Bell

Bell Textron announced on Wednesday that the global Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter fleet has passed the 100,000-flight-hour milestone. The model flew for the first time in November 2014, receiving its Transport Canada type certificate in December 2016 and FAA type certificate in June 2017. According to Bell, it has currently delivered more than […]

Bell announced on Wednesday that it has completed its first Nacelle Improvements Modification on a CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor for the U.S. Air Force. Part of an ongoing Bell-Boeing upgrade program, the modifications include improvements to wiring components within the nacelles and a change to the nacelle structure designed to reduce maintenance time and costs while […]

Bell Textron first incorporated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with its training and demonstration fleet in March, and today announced it made the first SAF-powered flight of its developmental Bell 525 Relentless helicopter over the past summer. Michael Thacker, executive vice-president of Innovation and Commercial Business, said, “This is a major milestone in our sustainability journey, […]

Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) recently reached a new milestone, demonstrating its ability to airdrop supplies. With an eye toward military resupply missions, the APT is capable of hauling two standard tactical packs and can carry a maximum payload of 100 pounds. According to Bell, the packs can be dropped at separate locations and are […]

Bell Textron introduced several new aircraft design concepts on Monday that will use the company’s high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (HSVTOL) technology. The concepts include features such as low downwash hover capability, cruise speeds over 400 knots and runway independence. The technology is being developed primarily for military applications. “Bell’s HSVTOL technology is a step […]

Transport Canada and the FAA have issued emergency airworthiness directives (ADs) grounding some Bell 212, 204B, 205A-1 and 205B helicopters pending replacement of certain outboard main rotor hub strap pins. The ADs stem from an investigation into the fatal crash of a Bell 212 helicopter in Edmonton, Canada, last week, which found that the outboard […]

Bell Textron has announced plans to open a new systems integration lab (SIL) at the Bell Flight Research Center in Arlington, Texas. The facility is intended to support Bell’s participation in the U.S Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programs. According to the company, the SIL will be used […]

Bell Textron announced on Thursday that the fleet of AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom attack and utility helicopters has passed the 400,000-flight-hour mark. The aircraft, which have been deployed for military operations since 2010, are the result of an upgrade program for H-1 helicopters launched by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1996. The Marine Corps […]

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor has logged more than 600,000 flight hours, according to an announcement from Boeing this week. The V-22 fleet currently includes more than 400 aircraft with variants operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. The Osprey fleet passed the 500,000 […]

Bell Textron has announced that it plans to begin using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in all of its Bell Training Academy (BTA) and customer demonstration aircraft starting on March 25. According to the company, the move to SAF is intended to “support the aviation industry in its objective to achieve carbon neutral growth and reduce […]