JD
160 was the original Vne so I was just responding to why would anyone fly beyond VNE. Two reasons are expansion of the original envelope and the need to demo 1.1 Vne. As to AEO vs OEI Vne's those are defined in the end by testing the actual characteristics of the aircraft. That appears to be what Bell was doing. They may actually have a goal of a 200 Kt Vne. I was just throwing out the rationale of why testing at such speeds.
Finally. Not an expert on the nuances of Part 29, but you have to be able to transition from AEO Vne to OEI Vne so engine loss at Vne is required testing.
The Sultan