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Old 4th Jul 2009, 14:00
  #99 (permalink)  
Shawn Coyle
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Philadelphia PA
Age: 73
Posts: 1,835
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Sir Shawn??? Pleease!
I did enjoy flying the machine, and trust that comes across in the article. Several things that will be very noteworthy in the long run - the use of the Maintenance Steering Group 3 (MSG 3) in developing the continuing airworthiness of the machine will mean much better maintenance - it's already at 200 hours between inspections, which must be a first in helicopters. The thought given to the cabin layout and other parts of the fuselage will mean that the ever-present modifications will be easier and cheaper to get approved.
The performance and smoothness are outstanding - and the easy upgrade to a 4 axis autopilot means that Bell was really thinking about this.
It is the first new design from Bell since 1979, and the engineers really listened to the pilots - which was very nice to see.
And I guess I should get a commission on future sales...
Shawn Coyle is offline