DALLAS — Bell Helicopter Textron planned Sunday to unveil its first new helicopter in nearly six years.

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/images...ue_580wide.jpg

The Bell 210, quietly developed over the past two years, was to be introduced at the Heli-Expo 2004, a global industry trade show in Las Vegas.

Fort Worth-based Bell said the new helicopter is key to helping the company battle for market share.

“People will stand in line to buy this aircraft,” said Scott Fitzgerald, director of sales for the Bell 210.

The helicopter will go on the market immediately, with Bell taking orders beginning this week. The helicopters are expected to be ready as early as next year.

Bell, which employs 5,700 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, expects production of the helicopter to create 200 jobs locally.

Bell’s Arlington plan will handle the transmission and flight dynamics on the aircraft. Assembly work will be done at Bell’s subsidiary facility, Edwards & Associates in Bristol, Tenn.

Bell expects to sell 500 of the helicopters, which will be marketed to military, law enforcement and forestry firefighting units. The 12- to 14-seat helicopter will cost about $2.95 million, about half the price of similar models.

The company said the need for a new utility aircraft became apparent last year after the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry over Texas and scattered pieces over several states.

The National Guard flew Black Hawks to search for charred pieces needed for the accident probe. The Army’s utility transport helicopter is larger and heavier than the Bell 210.

“That was an expensive proposition, Fitzgerald said in Sunday’s editions of The Dallas Morning News. “If they would have had the 210, it would have dramatically reduced the cost.”

Bell’s decision to make the helicopter also was influenced by the U.S. Army’s recent decision to cancel the high-profile Comanche helicopter program and to use $14 billion to buy new light utility helicopters and other equipment.

The light-model helicopters are in high demand by the military and commercially, said Andy Aastad, an analyst and publisher of the “Helicopter Market Letter.”

“By far, it is a more practical helicopter for most applications,” he said.

Bell is hoping the new aircraft with its UH-1 Huey body will boost sales. The company has placed second in worldwide civil helicopter sales behind Europe’s Eurocopter, a unit of European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co.

Good press release, but what is it?
Sounds a bit suspicious: a "quiet unveilling" of a new helicopter.

A "UH-1 Huey body". A twin. Designator 210? How does it sit with the 212, 412, AB139 and 214? Or is it a new version of the 212?

Any Bell boys out there?

Bell 210
 

Check out the Bell Textron website.
The 210 is featured under commercial aircraft:}

dude
The simple answer is that it is the Huey II
ppheli

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/air...al/bell210.cfm

ERRRR...where they getting all these UH-1H's to modify? Taking them out of the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB in AZ?

"New helicopter"????

....and Bell wonders why AEC is kicking their hind end in sales?

Now if it was the UH-1N airframe being done up to the UH-1Y standard.....yessir!

:(

Holy Heck Bell's hit a new low.. Two years to develop?????

They put a new coat of paint on a 205 equip it with a 212 rotor.
maybe its just me but it seems very little research and devolpment went into this!!

cant wait to see this 90 knot wonder. i am sure they will sell one maybe two.

:mad:

It isn't even a 205, but a factory re-jig of ex-Hueys, and at least they will be on the civil register instead of being useless Restricted category machines.

"New"????

Yeahhh, right.....:)

New Bell
 

C'mon guys, be a little more charitable. If Bell says its new then it is new.

Can't help wondering which military contract paid for this one though.


STL

It seems to have been estaablished that 'new' might arguably be a slight over-statement, but is it likely to be a good helicopter? For the industry? For Bell?
If it really is half the price of similar models, as claimed, will it help Bell regain some of its glory which has faded in recent years?

Oh you cynics.....
 

Whilst it’s a pity that BHT have not published the performance data as they released their “New” product, it will indeed should attract some interest amongst operators.

Assuming the performance is reflective of the capability of the new engine system, I could see that this aircraft will have huge markets in the:

Utility
Fire
Law enforcement
Etc

It should certainly put the BK’s, AS 350B2 & 3’s, 212 and 412 back in the stables regarding Australian Fire Support.

Watch this space.

;)

Could I have some of whatever you've had??!!
The AS350 B2/B3 burn between 180 to 200 liters of fuel an hour and only have a service/maintenance every 100hrs. They are also a few knots (+/- 12)quicker than a 205/210/UH-1H.

Now why would you put something back in the shed that has a better turn around time, burns less fuel, costs less to buy,NEWER technology and does'nt have to be looked at every 50hrs??:confused:

As for the BKs and 212s, I can not comment on them as I know minimal about them, but I am sure John Eacott can help you there.:}

Unfortunately, Bell's web page appears to have no performance figures for the 210, and the Huey II link is dead :rolleyes:

On the assumption that the 210 is going to perform similar to a 205A-1, it would certainly be a better medium on fires than most of the current models, BUT .........who is going to invest US$2.9m, certainly down here, for such a machine? The cost per hour of finance alone will jack the hourly rate up nearer that of a 214B, and what operations could an owner expect outside the fire season?

The reality of commercial life is that new machines generally impose a massive commitment on the owner for finance alone, making true competition with 2nd hand aircraft (which often perform to close parameters) very difficult.

Not counting the wealthy private owner who put their machines out for less than cost: a strange Australian habit, which has consistently beggared the industry :(

Settle down Mr Perth.
 

As figures have yet to be published, I draw the assumption that the B210 with have an AEW of around 2300 - 2500 kg with a MTOW of around the same as a B412, lets say 5000kg in any case.

That allows a nice payload of around 2500 kg......now that would be over twice [3 times a 350] what any light to medium can do now.....

But of course the figures are not yet published.

What about payload?

How sad, I hope this is just a joke.

First things first
 

Perth:confused:
Wrong side of the country:hmm:
2500kg 3 times that of an AS350B2/B3:}
The B2 does 1160KG and the B3 1400kg:ok:
Yip-your maths sounds about right for a pilot;)

Probably makes a little sense in some ways. You have to ask how stupid Bell thinks people are. This big deal about the "Huey II". The Bell 205B type certificate was issued years ago (FAA TCDS Model 205B 15 PCLH (Transport Helicopter Category B), Approved December 6, 1989) 10,500 lbs. Internal, 11,200 lbs. External.

It's probably easier to describe it as a single engined 212. Fuji in Japan actually developed the aircraft and it was only applicable to one aircraft. Serial Nos. Eligible 30066, 30166, 30188, and 30297. Serial Numbers 30351 and up are not eligible for FAA Certificate of Airworthiness. Serial 30351 is the original 205B and the others are rebuilt 205A1's as B's. In fact if you were observant there was a 205B for sale and sitting in the Hall at Heli - Expo in Vegas.

About time - Yawn!

Hey DC.
 

So I exaggerated a little.....however remember the figures weren’t out then....

The 210's AEW will be around 2600 kg, with a MTOW of around 5200....

That gives a payload of around 2600 kg......with no cracks in the airframe to boot.

Wonder what the cracking Plastic Parrot will do next season.....and yes they are cracking.

And yes I am a Bell man......no guess work required.

High Nr is not the only one exagerating here, Dynamic is stretching reality if he thinks an average B2 can work with 1160 Kg (2560 Lb) Granted, It CAN be done, given very low altitudes, low fuel AND an exceptionally light airframe. My B2 experience (with squirrel cheeks and ski baskets installed say they are in the 2800 to 2900 Lb EW range, so given any temperature and altitude, that useful load may drop to 1500 lbs !

The one benefit to a 205, 210 or 212 over a similar lifting B3 is ...SEATS. Not all fire work is just lifting water, many mediums also move crew AM and PM, therefore the 14 available seats vs the 5 seats do make a small difference in overall usefullness.

OK,OK- I'll admit that I also like exagerating:E
Although 2 of the B2s I've flown could pick up 1100KG at 25degC and Sea level. I'm not saying it did it easy:\

And yes I'm sure the seats do matter, but I have done a few fires and have never been asked to carry more than 4 pax:}

And yes...I like ALL helicopters-Just don't like flying Robos:E