Heli-Expo Rumors & News
Bristow will have an interesting announcement about the acquisition of a well known operation in the USA.
Keep yer ears on!
Keep yer ears on!
Robinson have ordered 300 C20s and will be announcing the HD version of the R44 ENG - it will be interesting to see the spec of the gimbal given the size and weight limitations.
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Latest suggests they're paying 15 million for the privilege - PC must be smiling from ear to ear
//back to lurking
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Good news and bad news from Bell at industry show
By BOB COX
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Posted on Thu, Mar. 01, 2007
Bell's 429 had its first test flights this week and "performed flawlessly (Photo: BELL HELICOPTER)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- For two years, Bell Helicopter has kicked off the industry's big trade show with spectacular product unveilings. On Wednesday, Bell opened up a decidedly mixed bag of news.
Score it one successful first flight for a new helicopter, the model 429, and an early death for a second one. The model 417 is being terminated.
The announcements on the eve of the Helicopter Association International Heli Expo highlighted the turbulence that Fort Worth-based Bell has flown into in recent months. A series of problems and setbacks on both military and civil programs helped lead to the firing in late January of Chief Executive Michael Redenbaugh.
Bob Fitzpatrick, Bell's senior vice president of marketing and sales, tried to shine a positive light on the situation.
"Bell Helicopter is now on what we call the leading edge of [the] vertical lift" aircraft industry, Fitzpatrick said.
The company enjoyed a banner year in 2006, Fitzpatrick said, delivering 153 new civil helicopters and taking orders for 402 more. Bell's order backlog tops $3.1 billion.
New CEO Richard Millman wasn't at the news conference; he was meeting with the board of directors of parent company Textron.
The Bell 429 prototype made two flights totaling about an hour at the company's Mirabel facility near Montreal and "performed flawlessly," said Bill Stromberg, program manager for the highly touted twin-engine aircraft.
"We're real pleased with what we saw," Stromberg said. "There were absolutely no problems."
Customers have plunked down cash deposits for 190 of the twin-engine helicopters since the 429 was announced two years ago. Bell has 30 more "commitments" from customers who have yet to pay deposits.
Stromberg said that nearly all of the 429 buyers have maintained their orders even though the program is a year behind schedule. The company now says it hopes to have the aircraft certified safe and airworthy by government regulators by September 2008.
Fitzpatrick said Bell decided to halt development of the 417, an upgrade of its dated 407, after it became clear the company could not meet the performance specifications at the promised price.
Bell rolled out the 417 in Dallas last March, hoping to stem sales gains by American Eurocopter. Bell officials promised a more powerful aircraft that could carry more payload at higher altitude and into mountainous areas.
"There was not a significant enough value difference to bring it to the marketplace," Fitzpatrick said. The demise of the 417 is not a big blow, he said, because the 407 is still selling well.
Bell had taken more than 130 orders for the aircraft.
Fitzpatrick said Bell decided to terminate the 417 in December. But in a conference call with financial analysts in late January and again in meetings in early February, Textron CEO Lewis Campbell indicated that the program was still under way.
Financial and industry analysts said the decision to terminate the 417 program was worrisome, given Bell's ongoing inability to meet delivery and cost commitments on the Marine H-1 and Army Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter programs.
"This is another hiccup at Bell we'd rather not see," said Stephen Tusa, a JPMorgan analyst, adding that Textron investors would like to see evidence that Bell can deliver on its promises.
Aerospace industry consultant Richard Aboulafia said Bell, like other U.S. helicopter makers, was struggling to cope with a surge of commercial orders, implement new technology and cope with military demands from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's concerning, but it's not like they fell asleep at the switch," Aboulafia said. "There's a lot going on."
By BOB COX
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
Posted on Thu, Mar. 01, 2007
Bell's 429 had its first test flights this week and "performed flawlessly (Photo: BELL HELICOPTER)
ORLANDO, Fla. -- For two years, Bell Helicopter has kicked off the industry's big trade show with spectacular product unveilings. On Wednesday, Bell opened up a decidedly mixed bag of news.
Score it one successful first flight for a new helicopter, the model 429, and an early death for a second one. The model 417 is being terminated.
The announcements on the eve of the Helicopter Association International Heli Expo highlighted the turbulence that Fort Worth-based Bell has flown into in recent months. A series of problems and setbacks on both military and civil programs helped lead to the firing in late January of Chief Executive Michael Redenbaugh.
Bob Fitzpatrick, Bell's senior vice president of marketing and sales, tried to shine a positive light on the situation.
"Bell Helicopter is now on what we call the leading edge of [the] vertical lift" aircraft industry, Fitzpatrick said.
The company enjoyed a banner year in 2006, Fitzpatrick said, delivering 153 new civil helicopters and taking orders for 402 more. Bell's order backlog tops $3.1 billion.
New CEO Richard Millman wasn't at the news conference; he was meeting with the board of directors of parent company Textron.
The Bell 429 prototype made two flights totaling about an hour at the company's Mirabel facility near Montreal and "performed flawlessly," said Bill Stromberg, program manager for the highly touted twin-engine aircraft.
"We're real pleased with what we saw," Stromberg said. "There were absolutely no problems."
Customers have plunked down cash deposits for 190 of the twin-engine helicopters since the 429 was announced two years ago. Bell has 30 more "commitments" from customers who have yet to pay deposits.
Stromberg said that nearly all of the 429 buyers have maintained their orders even though the program is a year behind schedule. The company now says it hopes to have the aircraft certified safe and airworthy by government regulators by September 2008.
Fitzpatrick said Bell decided to halt development of the 417, an upgrade of its dated 407, after it became clear the company could not meet the performance specifications at the promised price.
Bell rolled out the 417 in Dallas last March, hoping to stem sales gains by American Eurocopter. Bell officials promised a more powerful aircraft that could carry more payload at higher altitude and into mountainous areas.
"There was not a significant enough value difference to bring it to the marketplace," Fitzpatrick said. The demise of the 417 is not a big blow, he said, because the 407 is still selling well.
Bell had taken more than 130 orders for the aircraft.
Fitzpatrick said Bell decided to terminate the 417 in December. But in a conference call with financial analysts in late January and again in meetings in early February, Textron CEO Lewis Campbell indicated that the program was still under way.
Financial and industry analysts said the decision to terminate the 417 program was worrisome, given Bell's ongoing inability to meet delivery and cost commitments on the Marine H-1 and Army Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter programs.
"This is another hiccup at Bell we'd rather not see," said Stephen Tusa, a JPMorgan analyst, adding that Textron investors would like to see evidence that Bell can deliver on its promises.
Aerospace industry consultant Richard Aboulafia said Bell, like other U.S. helicopter makers, was struggling to cope with a surge of commercial orders, implement new technology and cope with military demands from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's concerning, but it's not like they fell asleep at the switch," Aboulafia said. "There's a lot going on."
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Would Bell have looked at the A119Ke and seen that they could not compete.
The A119Ke has awesome performance and usability.
The 429 looks the part. Are there any more photos of it?
The A119Ke has awesome performance and usability.
The 429 looks the part. Are there any more photos of it?
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Tango and Crash ... you should be more appreciative of pet projects of past acquaintances! 
Here's an interesting one as well ...
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16809187.htm
Here's an interesting one as well ...
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16809187.htm
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Top article on www.aero-news.net is Bell's announcement of a LongRanger upgrade. So if I can't have my 417, I can at least upgrade my 1970s era 206L!
See what media can do...
Bell Helicopters will unveil yet another "new" model of the Jet Ranger. It will however have the same sorry seats as the original.
I will bet the pilot seats are not part of any improvement mod!
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SASless ...
Not riding front seat in the LongRanger that often, can you explain what's wrong with the seat? They do appear to be of the wooden park bench variety with minimal padding.
Thanks!
Not riding front seat in the LongRanger that often, can you explain what's wrong with the seat? They do appear to be of the wooden park bench variety with minimal padding.
Thanks!
Crikey....a park bench is better than a Jet Ranger seat. Even when I was built like a Whippet (all p-rick and ribs) they were a killer. Hard, no adjustment....lumbar pad in the newer ones that are designed for someone about nine foot tall....and pedals that could be moved six inches forward and then adjust so they fit normal people. The 407 is worse yet...the seat is further forward than the 206 thus forcing your number nines into an awkward angle thus causing you to have PAD or DVT.
But then I got spoiled in my youth flying Chinooks and 58T's.
Boeing did put out one seat cushion that had a herring bone looking weave to the fabric that the CIA could replace water boarding with and have much more success in getting folks to chatting.
But then I got spoiled in my youth flying Chinooks and 58T's.
Boeing did put out one seat cushion that had a herring bone looking weave to the fabric that the CIA could replace water boarding with and have much more success in getting folks to chatting.
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Bell 429. It was great to see the first flight video. I wish Bell all good fortune for this new model. It certainly has the right proportions and hopefully will have a decent range (3 hours in MCP) and reasonable payload.