Army picks commercial-grade helicopters from Bell Textron with avionics and navigation for many missions
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – U.S. Army helicopter aviation experts needed high-reliability commercial-grade helicopters for a variety of Army missions. They found their solution from Bell Textron Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., announced a $37.7 million contract to Bell Textron last week for Bell 412EPX commercial helicopters.
The Subaru Bell 412EPX is a next generation utility helicopter that improves reliability and durability of the Bell 412 series that is flying today. It is assembled at Subaru in Japan, and offers an upgraded transmission, an electronically controlled PT6T-9 engine, and the second-generation Bell BasiX-Pro integrated glass cockpit avionics display system.
The Subaru Bell 412EPX uses the electronically controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 Twin-Pac engine; has a 15 percent increase in hot day take-off power over the Bell 412EP; has four large-screen high resolution multi-function displays, and the Garmin GTN 750 Xi NAV/COM/GPS navigation system with high-resolution digital maps and approach plates; and digital stand-by flight display.
The helicopter has an empty weight of 6,815 pounds, maximum gross weight of 12,200 pounds; cruise speed of 123 knots; a range of 361 nautical miles; can fly as high as 14,000 feet; and seats as many as 15 people, including the pilot.
On this contract Bell Textron will do the work in Fort Worth, Texas, and should be finished by December 2025. For more information contact Bell Textron online www.bellflight.com, or the Army Contracting Command at www.army.mil/acc.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
