Bell TH-13T Sioux

Army Workhorse

H-13s were a single-engine light helicopter used often by the US Army. When the Korean War began, the US Army had 63 Bell H-13s, and eventually named them “Sioux” in keeping with the Army tradition of designating its aircraft after Native American tribes. In the rugged terrain of Korea, the H-13 demonstrated the versatility and usefulness of the light helicopter, flying all types of missions but specializing in medical evacuation. Many of the nearly 25,000 service members evacuated by helicopter in Korea flew to Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals — “M.A.S.H.” units — on Bell H-13s.

The Bell TH-13T variant was a two-seat pilot trainer developed for the US Army and was first produced in 1964. Eventually, 411 TH-13T aircraft were built, featuring a cockpit eight inches wider than previous versions of the Sioux, a tinted cockpit bubble, and a blind-flying hood for student pilots.

Valleys & Hills

Bell delivered the TH-13T on display to the US Army in August of 1968. After the aircraft’s military career, the Tennessee Valley Authority acquired and operated it for several years out of the civilian airport in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In 1988, this aircraft retired from service and was transferred to the Hill Aerospace Museum.

M*A*S*H

The Sioux helicopter is famously depicted in the opening scene for the television show M*A*S*H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital), evacuating wounded troops from the front lines and flying them back to field hospitals. The show, a comedy drama focused on the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, first aired in 1972 and ended in 1983.

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