Industry Spotlight Aviation
top-notch workforce
Bell Helicopter employs
more than 6,000 workers
in North Texas and plans
to invest $230 million in
new and upgraded
facilities as part of a
revitalization effort.
a transformational aircraft on the battlefield.” Simply,
and this means very simply, put – it allows the U.S.
Army to get in and get out. Fast.
Aircraft Zero
Another project set for takeoff is the Bell 525 Relentless, predicted to be ready for first flight in 2014. One
of the integral tools developed for production of this
helicopter is Relentless Advanced Systems Integration
Laboratory, or “RASIL,” a next-generation lab with a
high level of automation, enabling superior testing and
learning with better control and functionality than
ever before.
The latest feat of the Relentless is achieving first
flight of “Aircraft Zero” – a simulator used to test and
validate the Bell 525’s technology differentiators. Aircraft Zero is no ordinary cockpit simulator; it was designed to identify issues up-front rather than during
flight testing, saving invaluable time and funds. In
addition to revealing potential problems, its hardware-in-the-loop simulation enables pilots to operate
fully-integrated Bell 525 systems, including flight controls, software, hydraulics, actuators, electrical and avionics in advance of flying the first Bell 525 prototype
helicopter.
Aircraft Zero testing will continue through certification of the Bell 525, and the RASIL will be used to
make continuous improvements to the platform, as
well as evaluate changes prior to implementation. It
always helps to “know before you go.”
We’re Back…
Bell Helicopter defined the short light single (SLS) market 50 years ago with the JetRanger. Now, teaming with
a global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Interna-
30
tional Inc., the company’s best innovations are back with
a high-performance product in this category.
“When we first began development of the new aircraft, we wanted to improve situational awareness for
pilots with an advanced glass cockpit that would be the
first of its kind in the short light single class,” said Danny Maldonado, executive vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for Bell Helicopter.
With enhanced safety, efficiency and reliability
through technological advancements, the Bell SLS will
feature a fully-integrated glass Garmin G1000H cockpit, a Turbomecca ARRIUS 2R engine with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC),
and modern safety of flight features.
The Garmin G1000H, introduced on the Bell
407GX, provides critical flight information, including
flight instrumentation, navigation, communication,
weather, terrain, traffic, identification, and diagnostics
and maintenance data. These features are all presented
in an at-a-glance format for greater situational awareness and increased safety.
The fully-integrated glass flight deck includes
high-resolution LCD screens, hosting the primary
flight display, as well as an Integrated Avionics System
with Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System,
Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology, Traffic Information Systems, and, well – a lot more.
The new helicopter is expected to achieve first
flight in 2014.
From the JetRanger of 50 years ago to the current
models of today, Bell Helicopter proves innovation is
a part of the technological equation and checklist. By
the time you read this arti