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Bell
429 Twin-engine light helicopter |
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The
Bell 429 is a twin-engine light helicopter designed, developed and manufactured
by Bell Helicopter and Korea Aerospace Industries, based on the Bell
427. Two helicopter mock-up models were first displayed at the Heli-Expo
air show in Anaheim in February 2005. First flight of the Bell 429 prototype
took place on February 27, 2007, and received type certification on
July 1, 2009. The first Bell 429 helicopter was delivered to launch
customer Air Methods in August 2009. It was displayed at the Singapore
Air Show held in February 2010. In December 2012, announced that it
has signed an agreement with the Republic of Turkey Undersecretariat
for Defence Industries for the supply of five Bell 429 aircraft. The
Bell 429s will be operated by the Turkish General Directorate of Forestry
(TGDF) to protect forest resources and coordinate firefighting operations.
December 3, 2012, Bell Helicopter announced the delivery of the first
Bell 429 from its new Singapore facility. The corporate-configured Bell
429 was delivered to PT Whitesky Aviation in Jakarta, Indonesia. With
the latest delivery, PT Whitesky Aviation operates a fleet of five Bell
Helicopter aircraft, including two Bell 429s and three Bell 407s. |
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| Main Variants | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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No variants at this time. |
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| Technical Data | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Design | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The
cabin of the Bell 429 is exceptionally spacious with seating for up
to eight passengers and can be reconfigured for any number of different
missions. Designed from the outset as a 21st century airframe, the Bell
429 utilizes an ultra-rigid machined alloy airframe with composite external
skins, sharing construction characteristics more commonly found in the
most advanced military jets. The result is a spacious, rigid airframe
with exceptional resistance to fatigue and adverse environmental conditions.
Standard Configuration six-place seating consists of two rows of three
energy-absorbing seats, with individual 4-point restraint system, quick
release disconnects and fixed provisions for the optional passenger
cabin ICS system. The cockpit crew station was designed from the outset
to accommodate pilots from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile
male (standing height 5 ft. ½ inch to 6 ft. 2 inches; sitting
height 31.3 inches to 38.3 inches, reference U.S. FAA Human Factors
Design Standard, HF-STD-001, dated May 2003). The pilot and co-pilot
seats and pedals are also adjustable to enable the cockpit crew to adjust
their seat positions for comfortable access to cockpit controls, so
that they can easily carry out normal and emergency duties without hindrance.
The passenger / cargo compartment occupies the middle section of the
cabin. The compartment has a volume of 130 cubic feet (3.68 m3), which
can be used in a standard or corporate configuration for passenger seating,
or as cargo area. The aft cabin has an additional volume of 74 cubic
feet (2.10 m3), giving a total contiguous cabin volume of 204 cubic
feet (5.78 m3). A forward hinged and aft sliding door on each side of
the cabin provide a 61.9” wide x 44.25” high (158.7 x 112.3
cm) unobstructed door opening on each side of the helicopter for easy
passenger compartment loading and unloading. The two forward doors are
hinged to open forward and the two sliding doors open aft and flush
along the cabin exterior. The passenger/cargo compartment doors can
be opened individually or at the same time. |
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| Avionics and equipment | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The
Bell 429 delivers 155 knot speed with a state-of-the-art cockpit featuring
single pilot IFR and WAAS precision approach capabilities. The Bell
BasiX-Pro™ Avionics System has been specifically designed to meet
the requirements of twin engine helicopters and is optimized for IFR,
Category A, and JAROPS-3 compliant operations. The system is highly
flexible and configurable to meet various operating and customization
needs. The system takes advantage of the latest in display, computer
processing, and digital data bus technology to provide a high degree
of redundancy, reliability, and flexibility. The standard configuration
for the Bell 429 provides single-pilot IFR capability with 3-axis stability
and control augmentation (SCAS) and a coupled flight director capability.
All Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS) display functions
are provided through the Bell BasiX-Pro™ Avionics System. The
system works in conjunction with the engine control units (EECs) for
the dual Pratt & Whitney electronically-controlled PW- 207D1 engines.
Other aircraft systems interfaces, warnings, cautions, aural alerts,
and automated performance features are provided through the remotely
located Aircraft Data Interface Unit (ADIU). The Bell 429 standard configuration
for Communications Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) consists of dual
Garmin GNS-430W NAV/COM/WAAS GPS systems, with a kit option to replace
one of these with a GNS-530W. The standard system also includes a GTX-330
ELS compliant Mode S transponder, a PMA-7000H Audio/Intercom Panel with
VOX and Integral Marker Beacon Receiver, and an ARTEX C406-N-HM Emergency
Locator Transmitter (ELT). |
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| Propulsion | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The
Bell 429 is powered by two turboshaft engines, type PW207D1 by Pratt
& Whitney Canada, each rated at 820kW (1,100shp). 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 set at uneven intervals (to
form an X) for reduced noise. The maximum cruise speed is 287km/h and
the range on internal fuel is 645km. Its cruise speed is 278km/h. The
hover ceiling (OGE) is 2,835m. The aircraft has an empty weight of 2,007kg.
The maximum take-off weight is 3,175kg. The maximum altitude and range
of the Bell 429 are 6,096m and 722km respectively. The maximum endurance
at maximum gross weight 4,000ft ISA is four hours. |
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| Mission capabilities | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Fast,
agile, smooth and quiet, the Bell 429 reduces response time and crew
fatigue while expanding an agency’s mission capabilities. Exceptional
cabin volume, large cabin doors and optional rear clamshell doors easily
accommodate special mission equipment, tactical deployments or hoist
operations. Even the tallest crew member wearing an NVG equipped helmet
is comfortable flying the Bell 429 thanks to best in class cabin volume
and fully adjustable seats and pedals. Coupled with a fully integrated
glass cockpit, with options that include moving maps, FLIR imagery and
NVG capability, the Bell 429 delivers the complete multi-role Parapublic
package. |
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| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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