“At Hawker Pacific our aim is to exceed customer expectations,” said Paul Giles, senior vice president Hawker Pacific helicopter group. “This aircraft sale demonstrates our continued loyalty to support the offshore oil operator and the region; providing them with consistent, reliable and competitive aircraft.”

Purchased for a Middle East offshore operator, this is the first Bell 412EP in the region with the BLR FastFin^TM System installed on the aircraft. This capability will allow the customer to more effectively operate in hot and high conditions and improve the payload performance in these conditions by 30 to 60 percent.

Chosen for its value and outstanding mission capabilities, the helicopter will significantly enhance the ability of the customer to perform a wide-range of offshore oil field support missions.

“The Bell 412 is a proven, safe and reliable helicopter, ideally suited for operations in the Middle Eastern region,” said John L. Garrison, president and CEO Bell Helicopter.  “Our customers rely on Bell helicopters to go to work every day, we are committed to supporting those duties and providing them a complete mission solution well beyond the initial sale.”

Bell Helicopter and Hawker Pacific have a long-standing relationship, partnering to inaugurate aircraft in the Middle East for more than 30 years.

“We are pleased partner with Hawker Pacific to deliver this aircraft and we look forward to continuing our partnership well into the future,” said Larry D. Roberts, Bell Helicopter senior vice president commercial business. “We are especially gratified that this helicopter was sold during the Farnborough International Airshow signifying increased interest in the commercial helicopter market.”

The Bell 412 offers operators the highest dispatch reliability of any twin-engine and is designed with rupture-resistant fuel cells, energy-absorbing crew seats and a resilient fuselage. With rugged military-grade components and exceptional utility operations the 4-bladed Bell 412 employs high cruise speeds and low noise signatures. Since its inception in 1981, advancements in technology have yielded 412 upgrades with greater performance and endurance, making it one of the most mission-ready medium utility helicopters available in the market.

1) Bell Helicopter and BLR Partner to Increase Altitude Performance for Bell 412EP Helicopters
http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/company/pressReleases/PR_10_0720_BLR_Partner_412increase.cfm

2) Bell Helicopter Introduces Low-Cost Ground Velocity Sensor for Hover-Hold and SAR Missions
http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/company/pressReleases/PR_10_0720_Hover-Hold_SAR_Missions.cfm

“The Government of Canada is committed to ensure the aerospace industry remains strong, internationally competitive and at the leading edge of technology development,” said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. “This agreement builds on and expands the National Research Council’s long-standing research and business relationship with Bell Helicopter Textron in an area where Canada has a proven capability”.

“It will make it even easier for the NRC and Bell Helicopter to combine their expertise to pursue innovations in the lab that will ultimately deliver technology solutions to the global marketplace,” says Mr. John McDougall, President of the NRC. “Ultimately, these collaborations will make a very real impact on the creation of safer, lighter, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly aircraft.”

With this agreement, the two organizations will continue this productive relationship well into the future. Projects including the continued exploration of the use of composite materials for aircraft structures and flight-test of new avionics systems are under way. Wind tunnel testing of proposed helicopter design modifications is slated to begin in the fall of 2010.

“Bell Helicopter has a 75-year legacy of technological innovation and is committed to continuing that history. We are honored to partner with NRC to develop further advancements for the helicopter industry including setting new standards in design, safety and operational capabilities,” said John L. Garrison, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter. “We look forward to continuing our demonstrated alliance while bringing increased value to our customers.”

For over 50 years, Bell Helicopter and NRC have enjoyed a long-standing collaborative research and technology development relationship that has resulted in the development of specifications for helicopter handling qualities, advances in understanding about rotary-wing aerodynamics, and Canadian breakthroughs in manufacturing aircraft structures from composite materials.

Purchased for private customers in Japan, these helicopters will be used for a multitude of missions from utility to corporate transport and emergency medical services (EMS).

“This contract demonstrates our confidence in Bell Helicopter to meet all of our customers’ mission requirements and expands our portfolio of helicopter services,” said Mr. Yukihiro Tanaka, CEO, Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co., Ltd. “We are honored to be part of the extended Bell family and look forward to strengthening our partnership even more into the future.”

Mitsui Bussan Aerospace has been the Bell Helicopter independent representative in Japan for more than 50 years. Over the course of those five decades Mitsui Bussan Aerospace has been responsible for inaugurating more than 1400 helicopters into the country.

“Bell helicopters are known for their rugged reliability and unparalleled performance. Our customers depend on these aircraft to support the work they do every day,” said Larry D. Roberts, Bell Helicopter senior vice president, Commercial Business. “We are committed to building on the long-standing tradition of working with Mitsui Bussan Aerospace and partnering to provide operators in Japan with the safest, most reliable helicopter solution.”

Certified as a single-pilot instrument flight rules (SPIFR), Category A helicopter under the latest requirements of Part 27 airworthiness rules, the 429 offers the largest cabin in its class and has raised industry standards in terms of safety, maintainability, and performance.

So far this year the 429 has flown more than 1300 potential customers in demonstration flights throughout Asia. The 429 has also provided customer demonstration flights in Latin America and is currently on tour in Europe.