three seat helicopter designed in 1940.

but I'm going with nobody in their right mind would pay a million dollars for a three seat, plastic bubble 1940's helicopter with no baggage space. It was a ridiculous idea that I'm amazed got as far as it did. 

Who would buy a type certificate for an aircraft without a transmission.

time believing Bell sold the exclusive rights to build one of their transmission to the Chinese. "here ya go scott, here's the type certificate for the 47 but you'll have to track down this Chinese guy if you want any transmissions!"

haaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!>

You know very little about the history of the helicopter industry.  

Well I do know about the current one and there's no market for the Bell 47. The jeep was great 80 years ago too but the army doesn't use it anymore.

maybe you'll believe this guy. The 47 will be mostly private owners and in museums soon. He's stopped making some parts. At some point, you will no longer be able to get any parts. It's not like you can just go to a machine shop and have you make something. The 47 is dead. From a press release:

Yes, the Jeep was a largely impractical vehicle regarding passenger and cargo space and look at the base commercial model today... it has a CULT FOLLOWING of retards who pay BMW/Mercedes prices plus ridiculously inflated add-on/custom accessories.  

They're as bad as Harleys.  About $1200 worth of metal and technology yet TONS of people happily pay $12-18,000 above what that piece of loud crap is worth.  So many better motorcycles out there but people still waste their money (and try to say how they're "saving gas" when they only drive it when temps are above 70 degrees).

Don't get me wrong: driving a Jeep with doors off or the rumble of a riding a Harley are both very fun.  Just saying that there are plenty of people are willing to fork out the cash for novelty.  That's the state the Bell 47.

Rick's Flying Service.

Learned to fly in the 47 ($105.00 an hour), have fond memories of the old girl and cut my teeth in Saudi in a B1 (Tubo ?? memory fades)

The cost to operate now must be prohibitive.

https://www.controller.com/listings/for-sale/bell/47g/aircraft

The 47 was a steping stone in the evolution of rotorcrsft.  I did a great job, was easy to fly, and was priced right for businesses to get into the rotory wing business.  I flew them offshore in the mid 70's and enjoyed flying them.  

I have not seen any 47's offshore and there's probably a reason for it but I can't imagine what it could be. 

Flew A B2 and a B1 on fire contracts early 70's.  Fun aircraft to fly.  Never had the chance to fly the Soloy but I bet it would have been fun.  Only drawback was sitting and waiting for the 5 minute "cool down" for the turbos.

We fly them for tours at Oshkosh during AirVenture. One belongs to EAA the others are leased from private owners. Those owners are also involved in the AV tour operations. There several more around owned by other members of the group. Pretty good supply of parts available too. Everyone involved is a volunteer. We have a great time!!! There will be 4 and possibly 5 flying there this year. Fun stuff!!!

What models? Without 47's not sure we would have gotten to where we are with helicopters! I am sure everybody believes we got here by Robbie's!

but you don't see anybody using them for anything anymore.

I know a doctor who would drive his kids to school in one onnice days.

A Soloy J model would have been great.