09/30/2008. Remarks by Ray Watkins: "The US Army initiated the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program in 1962. Bell produced the private venture Model 207 by merging the rotor assembly and Lycoming TVO-435-B1A engine of the OH-13S Sioux to the Model 47J-2 center section, transmission, tail boom and tail rotor. The aircraft was fitted with an Emerson Electric TAT-101 turret.

The single prototype was flown for the first time by Al Averill on June 27, 1963, and late in 1963, the aircraft was evaluated by the US Army at Fort Benning, Georgia. The Army was very impressed with its capability but an aircraft with higher performance was wanted and ultimately led to the AH-1 HueyCobra being developed."