Global Ranging

“I am extremely proud of the Bell team for the work they have done to create the 429 and I believe this is just the start of many great things we will see coming out of Bell Helicopter in the years to come,” said Bell CEO and president Dick Millman in a statement announcing certification.

In June Bell held 301 letters of intent (LoIs) covering production of the 429 out to around 2014. Over 60 per cent of the LoIs (which required a US$125,000 deposit) are from international customers, with 59 from the Asia Pacific region.

Locally, “no orders have been received as yet from Australian customers, but there has been an immense amount of interest in this helicopter from EMS and corporate operators,” says Peter Crook of Bell distributor Hawker Pacific. Bell and Hawker Pacific are planning a demonstration tour of the 429 around Australia early next year.

Bell is now focused on converting its LoIs into firm orders (requiring an additional US$125,000) in the coming months, while the delivery of the first customer helicopter to Iowa EMS operator Mercy One occurred on July 7. The machine was handed over to Denver based Air Methods during a short delivery ceremony at Bell’s Mirabel, Canada, facility prior to Air Methods installing an EMS interior fitout for Mercy One.

Neil Marshall, Bell’s 429 program director, told Australian Aviation at June’s Paris Airshow that structures for 429 msn 035 are currently being built with Bell hopeful of delivering as many as 10 429s by the end of the year. “We plan on building 40 next year (2010), and 70 to 80 in 2011. Full rate production will see us building 92 per year in 2012, but we can ramp up to 115 per year if we need to. ” The 429 made its flying debut at Paris with demonstrator C-FTNB (pictured above) making several media and VIP demonstration flights. However, it was not all smooth flying for Bell at Paris as the legal issue over the 429’s skid landing gear design reignited after a French bailiff, believed to be acting on behalf of Eurocopter, inspected the static mockup’s landing gear inside the Bell chalet.

In June 2008, Eurocopter launched legal action against Bell, seeking punitive damages of C$25m (A$27m) claiming it had breached a design patent on its ‘sled’ style skid gear similar to that used on the European manufacturer’s EC120.

Bell spokesman Joe LaMarca told Reuters the bailiff ’s visit “significantly impeded our ability to conduct business at the airshow. They could have asked to photograph the skids at a time that was less disruptive to our customers. ” While maintaining that the skid gear design was not an infringement, Bell fitted the 429 prototypes with a ‘toe’ shaped skid similar to that found on its 407 model. Bell says the change was made because of concerns that legal proceedings might have delayed deliveries.

Meanwhile a retractable wheeled undercarriage version of the 429 will be developed by 2011. “The nose wheel bay has been designed into the original design from day one, the main wheels will be an integrated assembly in a sponson,” said Marshall.

Future variants of the 429 may include single engine and increased gross weight versions, according to Marshall. “It depends on the business case. ” He says that no cabin stretches are planned.

The 429 is a likely contender for the ADF’s upcoming Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) program.

“The world is watching what the ADF does with Air 9000 Phase 7,” said Max Wiley, Bell’s VP of Asia Pacific sales.

“Although the 429 is a commercial product so it can’t be considered as a military off the shelf product, we’re doing some pre-investigation of military requirements now. ” According to the recent Defence Capability Plan the decision on a type selection for HATS is slated for between 2011 to 2013.