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Bell 429 GlobalRanger

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Bell 429
High altitude tests performed at Lake County Airport by C-FYOB
Role Multipurpose utility helicopter
National origin United States
Canada
Manufacturer Bell Helicopter
Korea Aerospace Industries
First flight February 27, 2007[1]
Status Active service
Developed from Bell 427

The Bell 429 is a light, twin-engine helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter and Korea Aerospace Industries, based on the Bell 427. First flight of the Bell 429 prototype took place on February 27, 2007,[2] and received type certification on July 1, 2009.[3] The Bell 429 is capable of single-pilot IFR and Runway Category A operations.[4] The Bell 429 costs approximately US$5 million as of early 2010.

Development

The impetus for developing the Bell 429 came primarily from the emergency medical services (EMS) industry, which has been looking for an updated helicopter. The Bell 427 was originally intended to address this market, but the 427's small cabin size would not adequately accommodate a patient litter,[5] and the systems did not support instrument flight rules (IFR) certification. Bell's original concept for the 429 was a stretched model 427[6] (unveiled as the Bell 427s3i at the 2004 HAI helicopter show), but this still did not provide what Bell and its customer advisers were looking for.[7]

Bell abandoned the 427 airframe and went to its MAPL (Modular Affordable Product Line) concept airframe[6] that was still in conceptual development at the time. The 429 employs the all-new modular airframe concept and the advanced rotor blade design from the MAPL program, but maintains a derivative engine and rotor drive system from the 427.[citation needed] The basic model includes a glass cockpit and is certified for single pilot IFR. Bell partnered with Korea Aerospace Industries and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace of Japan in the helicopter's development.[8]

Bell 429 mock-up

Bell had flown most of the critical MAPL technology components using a 427 test bed aircraft by February 2006. The first completed 429 flew February 27, 2007.[1] Certification was originally planned for late 2007, but program schedule delays, primarily caused by parts and material shortages common to all aviation manufacturers in that time period, caused the manufacturer to stretch the development timetable.[2] In October 2007 the external configuration was set. In February 2008, Bell had three 429s in flight testing that had completed 600 hours.[9]

The helicopter received type certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) on July 1, 2009,[3] and from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by July 7, 2009.[10] EASA certification was announced at Helitech on September 24, 2009.[11]

As of June 2009, the Bell 429 had received over 301 orders.[12] The launch customer for the Bell 429 is Air Methods Corporation, the largest medevac provider in the United States. On July 7, 2009, the first customer aircraft (s/n 57006) was delivered to Air Methods (owner) and Mercy One (operator) at Bell's facility in Mirabel, Canada.[13][14]

The 429 conducted its high altitude certification testing at Leadville, Colorado and its high temperature certification at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Further testing is also underway to establish maximum speeds (Vne) and climb rates (Vy) for operation with various door configurations (fixed, sliding, pilot, passenger, doors off).[citation needed]

Design

The Bell 429 has a 4-blade rotor system with soft-in-plane flex beams. The rotor blades are composite and have swept tips for reduced noise. The tail rotor is made by stacking two, two-blade rotors at set at uneven intervals (to form an X) for reduced noise.[2] The combined cabin volume is 204 ft³ (5.78 m³) with a 130 ft³ passenger cabin and 74 ft³ baggage area,[5] with flat floor for patient loading. A set of rear clamshell doors under tail boom is optional for easier patient loading.

The 429 has glass cockpit with 3-axis autopilot and flight director standard. Standard landing gear are skids. A retractable wheel landing gear is optional and adds 5 kt to cruising speed.[3] The helicopter is a single-pilot IFR Category A helicopter. It is capable of operating with one engine inoperative. The main transmission is rated for 5,000 hours between overhauls and the tail-rotor gearbox is rated for 3,200 hours.[5]

Operators

Specifications (Bell 429)

Bell 429 at the Singapore Air Show 2010

Data from Bell 429 brochure,[17] Bell Helicopter 429 product specifications,[18] Flug Revue Bell 429 page,[19] Aviation Week[5]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 pilot
  • Capacity: 7 passengers (six in passenger compartment; one at side of pilot)[5]Cabin volume: 204 ft³ (5.8 m³)can also use the PW207D2 (same as PW207D1 with fuel heater installed)

Performance

See also

Related development

References

  1. ^ a b Bell 429 newsleter. Bell, March 2007.
  2. ^ a b c "Bell Flies 429, Stretches Program". Rotor & Wing, April 2007.
  3. ^ a b c "Bell 429 Achieves Certification". Bell Helicopter, July 1, 2009.
  4. ^ Transport Canada Type Certificate Search
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Light Twin, Big Cabin", Aviation Week & Space Technology 170, 26 (29 June 2009), p. 42.
  6. ^ a b Croft, John. "Bell Canada: composites not a grey area". Flight International, June 12, 2009.
  7. ^ AW & ST: "... but the cabin was not big enough to attract operators, particularly the emergency medical service industry."
  8. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Bell Provides 429 Program Update". Bell Helicopter, February 22, 2008.
  10. ^ "FAA, TC Certify Bell 429". Rotor & Wing, July 7, 2009.
  11. ^ "Helitech 2009: Bell 429 achieves EASA Certification". Rotorhub, September 24, 2009.
  12. ^ Croft, John. "Bell: certification imminent for Bell 429 rotor rocket". Flight Daily News, June 15, 2009.
  13. ^ New model certified. Montreal Gazette, July 8, 2009.
  14. ^ Bell Presents 429 To Its First Customer. Textron website, July 16, 2009.
  15. ^ Bell 429 certified for Waas : AINonline
  16. ^ First Bell 429 enters service | Australia Aviation Magazine
  17. ^ Bell 429 brochure. Bell Helicopter.
  18. ^ Bell 429 product specs. Bell Helicopter
  19. ^ Bell 429 page. Flug Revue.
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