New and improved Bell 407 helicopters took center stage at this year’s Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo in Orlando, Fla., with Rolls-Royce and Honeywell each powering one of the two different 407 upgrades on display.
Bell Helicopter presented the new Bell 407GXP, powered by Rolls-Royce’s M250-C47B/8 engine variant. According to the engine manufacturer, the new upgrade works to enhance the helicopter’s hot-and-high performance, satisfying the needs of customers who operate in demanding, high altitude environments.
“We’re looking at an additional eight percent power in hot and high conditions and up to two percent fuel consumption improvements,” Jason Propes, Rolls-Royce’s senior vice president of helicopters and light turboprop engines, told Vertical. “We’ve made some innovative design improvements to the core of the engine. We’ve modified three components primarily in the engine; the diffuser, impeller, and the first-stage turbine nozzle, and what we’ve really done is improve the efficiency of the air flow through the engine.”
Bell Helicopter announced at Heli-Expo a purchase agreement from Air Methods for 200 Bell 407GXPs. Bell Helicopter Photo
Rolls-Royce also announced the signing of a 10-year agreement with Bell Helicopter as the exclusive engine provider for the new Bell 407GXP. The agreement came alongside the announcement of a purchase agreement between Air Methods and Bell Helicopter for 200 Bell 407GXPs over the course of 10 years—the largest Bell 407 order in history.
“We’ve received very positive feedback from customers; [they’re] very happy with the technology that we’ve released in this engine,” said Propes.
Across the show floor, Honeywell and Eagle Copters were also presenting attendees with a modified Bell 407 — the Eagle 407HP. This conversion program replaces the OEM-installed Rolls-Royce engine with a Honeywell HTS900 turbine engine to increase hot-and-high performance.
“The HTS900-powered Eagle 407HP provides more capability [and] more performance at lower operating costs and lower maintenance costs, which is what every operator wants,” Rick Buchanan, Honeywell’s director of technical sales and mechanical systems, told Vertical.
He said the Eagle 407HP achieves these lower operating costs though reduced fuel burn, and by providing lower maintenance costs on the HTS900 than are offered on the original OEM engine.
The Eagle 407HP conversion program is now both Transport Canada and FAA certified. Sheldon Cohen Photo
“The more you fly, the more you’re going to save,” added Buchanan.
Eagle Copters recently received both Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada supplemental type certificates for the conversion. The company also announced Air Resources Helicopters Inc., as the launch customer for the helicopter at Heli-Expo. It hopes to begin the conversion this summer.
