SE-HCA

Information

This aircraft was constructed in April 1956. It was purchased directly from Bell Aircraft Corporation by the newly established Swedish company Lapplandsflyg, bypassing the Swedish Bell agency Ostermans Aero AB. Lapplandsflyg's founder, mr Bertil Johansson, went to the US and picked up the aircraft himself. It was transported by boat to Europe, and then flown the last way to Sweden.

The helicopter was registered SE-HCA on 5 October 1956. It was based in Porjus and came to be operated in large parts of the mountain world.

The aircraft was leased by various companies, including Autair in Sudan. It was also operated by the Swedish Armed Forces from time to time.

SE-HCA was involved in an accident in July 1982. It was later repaired and returned to an airworthy condition. By this time Lapplandsflyg was a very large company in northern Sweden and it operated a large fleet of turbine helicopters. The Bell 47 was eventually retired, but it was maintained in an airworthy condition and kept as a vintage helicopter.

The 50-year old helicopter lost its airworthiness in 2006. It was stored in Lapplandsflyg's hangar in Umeå.

SE-HCA was purchased by a private owner in Sweden in late-October 2012. The owner was the current owner of the helicopter's sister ship SE-HCC. HCA was transported by truck to Stockholm (together with SE-HCF and SE-HUI), where it went through a renovation process in order to regain its airworthiness. The helicopter was finished in the spring 2013 and made its first public appearance at the "Veteran Aviation Days" at Skå-Edeby Airfield in Stockholm in June 2013.