Bell 222A helicopter - Manston Airfield

[SancastleAerial]

Down at Manston lives an almost 50 year old helicopter that looks as good as the day she came off the line.

Bell 222A C/N 47031 was built in 1980 and has worked in various roles including as a police helicopter in Oman. Previously registered as G-NOIR but now carries the registration N22ZW and has been given a very familiar (but not entirely accurate paint scheme) however for an aircraft that’s 44 years old and a design that’s 50 years old (Bell displayed the first mock up of the 222 in 1974) I think she’s absolutely stunning and is just as good as any of their modern offerings such as the 505 (JetRanger replacement)

ZW is one of only a pair of 222s the country and while she isn’t airworthy at the moment it’s nothing that a couple of new fire bottles & titanium impellors to the oil pumps wont solve and Helix AV are on the case.

Their intent with the aircraft is to keep it airworthy for a minimum of ten years, however with 222 parts becoming scarce that’s going to be a good trick if they can pull it off

Shame it can’t have a Probert bodykit fitted but we can’t have everything and no it’s not the original, that crashed a long time ago but it’s the best we’ll get this side of the pond given the only thing that’s close is the Stull replica at Compton Airport in LA and that will never fly again.

It’s the first time I’ve seen a 222 in the flesh and I still can’t get over how pretty it is.

Concorde in my opinion was art in fixed wing form, the 222 is the same, just with a rotor.

[LE60LAD]

The Lady is looking mighty fine here. Been following there progress on Facebook for quite some time now. I do hope she gets to fly again and be on display at shows.

Many years ago I was lucky to see one of the screen used birds fly at an airshow in South Africa - I was just a kid at the time but seeing one of my screen heros in the flesh will always stick with me.

They just don’t make them like this any more.

Thanks for sharing these photos of the Lady. Stunning.

[SancastleAerial]

If you’re thinking of the “Checkers” Airwolf, I’m sad to say it wasn’t screen used, it was a replica. C/N 47132

I believe the airframe is still in SA with it’s replica parts long removed but will never fly again

[LE60LAD]

That will be the one - always thought it was a screen used one due to the pods on it.

No idea what happened to it - know one became an ambulance I think in Germany that crashed.

[SancastleAerial]

N3176 C/N 47085 (Flying Airwolf) crashed in 1992 when it was a helimed in Germany due to pilot error, All onboard killed and the aircraft destroyed

N1074T C/N 47015 (Airwolf II) crashed in 1987 when it’s main drive system disintegrated in flight causing the tail boom to fall off. Killing both onboard. Aircraft destroyed

N9988K C/N 47001 (Soundstage Airwolf) cut up for scrap after it was returned to Universal after season 4 had wrapped in Canada.

C/N 47132 (Checkers Airwolf) is actually a 222B, you can tell by the difference in the intakes, tail strike deflector and sponsons (there’s a lip on the outboard side). Currently in Jo’burg stripped for spares

[LE60LAD]

WOW - thanks for the history there

[SancastleAerial]

I fell in love with the 222 the first time I saw her on the telly in 1984. Yesterday, 40 years later, I got to actually touch one. Me, my son and a good friend did a 350 mile round trip just to go and worship the helicopter.

My son is in the middle wearing my season 2 flight suit, my mate is wearing the season 1 version and holding the Stull helmet moulded from Ernie’s, I’m wearing the Andrew Probert designed cast and crew jacket from season 1.

I’ve always had a very special relationship with that helicopter and I think that’s going to continue.

Helix AV can’t really use it as a daily commercial bird as it’s not economical anymore and at the end of the day it’s a 44 year old helicopter with a limited amount of flying hours remaining and they’ve got JetRangers and Bell 505s in their hangar so what to do with the former G-NOIR, you know, the one the Duke of York used to fly about in (Yes, he did)

They will be forming a subscription based club where members can go and visit the aircraft, stroke the aircraft, clean the guns, scrub out the ADF pod with a wire brush and when they have fitted the new impellors and fire bottles and they’ve sorted the CAA paperwork, go and fly in it 3 or 4 times a year and I’ll imagine they’ll hire it out for weddings, funerals, and you never know, if we wish really really hard we’ll get season 5 for the 50th anniversary in 2034

Prices yet to be spoken of but it’s not going to be cheap is it?

Some people choose sponsor a guide dog, some choose to sponsor a tiger, or even a polar bear.

I think I may choose to sponsor a Bell 222 helicopter. I might have to sell the second child into slavery but time will tell.

It usually does.

The only other 222 that comes close to the original is N414WW C/N 47042 which was built by Steve Stull but never fly, has an empty interior rear cabin and photo paper copies of the instruments in the cockpit. eagle eyes will notice the Huey rotor head fitted for cosmetic purposes. This is now found at Compton LA after loitering around on the roof of a Hollywood mansion & gathering dust in a Tennessee aviation museum.

There’s a lot of bad blood with WW, Stull did a lot of work to that, got screwed over regarding being paid the agreed sum and as such it never got finished, it was going to have a fitted out EDCC as well but that was not to be.