Bell Flies new MAPL Fennestron demonstator

[belly tank]

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/comp_info/TailFan1.jpg

Bell Helicopter Chief Executive Officer Mike Redenbaugh today announced the first flight of Bell’s MAPL tail fan demonstrator at Bell’s new XworX research center in Arlington, Texas. On Thursday July 15th, the aircraft lifted into a hover, performed some low-speed maneuvers including pedal turns, and landed. The demonstrator will be used to explore the flight characteristics of this protected, low-noise anti-torque device intended for use on Bell’s new MAPL line of light helicopters (the Modular Affordable Product Line.)

Mr. Redenbaugh said, “This is an extension of protected anti-torque development at Bell that started in the 1970s with small-scale testing and includes the Ducted Tail Rotor demonstrations done ten years ago. We are developing a tail rotor for our customers that will be quieter, more effective, and more reliable with lower operating costs.”

After the flight, pilot Jim McCollough said, “This aircraft is easy to fly. The workload in hover is very low.” Observers described the tail fan as practically inaudible. “You can occasionally hear a purring sound,” said one. The demonstrator is an experimental Bell 407 with a forty-inch diameter fan and duct, which replace the sixty-five inch diameter tail rotor. The tail fan incorporates technology developed during bench testing completed earlier this year, many features of which are covered by new patent disclosures. It has been designed to allow testing in multiple different duct configurations, to provide information on their performance and acoustics in hover and forward flight. The test program will be conducted at the XworX facility and at Leadville, Colorado to obtain high-altitude performance data.

The tail fan is only one of many new technologies being developed specifically for the MAPL family, including an advanced rotor demonstrator planned to fly later this year. The first aircraft in the MAPL family is expected to be available in 2008, although some of these new technologies are mature and are being incorporated in Bell’s 427i announced at HAI earlier this year.

[PPRUNE FAN#1]

Mr. Redenbaugh said, This is an extension of protected anti-torque development at Bell that started in the 1970s......and that Aerospatiale perfected in the 1970's and has continued to develop and produce today.

Oh good Lord, how much does that thing weigh? What does it do to the c.g.? Can it be any lighter than the current tail boom? One can only imagine the load it places on that poor tailboom attach ring, not to mention that flimsy structure of the aft fuselage. Man oh man, if Bell thinks that this will be an improvement over the 407's current tailboom woes, they've got another thing coming. And we all know what that's going to be. Love to see the new tail fan boom when that typical sine-wave harmonic sets in. Now that ought to be fun to watch (for the few seconds it'll last). But good job, Bell! Glad to see them dragging themselves out of the 1950's and into the 70's.

[Vfrpilotpb]

If this is for real, and not a cut and shut dodged photo, then it looks very clumsy and much bigger in perspective than the rest of the boom and body.

Its almost a Gazelle rear end grafted on, are any different angle piccies available?

Vfr

[Droopy]

Unlikely to be all that heavy as most of it will be empty monocoque. It does look rather large for the amount of power going through the main gearbox?

[belly tank]

VFRPILOT,

Its real alright!!......straight hot off the press from the bell website.

Having looked at it just from the pic it looks like a similair design to the EC135!..however it looks very disproportionate to the tail boom doesnt it. i guess we will see how it goes!

[Warren Buffett]

Thanks Red. Great start. Next improvement ought to be one large cabin for all on board, facing forwards.

"One small step for Red, one giant leap for Bell".

ps: where were you when Bell needed you 30 years ago?

[SASless]

407's at altitude....Fenstron tail rotors....and Bell suggests they have new technology....even their drawings of the super dooper brand new design 206 replacement looks exactly like.......a 206...with smooth edges maybe.

Bell then tells us about a thing called the 210....which will be built from surplus UH-1's.....now that is a great leap in technology!

Excuse me.....but stacked rotor heads do not a four bladed head make....nor putting plugs into Jetrangers make a new helicopter...and bragging about high altitude operations without publishing the performance numbers convince anyone of the prowess of that machine. (they said it was for military sales....not the civilian market anyway)

I fear we will need to learn French if this keeps up. Did not the Lama go to altitude in the 70's......and the 407 does it in 2004?:{