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The Bell 206L1 LongRanger II is a 7-seat light utility helicopter powered by a single Rolls Royce Allison 250-C20B
turbine engine. In 1961, Bell developed Model 206 as the OH-4A to meet the U.S.Army requirements. The OH-4A flew
first on 8 December 1962. However the Bell OH-4A didn't win the competition, the helicopter was a
success as the Bell 206 JetRanger. The prototype of this five-seat commercial model, the Bell 206A
JetRanger N8590F, flew on 10 January 1966. Bell received FAA certification for the helicopter on
20 October 1966, and deliveries of the Model 206A powered by a 317 shp Allison C18A engine, started
in January 1967. In the early 1970s, production switched to the Model 206B JetRanger II with a 400 shp
250-C20 turboshaft. In September 1973, the development of the LongRanger, a stretched JetRanger was announced.
The 206L LongRanger flew first on 11 September 1974 and production started early 1975. The Model 206L1
LongRanger II was introduced in 1978. More than 4800 206Bs and 1700 206Ls have been produced since the
introduction of the 206A JetRanger on 13 January 1967, when the first
two production aircraft were delivered to customers. Since then, Bell
has delivered five different generations of the commercial 206 with its
206A/B JetRangers and 206L/L1/L3/L4 LongRangers. Production of the Bell 206B3 JetRanger ended in 2011; production of the Bell 206L4
LongRanger IV ended in June 2017. At the end, the Bell 206 aircraft were produced at Bell Helicopter's facility
in Mirabel, Canada. The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Bell 206L helicopters is B06. |
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On 18 August 1980, the 1980-built Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II s/n 45456 was
registered first in Switserland as HB-XLO with Chartex AG / A+E Leasing AG.
The HB-XLO was leased for a while by IFA Flugambulanz in Germany and the registration D-HIFA was allotted.
The helicopter didn't enter the German register and returned to Swiss. On 1 October
1982, the HB-XLO was registered with A+E leasing AG. The registration
HB-XLO was cancelled on 1 July 1983 and the LongRanger was registered in France as F-GCVU
with CM Bail SA, Paris, on 27 July 1983. On 31 March 1987, SA Procredit-Probail, Maisons Alfort,
was registered as owner. On 7 April 1993, SARL Jet Systems, Le Mans, was registered as owner and on 2 June 1994, the LongRanger
was registered again with SA Procredit-Probail, Maisons Alfort. On 25 January 1999,
SARL Over Ground Effect / OGE, Paris, was registered as owner. The F-GCVU was
operated by Air Angoulème and used by Héli-Union for training IFR and PA. On 15 Januari 2003,
the helicopter was registered with Voltige Limited, Dublin, Ireland. In 2003, the LongRanger
was sold in Romania and registered YR-SAS with S.A.S. Special Air Services. On 17 November 2006,
the YR-SAS arrived on delivery with Heli-Holland at their heliport near Emmen, the Netherlands.
After the registration PH-HHK was reserved for this Bell 206L1 LongRanger II on 21 December 2006, the aircraft was
registered PH-HHK with Heli-Holland Holding BV, Emmer-Compascuum, on 6 March 2007. |
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