Scott’s – Bell 47 — Flying High with Alignex and SOLIDWORKS

About Scott’s – Bell 47

Scott’s – Bell 47, Inc. was formed in 2009 when president and owner, Scott Churchill, acquired the Type Certificates for Bell’s Model 47 helicopter. Since then, Scott’s – Bell 47 has provided affordable, quality spare parts for the 1000+ Model 47s that are still flying worldwide today and has established itself as that aircraft's Original Equipment Manufacturer.

Starting an archive of over 2,000 original hand drawn Mylar prints, SB 47 was faced with the immense task of converting those 2D parts drawings. SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD has allowed them to translate over half of those into much more functional 3D designs.

In an industry where precision means everything, SOLIDWORKS solutions have helped them maintain tighter controls over everything from vendor communications to material selections and part tolerancing. As Frank Hoffman, General Manager, puts it "2D perception to a 3D creation, seeing how it all fits together and your mistake may jeopardize aviation safety but you've got to have that attention to detail... you're working with people's lives."

With the help of SOLIDWORKS solutions and support from Alignex, Scott’s – Bell 47 has achieved their goal of manufacturing, designing, changing and certifying the spare parts necessary to keep the remaining fleet of about 1,000 aircraft safely flying for as long as possible. 

Check out the video and learn more about Scott’s – Bell 47 at www.scottsbell47.com.