The Batcopter was a functional helicopter provided by National Helicopter Service.[3] It was based on the Bell 47, which was designed by Bell Helicopter Textron in 1941. The Batcopter was a G3B-1 model with FAA registration N3079G,[4] which had previously been used in the TV-series Lassie[5] and ABC News. To make the model look more like a superhero vehicle, it was fitted with canvas-covered tubular frames and was painted red.