Four Two Nine

Bell’s new entry to the light twin market

Bell’s most important civil helicopter in a generation, the all new 429 light twin, is about to enter service.

Certification and service entry for the 429, now due in May, will be hugely significant events for a manufacturer that has ceded marketshare to an all-conquering Eurocopter and been beset by problems and delays to key military projects, such as the AH-1Z/UH-1W program for the US Marines and the recently cancelled contract to built 512 ARH-70 reconnaissance helicopters for the US Army.