Bell 429

Global Medical Response has signed a purchase agreement for seven Bell 429s with an option to acquire eight additional helicopters, Bell Textron said.

The first serial production-representative AW09 single-engine light rotorcraft, codenamed S6, took to the air on Aug. 8 from Leonardo’s Vergiate manufacturing facility near Milan.

Engineers discovered an issue with the heat treatment of a gear component in the main gearbox during routine component testing late last year.

Speaking ahead of Singapore Airshow, a Bell executive says India is the most promising market for the company's helicopters in the Asia-Pacific region.

Leonardo Helicopters has applied for patents for a multifan electric anti-torque system.

During the first half (H1) of 2023, retail transactions of pre-owned, twin-engine helicopters totaled 76, down 15% compared to the same period a year ago.

An upturn in commercial deliveries marks turnaround for Bell as the long-delayed certification of the 525 helicopter nears.

Bell Textron is developing military modification kits for its commercial helicopters, targeting nations with urgent security needs but limited defense budgets.

Babcock Australasia is offering Bell’s Model 429 twin-engine light helicopter to meet Canberra’s need for a special operations helicopter platform.