The
Bell 427
is a twin-engine, multirole, light utility helicopter designed and manufactured by
Bell Helicopter
and
Samsung Aerospace Industries
(now
Korea Aerospace Industries
). It has been replaced in production by the larger
Bell 429
.
Development
[
edit
]
Bell has tried several incarnations of a twin version of its successful
Bell 206
series, including the stillborn
Bell 400 and 440
in the mid-1980s, and the limited-production
Bell 206LT TwinRanger
in the early 1990s.
[1]
Bell's original concept for a replacement for the 206LT TwinRanger was the
Bell 407T
, a relatively straightforward twin-engine development of the
Bell 407
with two Allison 250-C22B engines. However, Bell concluded that the payload-range performance of the 407T would not be sufficient.
[2]
The company began development of a new light twin, in partnership with
South Korea
's Samsung Aerospace Industries. In February 1996, Bell announced its
Model 427
at the Heli Expo in Dallas. The Bell 427 was the company's first aircraft designed entirely on computer.
[2]
The Bell 427 first flew on December 11, 1997. Canadian certification was awarded on November 19, 1999, followed by US certification in January 2000, and US FAA dual pilot IFR certification in May 2000. Bell builds the 427's flight dynamics systems at
Fort Worth, Texas
, while final assembly is performed at Bell's
Mirabel, Quebec
facility. The 427's fuselage and tailboom are built by Samsung (later part of
KAI
) at its Sachon plant in South Korea.
[2]
The first customer deliveries occurred in January 2000.
[3]
In 2004, Bell offered a redesigned 427 version, the
Bell 427i
, which was developed in partnership with South Korea's
Korea Aerospace Industries
and
Japan
's Mitsui Bussan Aerospace. The agreement gave KAI the development and production responsibility for the fuselage, cabin wiring, and fuel system. Mitsui Bussan became a financial backer.
[4]
[5]
The 427
i
included a newer glass cockpit and navigation systems to allow single pilot flying under
Instrument flight rules
. The design had a fuselage lengthened 1 ft 2 in (0.36 m), a more powerful engine version and transmission, and increased takeoff weight. However, the program was canceled and focus shifted to the improved
Bell 429
.
[6]
In February 2005, the existing 80 orders for the 427
i
were converted to the 429.
[7]
On January 24, 2008, Bell announced plans to officially discontinue its 427 line after current order commitments were fulfilled in 2010.
[8]
Design
[
edit
]
The Bell 427 is powered by two
Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW207D
turboshaft engines with
FADEC
.
[2]
Like the Bell 407, the 427 uses a four-blade main rotor system with a rigid, composite rotor hub and a two-blade tail rotor.
[2]
The Bell 427's cabin is 13 in (33 cm) longer than the 407, and consists primarily of composite construction. The design removes the roof beam which obstructs the cabin on the 206/206L/407, and has an optional sliding main cabin door.
[2]
The 427 offers eight-place seating including pilot in a two+three+three arrangement. Alternate layouts include four in the main cabin in a club configuration, or two stretchers and two medical attendants for medical evacuation duties.
[2]
Operators
[
edit
]
Specifications (Bell 427)
[
edit
]
Data from
Bell Helicopter,
[13]
[14]
International Directory of Civil Aircraft,
[2]
Aerospace-Technology
[15]
[
unreliable source?
]
General characteristics
- Crew:
2
- Capacity:
7 passengers / 2,960 lb (1,343 kg) internal load
- Length:
37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
- Height:
10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) with standard skids
[14]
- Empty weight:
3,881 lb (1,760 kg)
- Max takeoff weight:
6,550 lb (2,971 kg)
- Powerplant:
2 ×
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D
turboshaft
engines, 710 shp (530 kW) each
- Main rotor diameter:
37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
- Main rotor area:
1,075 sq ft (99.9 m
2
)
- Blade section:
-
root:
Boeing VR-7;
tip:
Narramore 8%
[16]
Performance
- Maximum speed:
140 kn (160 mph, 260 km/h)
- Cruise speed:
138 kn (159 mph, 256 km/h)
- Range:
394 nmi (453 mi, 730 km)
- Service ceiling:
10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- Rate of climb:
2,000 ft/min (10 m/s)
See also
[
edit
]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Frawley, Gerard.
The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003?2004
, p. 43. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003.
ISBN
1-875671-58-7
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Frawley, Gerard.
The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003?2004
, p. 47. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003.
ISBN
1-875671-58-7
.
- ^
Bell 427 page
Archived
June 16, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
. Flug Revue, March 21, 2001.
- ^
"Bell Developing 427i with KAI"
Archived
July 20, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
. vtol.org, July 2004.
- ^
Healey, Andrew.
"Bell’s new 427i promises much more than just IFR"
Archived
June 16, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
. Aviation International News online, September 1, 2004.
- ^
Jane's All the World's Aircraft
, Jane's Information Group, 2009.
subscription article, dated April 17, 2009
[
permanent dead link
]
.
- ^
"HeliExpo '05: All Bell 427i Customers Convert to New Bell 429"
. aero-news.net, February 7, 2005
- ^
"Bell Streamlines Product Line to Better Align with Customer Demands"
Archived
December 30, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
. Bell Helicopter, 24 January 2008.
- ^
"Bell 427. Nuevo Helicoptero para la Policia de Entre Rios"
. aeroforo.com. Archived from
the original
on 15 February 2013
. Retrieved
2 February
2013
.
- ^
"Policia de la Provincia de Entre Rios Bell 427"
. Demand media
. Retrieved
2 February
2013
.
- ^
"Alfa Heli fleet"
. alfahelicopter.cz. Archived from
the original
on 15 March 2013
. Retrieved
2 February
2013
.
- ^
"Bell 427 in Fuerza Aerea Paraguaya"
.
- ^
Bell 427 specifications
Archived
October 1, 2009, at the
Wayback Machine
. Bell Helicopter
- ^
a
b
Bell 427 Product specifications
Archived
November 18, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
. Bell Helicopter, January 2006.
- ^
Bell 427 Multipurpose Utility Helicopter, USA
. Aerospace-Technology.
- ^
Lednicer, David.
"The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage"
.
m-selig.ae.illinois.edu
. Retrieved
16 April
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Bell 427
.
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