Bell Aircraft
 | |
| Industry | |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 10, 1935 |
| Founders | Lawrence Dale Bell |
| Fate | Acquired by Textron Inc. |
| Successor | Bell Helicopter |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Key people | |
Number of employees | 28,000 during World War II |
| Footnotes | |
The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many important civilian and military helicopters. Bell also developed the Reaction Control System for the Mercury Spacecraft, North American X-15, and Bell Rocket Belt. The company was purchased in 1960 by Textron, and lives on as Bell Textron.