Bell Helicopter 214b

Single Rotorcraft

The Bell 214B BigLifter is a civilian heavy-lift helicopter developed in the mid-1970s as a commercial derivative of Bell's military UH-1 Huey lineage, specifically evolved from the stretched twin-engine Model 212 and the Iranian-program Model 214A. Certificated in 1976, the 214B was purpose-built for external load operations in demanding environments (logging, construction, firefighting, and oil-and-gas support) where its single Lycoming LTC4B-8D turboshaft engine delivers 2,930 shaft horsepower and enables a 15,000-pound maximum gross weight with significant external sling capacity. The type became particularly popular in the western United States and Canada for forestry and utility work, where its combination of power, reliability, and relatively straightforward maintenance made it a workhorse through the 1980s and 1990s. Though production ended in the early 1980s after fewer than 50 units were built, the 214B remains in limited service today, primarily with specialized operators performing heavy external load missions. Its never-exceed speed of 140 knots and service ceiling around 14,000 feet reflect its design priorities: raw lifting power over speed or altitude performance. The BigLifter's operational profile is niche but enduring: where brute-force vertical lift is required and turbine singles are acceptable, the 214B still earns its keep decades after the last airframe rolled out of Bell's Fort Worth facility. SkyMeter has tracked 18 flights across 6 airframes and 3 operators, with BANK OF UTAH TRUSTEE the largest observed operator.