World's Newest Helicopter Debuts at Singapore Airshow

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Posted By: Marcel van Leeuwen February 3, 2010

SINGAPORE (Feb. 2, 2010) – The world’s newest helicopter, the light, twin-engine Bell 429, debuts today at the Singapore Airshow exhibit of Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. 

“The 429 represents Bell’s commitment to the commercial helicopter market and to invest in delivering aircraft and services that bring greater value to our customers,” said Bell President and CEO John L. Garrison. 

Certified in mid-2009 by Canadian, U.S. and European authorities, the 429 is to enter service within weeks with its first customer, Air Methods Corporation. Air Methods will operate the aircraft for U.S. emergency medical service operator Mercy One in Des Moines, Iowa. Potential customers and attendees of the Singapore Airshow can see the 429 features that set new standards for helicopters in its class by the Bell chalet at location CD11. Bell’s stand (Q01 in the main exhibit hall) also features a full-size mockup of this innovative helicopter. 

The 429’s standard-setting features include:

  • a design certified to the most up-to-date requirements of airworthiness authorities
  • the only EASA-approved maintenance program in the helicopter industry and the only one based on Maintenance Steering Group 3 (MSG-3) practices that are the foundation of the world airlines’ unprecedented reliability, and
  • performance that, when compared to typical aircraft in its class, provides almost 20 percent more useful load at altitude on a hot day, more than 30 percent greater climb rate at maximum gross weight from sea level on a standard day and higher demonstrated takeoff and landing altitudes

Bell developed many of the 429’s design features with input from customer advisory boards. The result is a highly flexible cabin space that can be customized to individual customer requirements, whether as an air ambulance, offshore oil and gas support aircraft, VIP transport or other applications. 

“In designing this aircraft, we listened to our customers,” Garrison said. “Their positive response to the 429 is the best indication that it is the game-changing helicopter they seek.”

Source: Bell Helicopter

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