Bell 429
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 308
Likes: 5
From: Land of the Krauts
trend indications?
Please explain to this foreigner.
Please explain to this foreigner.
Probably mostly useful on longer flights when alertness is low and regular instrument cross checks are forgotten.
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 917
Likes: 11
From: Tax-land.
No he didn't Yhelico, I am on vacation in the Caribbeans and I only occasionally check the web for what I am interested on.
I'd say call me back when:
1) Bell solves the weight problem.
2) Bell gets more than 15 429s registered in the USA working on EMS contracts.
I may be retired by then.
Facts, not words.
Bye for now, I am enjoying the vacation.
I'd say call me back when:
1) Bell solves the weight problem.
2) Bell gets more than 15 429s registered in the USA working on EMS contracts.
I may be retired by then.
Facts, not words.
Bye for now, I am enjoying the vacation.
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 458
Likes: 0
From: Kings Caple, Ross-on-Wye.orPiccots End. Hertfordshire
Info update please
Ref the B429 and if Shawn Coyle or any other 'in the know' bod is on thread just now .... tomorrow I'm doing an air test and write-up for our UK 'BLADES' journal and would like to add a note on the the 'wheels' position.
??? Are these on the factory list for production ... ever or never.
Secondly - is the PATS T/R totally dead & buried.
And if anyone has the info, and apart from Air Methods - are there any further machines now actually in service. HEMS or whatever.
Thanks in advance and I hope I enjoy the ride as much as Shawn.
Dennis Kenyon
??? Are these on the factory list for production ... ever or never.
Secondly - is the PATS T/R totally dead & buried.
And if anyone has the info, and apart from Air Methods - are there any further machines now actually in service. HEMS or whatever.
Thanks in advance and I hope I enjoy the ride as much as Shawn.
Dennis Kenyon
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 16
From: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Georgina HJ and I were in the aircraft Monday and as I guess the Bell pilot will confirm...
Wheels in the fullness of time, seems there are a number of 'future' scenarios where wheels will be unavoidable.
PATS Tail rotor unlikely in the short term as the current one has extremely good 'bite' and [my reading on this] why get something that might not have such grip on the environment [in the short or long term].... There are no systems out there that serve demonstrate that a PATS type anti-torque system is an outright customer winner.
I have no comment on the other question, that will need an American input.
Wheels in the fullness of time, seems there are a number of 'future' scenarios where wheels will be unavoidable.
PATS Tail rotor unlikely in the short term as the current one has extremely good 'bite' and [my reading on this] why get something that might not have such grip on the environment [in the short or long term].... There are no systems out there that serve demonstrate that a PATS type anti-torque system is an outright customer winner.
I have no comment on the other question, that will need an American input.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 472
Likes: 0
From: South of the North Pole
I believe nine are delivered ex factory all for EMS operators but only one is in service. The others are presumably in some stage of the completion process
Dennis, check out the fuel consumption towards max speed as I hear it is poor. Just the typical speeds EMS operators would use
Dennis, check out the fuel consumption towards max speed as I hear it is poor. Just the typical speeds EMS operators would use
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 813
Likes: 2
From: the hills of halton
s/n 15 and 16 are on the Canadian register ( presume in final production flight test ) also another 6 on Canadian register registered to Bell. S/n 6 and 8 on US register to Air methods and Mitsui Busan , Other 7 in US all registered to Bell. Anyone know the s.n of the demonstrator ( or N number ).
Are the EMS mods being done by Edwards ?
Are the EMS mods being done by Edwards ?
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 16
From: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
The demonstrator currently doing the rounds in the UK is the 'European' demonstrator which has graced Prague, Germany, Farnborough in recent weeks C-FTNB which a quick search tells me is 57002.
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 178
Likes: 5
From: Great White North
Ok, Let's see,
One demo in Europe, one demo in Japan, one in Texas at the Bell school, one in DesMoines doing EMS and a bunch being customized all over the place.
Should have a pretty good population by year end
One demo in Europe, one demo in Japan, one in Texas at the Bell school, one in DesMoines doing EMS and a bunch being customized all over the place.
Should have a pretty good population by year end
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
From: All The Places I Shouldnt Be
Just got confirmation from friend high up in Bell that Mercy one is the only 429 in operation at the moment but more being delivered to customers later this year, both in the USA and overseas.
Ned
Ned
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 813
Likes: 2
From: the hills of halton
Is it a trick of the light or are there significant soot deposits on 57003 and 54802, funny the other 2 light coloured ones look clean . I must say though it is a nice looking helicopter , not sure what it is about the shape of the Bell.
Joined: Jul 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 56
From: UK
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 231
Likes: 0
From: US
Gotta agree with Matt82, the skid gear with 'toes' sticking out totally sucks!
But, when we first saw the connected 'loop' design on the Colibiri this wasn't a Eurocopter innovation ... Hughes originally came up with this configuration for the Explorer in a 'double loop' (paperclip) style. Quite why they didn't put it into production I don't know!
But, when we first saw the connected 'loop' design on the Colibiri this wasn't a Eurocopter innovation ... Hughes originally came up with this configuration for the Explorer in a 'double loop' (paperclip) style. Quite why they didn't put it into production I don't know!