PANews: Actually you don't know what you are on about with regards to the height of the tail rotor. I have just been and checked the one in our hangar and me standing at 6 feet the bottom of the tail rotor is no where near my belly button. Just at my shoulder maybe and low enough to cause death if you walk in to it? Yes. Near my 'belly button'? No.
I have only about 300 hours flying theses aircraft and I hate to break it to all of you, but it is a great machine - a very, very pilot friendly piece of equipment and I am yet to fly with anyone who gets out of it and states that they think it is a piece of junk. It is interesting to me that so many bash it with no experience in it.
Note the comment from heliRoto: We love the 429. And they are out operating the darn thing every day.