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Bell Aviation FIRSTs

Famous Bell Aviation "FIRSTs"

- FIRST twin-engine escort fighter (Airacuda).
- FIRST aircraft to mount a 37 mm cannon and flexible gun turrets (Airacuda).
- FIRST modern multi-place fighter, establishing a new type for the Army Air Force (Airacuda).
- FIRST American fighter airplane designed around its armament (P-39 Airacobra).
- FIRST use of tricycle landing gear on modern military aircraft (P-39 Airacobra).
- FIRST satisfactory .50 caliber machine gun shock dampener, which became standard for both the Army and Navy.
- FIRST modern all-wood military fighter (XP-77).
- FIRST helicopter with automatic stabilizing control (Bell Model 30).
- FIRST demonstration of emergency medical use of a helicopter (Bell Model 30).
- FIRST jet-propelled fighter airplane in the United States (P-59 Airacomet).
- FIRST commercial helicopter (Bell Model 47B).
- FIRST supersonic airplane (X-1).
- FIRST commercial helicopter with 200 hp engine and skid landing gear (Bell Model 47D-1).
- FIRST airplane able to vary degree of wing sweepback during flight (X-5).
- FIRST radio-guided bomb (Tarzon).
- FIRST helicopter designed specifically for anti-submarine warfare (HSL-1).
- FIRST airplane able to fly at speeds two and one-half times the speed of sound and at altitudes of 90,000 feet (X-1A).
- FIRST turbine-powered helicopter (XH-13F).
- FIRST jet-propelled vertical take-off and landing airplane (VTOL).
- FIRST automatic carrier landing system.
- FIRST convertiplane incorporating tilting-rotor system (XV-3).