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Bell 429

Old 12th Aug 2014, 17:21
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429WLG

Just out of curiousity: is the 429WLG yet available?
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Old 12th Aug 2014, 20:36
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as soon as Bell gets additional 500 lbs weight increase (8000 lb and counting...)
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Old 12th Aug 2014, 22:34
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Yes it is.
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Old 13th Aug 2014, 16:51
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429WLG delivery

The first 429 WLG delivery was to Brazil, making it number 25 to be delivered to Brazil. The first 24 are skid versions. It is currently on static display at Labace 2014.

<http://www.aeroboek.nl/429/57176.HTM>

The second 429 WLG delivery was to Argentina.

<http://www.aeroboek.nl/429/57168.HTM>

hth,
brgds,
Jan.
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Old 13th Aug 2014, 20:42
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is it just me or just the 429WLG look fat from the side.

Fats
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Old 14th Aug 2014, 09:36
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I find the WLG ugly
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Old 14th Aug 2014, 12:57
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Does this make me look fat?

Funny

My wife asked me about the same question the other day:
"Honey, does this dress make me look fat?"

I gave a Relentless answer:
"Ofcourse not Dear, but please don't wear it when I am with you, as the looks make me horny as hell."

So the question is not if you like fat bottoms or some stark skid legs,
You have to consider what you wanna been seen with in public.

I think the Relentless, comes in the same Class as Lada's and big fat whores:
You do not want to be seen beside it but is does not feel as bad once you are inside.

Cheers SLB
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Old 14th Aug 2014, 13:22
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When its airborne away from the ground and the wheels are up it doesnt look quite so squat

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Old 14th Aug 2014, 18:03
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Beauty, as always, is in the eye of the beholder. The view from 2 o'clock low isn't bad.



The issue, if there is one, relates to proportional aesthetics: the 429's optional rear clamshell door necessitates a skinny high-mounted tailboom, which is bad news for those of us who like our helicopters to have 'booty' (AW139, Dauphin, Hind, Puma, etc.). To that end it's unfortunate for lovers of fat bottomed girls that the latest 525 Relentless design tweak has adopted a 429-esque crimped tailboom.

......................Original................................................Latest......................


Anyway, back on topic: personally, the 429 has always reminded me of a pregnant guppy (though 'GlobalRanger' was ultimately preferred by the focus group ).



I/C

Last edited by Ian Corrigible; 27th Aug 2014 at 19:00.
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Old 14th Aug 2014, 19:48
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looking at the other photos posted it doesnt look as fat as the two shots that preceded my last post on this subject.

If i had the cash i would be had pressed to choose between the 429 in either guise or the MD902 as my choice for a light twin.

Fats
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Old 6th Sep 2014, 03:38
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Not too bad...14,700 foot rescue of Branson's son.

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Old 8th Sep 2014, 15:43
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Air Zermatt Bell 429 picks up Sir Richard Bransons son

Just over the weekend

Sir Richard Branson's son airlifted from Alps suffering with altitude sickness | UK | News | Daily Express

Cheers
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Old 8th Sep 2014, 16:07
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Again?
... persistent little bugger...

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Old 14th Oct 2014, 15:06
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Helitech 2014 - Wiltshire Air Ambulance Trust

Had a productive morning and afternoon here in Amsterdam and took these of the WAAT new 429 including handover,


cheers







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Old 24th Oct 2014, 14:41
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Bell Canada’s bid to have the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reconsider a 2012 decision that rejected a 500-pound weight increase for the Bell 429 has been denied. In a decision from deputy administrator Michael Whitaker dated Oct. 17, the FAA determined that “the case presented [for] reconsideration does not warrant a change to the original conclusions.” The decision goes on to state “there was no new information to consider beyond that provided in the original petition.”

In January 2012, Bell Canada sought an exemption from section 27.1 (a) of the Code of Federal Regulations that would have raised the maximum gross weight for the 429 from 7,000 to 7,500 pounds. The U.S. petition was submitted after Canada — and a number of other countries around the world — had already approved the 500-pound increase.

The FAA issued a denial in August 2012, and Bell Canada submitted an appeal in October 2012. In December 2012, the FAA received 57 comments from various parties including manufacturers, emergency medical service (EMS) operators, law enforcement agencies, helicopter maintenance facilities, government officials and others looking to purchase or operate a Bell 429.

In its decision to reject the petition a second time, the FAA fired back at a number of questions raised during the appeals process, including that the decision was political in nature based on U.S. manufacturers taking priority over manufacturers based outside the country. The FAA said it disagrees with this assertion.

Other comments in support of the petition were very general “without providing any additional information or quantifiable data not already addressed in the original denial decision,” the response notes.

The original 2012 denial “noted that the exemption sought by Bell Canada would place the Bell 429 at a competitive advantage,” the agency responds. “The point illustrated the unfair consequence that would result, which essentially amounted to a request to deviate from the applicability sections in parts 27 and 29.”

Some commenters said that certification of the Bell 429 under part 29 would either be economically unfeasible or would result in an increased cost to Bell Canada’s customers. “The FAA’s exemption process addressed whether a petitioner has met the agency’s standards, not the costs involved,” the denial states in response. “If Bell were to pursue certifying the 429 to part 29, which it has not to this point, the costs and benefits of stepping up to part 29 standards would be a business decision for Bell and its current 429 customers.”

The agency also asserted that the 2012 denial was consistent with past exemption requests, adding that Bell did not demonstrate how the weight increase would improve safety or benefit the public at large.

The manufacturer’s claim that the 429 meets “almost all” of the current part 29 requirements, the FAA notes, “gives even more weight to the position that [Bell Canada] could have, and should have, (as Eurocopter [Airbus Helicopters] did), sought certification of the Bell 429 under part 29 and requested exemptions for those part 29 requirements the aircraft could not meet.” While the FAA said it understands that certification under part 29 is a more involved process, the agency said it appears Bell Canada “wishes to be granted the same regulatory relief as Eurocopter and other manufacturers who pursued the more burdensome path, without taking that path itself.”
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Old 24th Oct 2014, 23:29
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Well said FAA!!!
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Old 25th Oct 2014, 03:51
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Bell 429

Well said, indeed. There were those at Bell early on in the 429 development who argued for the Part 29 certification; yet management vetoed that idea - they felt they could get the exemption via the 'back door'. It was a political move that has failed.
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Old 6th Dec 2015, 06:25
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I'm not sure how many private B429 there are on PPRUNE but we are thrilled to by picking ours up soon from Mirabel. Everything I've heard about Bell's excellent customer service has come true. The purchase experience was top notch. Upgrading from an Airbus product we considered the EC-145T2 but were won over by the speed and ride quality of the B429. Going through the Bell Academy was also a real treat. They're a group of instructors down there. The ferry across the US will be exciting in December.
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Old 6th Dec 2015, 18:09
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Hello HN,

You really feel a big difference in flight's confort with the 145T2 ?
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Old 6th Dec 2015, 21:42
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To be honesty I didn't personally get a chance to fly the T2 my self because Airbus didn't offer one to fly in time. I flew the conventional tail rotor Mercedes edition and the ride was a bit rough (as to be expected with that head). A trusted friend of mine who had flown the T2 told me there wasn't a big difference in the ride. That said, the ride was a distant consideration to the speed and acquisition cost. The report I did hear was disappointed in the speed of the T2. In his words he was concerned with the parasitic drag of the aircrafts new tail. He was having trouble getting the aircraft to bridge 130 knots even light at sea level. The 429 is a speed demon as we all know easily reaching it's max cruise with no penalty in ride.

I also have to admit that after owning an Airbus product for the last 3 years I wasn't too excited to be an alpha model early adopter with the T2. My local service center, Advanced Helicopter Services, has taken excellent care of us often masking some of Airbus' customer service "idiosyncrasies". The Bell 429 has been out for long enough to be proven. And, if something is to go awry, Bell has proven they care about single ship owners just as much as the fleet operators.

As for the 7,000 lbs limit in the US, this was my biggest hesitation. However after extensively testing the aircraft in our environment I found that because of the speed and fuel burn you are able to accomplish approximately the same mission in less time and with less fuel requirements. Our ship weighs in at roughly 4900 empty with VIP corporate interior (2+3), 4 axis auto pilot, 3 DU, 350H, GTN 650 and 750, XM audio, etc (all typical corporate trimmings). This leaves a healthy 2,100 lbs usable. For our needs it's plenty for our typical under 1 hour flight times. Obviously the EC-145T2 has a significant usable load advantage over the US market Bell 429 but at the expense of speed and fuel burn. Since it was really designed and tested to 7,500 lbs and sometimes 8,000 lbs the aircraft performance in climb, HOGE, OEI, etc is rather impressive and completely un-limiting anywhere I'll fly it in California.

Lastly cost was a significant factor. The 145 is approximately 25% more expensive then the Bell 429. I'd also argue that although contrary to what Airbus claims, it's significantly more expensive to operate then the B429. For a corporate owner flying roughly 200 hours or less a year, the B429 is practically only going in for maintenance once a year. It seems to be an easy aircraft to own and maintain.
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