Bell Helicopter has taken the wraps off a new VVIP interior for its developmental 525 Relentless for a second time, after an earlier launch was overshadowed by a fatal crash of a flight-test prototype.
That incident, in which two test pilots died, cast a shadow over its previous unveiling of the MAGnificent interior – developed by Italy-based Mecaer Aviation Group – at July’s Farnborough air show. Although it had a mock-up of the cabin on its stand, it gave no briefings on the modification at the UK event.
This time around, Bell chose the opulent surroundings of the Monaco Yacht Show to display the interior.
Speaking at Monte Carlo, Chuck Evans, director of marketing and sales support at the US manufacturer, said the development offers a compelling prospect for the VVIP segment.
“For me it’s the whole package – it is a highly advanced, fly-by-wire helicopter which is absolutely unique in the market," he says.
“It also has a much larger cabin compared with the other aircraft in this size category. That gives the VIP market a lot of room to design and build these fantastic interiors.”
Evans says the rotorcraft’s capabilities – including a top speed of over 200kt (370km/h) and range of around 500nm (926km/h) – are added attractions. He lists the maximum take-off weight as 9,750kg (21,500lb), an apparent increase over the previous figure of 9,100kg.
Given the state of the oil and gas market, some holders of letters of intent (LoI) for the aircraft have shown a willingness to convert existing commitments for offshore-configured helicopters to the MAGnificent-equipped variant, he says.
Evans declines to be specific, but Abu Dhabi Aviation, which holds a LoI for 10 examples, is an obvious candidate for such a move.
The 525 programme remains somewhat in limbo, however, following the 6 July crash of its initial flying prototype (N525TA).
Bell has suspended flight tests pending the outcome of the accident investigation, and offers no timeline for when the two remaining test aircraft might fly again.
“The path we are on right now is for a 2017 or 2018 certification target,” says Evans, without providing a clearer timeline. The airframer had previously scheduled the milestone for 2017.
“We are anxious to get the helicopter out into the market and in front of customers, and we are doing what we have to do to get it into service.”
Although flight tests are on hold, Bell has continued to work on “non-flight-critical certification items” for the GE Aviation CT7-powered helicopter, says Evans.
For Mecaer, the 525 is the second Bell programme it has worked on following a similar effort – revealed in 2013 – for the 429 light twin.
So far it has sold five examples of the latter interior, says general manager of business development Armando Sassoli, but is more optimistic about sales onto the 525: “We hope that around 25% of the Relentless that will be sold will have the MAGnificent interior.”
MAGnificent adds around $1-1.5million to the 525’s baseline price of $22 million.
A supplemental type certificate for the interior could be obtained “within months” of the 525’s validation, Sassoli says, with around 50% of its certification work already completed.
MAGnificenct features a variety of different seat configurations, dimmable electrochromatic windows, smartphone cabin controls, and a noise attenuation system that makes the cabin sufficiently quiet to hold a conversation without the need for a headset.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
