Rotor Torque

Bell Teams With Samsung For New Twin

Bell Helicopter Textron and Samsung Aerospace of South Korea announced plans at the HAI’s Heli Expo 96 in Dallas in February for a new light twin to compete against the MD Explorer and Eurocopter EC 135. The new model, dubbed the 427, would be derived from the new 407 single and would replace the previously planned 407T twin. The 427 would feature a 33cm fuselage stretch, increased diameter four blade main rotor, a 720 litre fuel tank, 2725kg (6000lb) gross weight, a new 700shp (520kW) direct input transmission and seating for eight. The powerplants have yet to be selected out of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206, Turbomeca’s Arrius 2 and Allison’s 250-C22+. Samsung would build the 427’s fuselage and tailboom and would assemble complete 427s for the Korean and Chinese markets. Bell says development costs would be around $US100m, with unit cost in 1995 dollars of $US1.9m (compared with $US2.4m for the EC 135 and $US3.6m for the Explorer). Certification is planned for late 1998. Bell says the earlier planned 407T based on the 206LT did not offer sufficient payload/range performance.

Rockwell Delivers Upgraded Kiowa

Rockwell Australia has redelivered the first Australian Army Kiowa it has upgraded with a new avionics and communications suite. The modification replaces outdated radio communications equipment, navigation aids and cabling with new Rockwell Collins items, while new antennae are also fitted. According to Doug Bowden, Rockwell Australia’s project manager for the upgrade, “the fleet modifications will provide Army with new reliable communications together with a state of the art tracking search and rescue direction finder which utilises satellites to greatly reduce the search times” for downed airmen or sailors who are equipped with an emergency locator beacon. At the time of writing the Kiowa was undergoing a month long test period prior to the rest of the fleet being upgraded to the same configuration.

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