Helicopter [Bell 47J-2A Ranger]
Maker and role
Bell Helicopter, Manufacturer
Production date
1962
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
2019.1
Maker
Production period
Description
The Bell 47J 2A Ranger is an orange single-engine single-rotor light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Large transparent bubble style cabin design. It has a semi-monocoque tail boom with 2-blade rotor. Black framework skids. Centralised pilot seat in front and one 3-passenger bench seat in the back, seats covered in grey vinyl, includes seatbelts. Pilot pedals and control stick are painted dark orange and the dash with all the dials is black. Includes “HNZ” logo on front and single black oil rig decal near tail.
“OFFSHORE SERVICING & SUPPORT / MAUI ‘A’ TARANAKI 1975-1985 / SBPT”, “HELICOPTERS (NZ) LTD / SBPT / MAUI ‘A’ BLUE WHALE / PENROD 74 SEDCO 135-F / TAHAROA IRON SANDS” and engine type “LYCOMING VO-435 B1A”
“OFFSHORE SERVICING & SUPPORT / MAUI ‘A’ TARANAKI 1975-1985 / SBPT”, “HELICOPTERS (NZ) LTD / SBPT / MAUI ‘A’ BLUE WHALE / PENROD 74 SEDCO 135-F / TAHAROA IRON SANDS” and engine type “LYCOMING VO-435 B1A”
Brief History
The Bell 47J 2A helicopter was manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas during 1963. It was operated in New Zealand by HNZ between 1973-1983 around the Waikato and Taranaki coastlines.
HNZ was established in Timaru as a syndicate initially led by Doug Shears and later by Allan Hubbard. Shears was a pioneer and advocate of using helicopters for agricultural spraying, search and rescue, and ship to land transport. In 1955, there was firm government opposition to commercial helicopters because the RNZAF had no intention to purchase them so Shears reached out to the private sector for financial support. HNZ almost failed in the same year it was created because the company couldn’t raise the funds to fulfil the capital requirements of £20,000 for an Air Services Licensing Authority license in addition to purchasing and operating a helicopter itself. The company was saved through the timely investment of an American Jewish woman name Elynor Rudnick who came to NZ to set up seasonal work for her agricultural helicopters during the US winter. Rudnick held the primary stake in HNZ and the company’s first helicopter arrived in Nov 1956 to spray gorse around South Canterbury and North Otago. By 1970 Rudnick had sold her share in HNZ and gradually the company was returned to complete New Zealand ownership for at least a decade.
Despite the success of HNZ during the 1960s, the company relied heavily on the agricultural sector which started to experience a severe economic downturn in the 1970s. That sector, and the nation, was also heavily impacted by a shift in oil prices, which opened new opportunities for HNZ to service the emerging offshore mining, oil and gas industries. The Bell 47J 2A began its service with the ironsand mining ships moored at Taharoa, off the Waikato Coast. Waipipi Ironsand Co. was established in 1971 to supply Japan with titanomagnetite, a mineral found in iron sand. Several years later the Taharoa irons and plant was also established and remains operational today servicing New Zealand’s steel industry. Both plants utilised offshore buoys to connect a shoreline pipe transporting sand slurry to a processing ship. The ships, moored to the buoy would filter the slurry and transport the sand directly to Japan. The helicopter would ferry crew and supplies to the offshore ships during processing and then transport the harbour pilots back to the shore once the ship was safely navigated out. The arrangement of offshore processing was unique to New Zealand.
The helicopter was one of the longest serving Bell 47s with HNZ, it arrived within a year of HNZ signing some of its most significant contracts at the time with various oil companies including Hunt International Petroleum and SBPT (Shell, BP, Todd Oil Services Ltd). The lucrative Maui field off the coast of Taranaki was discovered in 1969 and at the time was found to be one of the largest continuous gas fields ever discovered. Construction on the Maui A platform began in 1974 by SBPT and went into production in 1979. At the same time, the mobile Penrod 74 platform operated by Hunt international was also operating and was serviced by the helicopter. In 1976-77, this Helicopter assisted in the construction and development of the Maui A platform by ferrying crew between the world’s largest construction ship “The Blue Whale” and the platform. The Maui platforms still operate today and provided New Zealand with energy confidence while the country was in a state of critical industrial and urban growth when global demand for New Zealand’s agricultural products was in rapid decline. The availability of large gas deposits also led to further growth in related industries like the gas operated power plants in Taranaki and Huntly and the Motunui synthetic petrol plant which was the only plant in the world that converted gas to synthetic petrol.
Although the offshore work was lucrative, HNZ still maintained substantial contracts with the government because it held of the majority of land, road and utility ownership. By 1978, the helicopter had moved on to service the live deer recovery industry with Utility Helicopters. During the 1960s and 1970s deer populations grew exponentially throughout the country. This was partly due to the inaccessible terrain for traditional hunters. The venison industry went through rapid peaks and declines and in the.1970s the downturn in venison prices led to a new focus on live deer recovery. Live recovery utilised several methods including “bulldogging” (tackling the animal into a canvas bag attached to the helicopter), tranquilising and shooting nets but the government struggled to control the industry and to protect its reputation from unregistered operators. By the mid 1980s HNZ had withdrawn from the industry. HNZ went through an economic downturn in the 1980s and it was at this point that HK-NGO was sold.
HNZ re-emerged with new a board and although it was profitable again by the 1990s with film, Antarctic and tourism contracts in addition to offshore platform and government operations it still went through economic turbulence. Foreign owned since the 1990s by Canadian Helicopters and then by PHI Inc since 2017, the company still operates out of Nelson and New Plymouth and internationally in Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Antarctica. HNZ is internationally recognised for its level of safety in providing offshore transport services for many of the world’s largest oil companies. HNZ is also recognised as being one of the most experienced Antarctic helicopter operators with its former Chief Pilot Jim Wilson being awarded in 2012 the “London-based Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators master's award for the New Zealand region, in recognition of his leadership and influence on international standards for helicopter operations in the most extreme conditions, and the credit that brought the New Zealand aviation industry.”
HNZ was established in Timaru as a syndicate initially led by Doug Shears and later by Allan Hubbard. Shears was a pioneer and advocate of using helicopters for agricultural spraying, search and rescue, and ship to land transport. In 1955, there was firm government opposition to commercial helicopters because the RNZAF had no intention to purchase them so Shears reached out to the private sector for financial support. HNZ almost failed in the same year it was created because the company couldn’t raise the funds to fulfil the capital requirements of £20,000 for an Air Services Licensing Authority license in addition to purchasing and operating a helicopter itself. The company was saved through the timely investment of an American Jewish woman name Elynor Rudnick who came to NZ to set up seasonal work for her agricultural helicopters during the US winter. Rudnick held the primary stake in HNZ and the company’s first helicopter arrived in Nov 1956 to spray gorse around South Canterbury and North Otago. By 1970 Rudnick had sold her share in HNZ and gradually the company was returned to complete New Zealand ownership for at least a decade.
Despite the success of HNZ during the 1960s, the company relied heavily on the agricultural sector which started to experience a severe economic downturn in the 1970s. That sector, and the nation, was also heavily impacted by a shift in oil prices, which opened new opportunities for HNZ to service the emerging offshore mining, oil and gas industries. The Bell 47J 2A began its service with the ironsand mining ships moored at Taharoa, off the Waikato Coast. Waipipi Ironsand Co. was established in 1971 to supply Japan with titanomagnetite, a mineral found in iron sand. Several years later the Taharoa irons and plant was also established and remains operational today servicing New Zealand’s steel industry. Both plants utilised offshore buoys to connect a shoreline pipe transporting sand slurry to a processing ship. The ships, moored to the buoy would filter the slurry and transport the sand directly to Japan. The helicopter would ferry crew and supplies to the offshore ships during processing and then transport the harbour pilots back to the shore once the ship was safely navigated out. The arrangement of offshore processing was unique to New Zealand.
The helicopter was one of the longest serving Bell 47s with HNZ, it arrived within a year of HNZ signing some of its most significant contracts at the time with various oil companies including Hunt International Petroleum and SBPT (Shell, BP, Todd Oil Services Ltd). The lucrative Maui field off the coast of Taranaki was discovered in 1969 and at the time was found to be one of the largest continuous gas fields ever discovered. Construction on the Maui A platform began in 1974 by SBPT and went into production in 1979. At the same time, the mobile Penrod 74 platform operated by Hunt international was also operating and was serviced by the helicopter. In 1976-77, this Helicopter assisted in the construction and development of the Maui A platform by ferrying crew between the world’s largest construction ship “The Blue Whale” and the platform. The Maui platforms still operate today and provided New Zealand with energy confidence while the country was in a state of critical industrial and urban growth when global demand for New Zealand’s agricultural products was in rapid decline. The availability of large gas deposits also led to further growth in related industries like the gas operated power plants in Taranaki and Huntly and the Motunui synthetic petrol plant which was the only plant in the world that converted gas to synthetic petrol.
Although the offshore work was lucrative, HNZ still maintained substantial contracts with the government because it held of the majority of land, road and utility ownership. By 1978, the helicopter had moved on to service the live deer recovery industry with Utility Helicopters. During the 1960s and 1970s deer populations grew exponentially throughout the country. This was partly due to the inaccessible terrain for traditional hunters. The venison industry went through rapid peaks and declines and in the.1970s the downturn in venison prices led to a new focus on live deer recovery. Live recovery utilised several methods including “bulldogging” (tackling the animal into a canvas bag attached to the helicopter), tranquilising and shooting nets but the government struggled to control the industry and to protect its reputation from unregistered operators. By the mid 1980s HNZ had withdrawn from the industry. HNZ went through an economic downturn in the 1980s and it was at this point that HK-NGO was sold.
HNZ re-emerged with new a board and although it was profitable again by the 1990s with film, Antarctic and tourism contracts in addition to offshore platform and government operations it still went through economic turbulence. Foreign owned since the 1990s by Canadian Helicopters and then by PHI Inc since 2017, the company still operates out of Nelson and New Plymouth and internationally in Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Antarctica. HNZ is internationally recognised for its level of safety in providing offshore transport services for many of the world’s largest oil companies. HNZ is also recognised as being one of the most experienced Antarctic helicopter operators with its former Chief Pilot Jim Wilson being awarded in 2012 the “London-based Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators master's award for the New Zealand region, in recognition of his leadership and influence on international standards for helicopter operations in the most extreme conditions, and the credit that brought the New Zealand aviation industry.”
Marks
OFFSHORE SERVICING & SUPPORT / MAUI 'A' TARANAKI 1975-1985 / SBPT Sticker
GI Sticker
B47J-2A / "BELL RANGER" / 1962 Sticker
LYCOMING VO-435 B1A Sticker
HELICOPTERS (NZ) LTD / SBPT / MAUI 'A' BLUE WHALE / PENROD 74 SEDCO 135-F / TAHAROA IRON SANDS Sticker
HNZ / BELL RANGER / B47J Sticker
bh / BELL HELICOPTER CO. / FORT WORTH TEXAS / DIVISION OF / BELL AEROSPACE CORPORATION / MANUFACTURERS MODEL 47J2 / CUSTOMERS MODEL / MANUFACTURERS SERIAL NO. 1865 / CUSTOMERS SERIAL NO. / TYPE CERT. 2H-I PC100 / CONTRACT NO. / ENGINE TYPE VO-540-B1B-3 / ACCEPTED 6-62 / LICENSED UNDER U.S. AIRCRAFT PATENTS / OF ALL MEMBERS MANUFACTURERS / AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC. / M.A.A. PLATE NO. 282155 Maker's Plate
VH JAV / BELL 47J2/A2 / MODIFIED / ROTOR WORK / EO 121 Maker's Plate
GI Sticker
B47J-2A / "BELL RANGER" / 1962 Sticker
LYCOMING VO-435 B1A Sticker
HELICOPTERS (NZ) LTD / SBPT / MAUI 'A' BLUE WHALE / PENROD 74 SEDCO 135-F / TAHAROA IRON SANDS Sticker
HNZ / BELL RANGER / B47J Sticker
bh / BELL HELICOPTER CO. / FORT WORTH TEXAS / DIVISION OF / BELL AEROSPACE CORPORATION / MANUFACTURERS MODEL 47J2 / CUSTOMERS MODEL / MANUFACTURERS SERIAL NO. 1865 / CUSTOMERS SERIAL NO. / TYPE CERT. 2H-I PC100 / CONTRACT NO. / ENGINE TYPE VO-540-B1B-3 / ACCEPTED 6-62 / LICENSED UNDER U.S. AIRCRAFT PATENTS / OF ALL MEMBERS MANUFACTURERS / AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC. / M.A.A. PLATE NO. 282155 Maker's Plate
VH JAV / BELL 47J2/A2 / MODIFIED / ROTOR WORK / EO 121 Maker's Plate
Media/Materials
Credit Line
Bell Helicopter. 1962. Helicopter [Bell 47J-2A Ranger], 2019.1. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
![Aircraft log-book ZK-HGO [for Bell 47J-2A Ranger helicopter]; New Zealand. Department of Civil Aviation; Helicopter New Zealand; 12 Oct 1973-17 Sep 1982](https://collection.motat.nz/records/images/medium/5653/8667f2d4dbbc9ca455e497604b90fa76716ddd55.jpg)
![Aircraft VH-JAV log book no. 2 [for Bell 47J-2A Ranger helicopter]; Australia. Department of Transport and Communications; Queensland Helicopters; Airwork Helicopters; 14 Apr 1988-08 Jul 2003](https://collection.motat.nz/records/images/medium/5656/64b01e988e1ce8e0de96e1d9583bcb5b325272b6.jpg)
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