As far as sales go, the recession hit every manufacturer pretty hard. Bell lost alot of the 429 sales mostly because of that. I would say it's not a very solid fact.
It is a heavy machine, but the guys at Bell are working to reduce the weight. It is NOT competing against the 145. It is certified under part 27 and not part 29. Because of that, the weight is limited to 7000lbs max gross weight.
I don't know why I argue because I feel it's pointless. People seem to have their minds made up before the aircraft actually has a chance to prove itself. It ticks me off because I know poeple who have worked on this project and they really put alot of effort to make this a good aircraft that they are proud of.