Bell Helicopter debuts upgrade kit to improve performance, reduce maintenance costs

FORT WORTH, Texas, 10 March 2016.Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, is introducing a new kit enabling customers to upgrade their Bell 412SP helicopter to the 412HP configuration to increase aircraft performance and reduce costs.

The new 412HP upgrade kit provides an additional 165 horsepower available at the main rotor, allowing out-of-ground-effect hover performance to increase to 11,900 pounds at 5,200 feet -- up from 11,500 pounds at sea level. Major features of the kit include a new main rotor transmission, mast torque measurement system, dual engine trim, all new tail rotor drive shafts, and upgraded intermediate and tail rotor gearboxes.

“The new Bell 412HP kit is a great example of Bell Helicopter’s commitment to supporting our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of the aircraft,” says Doug Mueller, legacy program manager at Bell Helicopter. “This upgrade provides an innovative solution to best support our customers’ needs – combining increased performance and cost savings.”

Bell Helicopter installed the first production article of this kit with Agrarflug Helilift GmbH & Co. KG in Ahlen, Germany. “The added power improves our mission capability and increases the hourly rate of our contracts,” describes Dennis Beese, president and CEO of Agrarflug Helilift.

With 30 years of experience in the industry, Agrarflug Helilift is an established operator with over 40 helicopters in its fleet and offers charter services, aircraft maintenance, and training for pilots and maintenance personnel. Agrarflug Helilift was recently announced as a Bell Helicopter Authorized Customer Service Facility in October 2015.

The new kit provides fleet commonality with current day production spares afforded by the 412HP configuration. Operators are also able to keep the removed components, further offsetting the cost of the upgrade kit. “Utilization of the removed components is a huge advantage to our existing fleet,” says Hans Kraskes, technical director of Agrarflug Helilift, who oversaw the installation of the first production kit at their facility.

The 412SP to 412HP upgrade kit further saves direct maintenance costs by reducing the number of greased couplings in the drive system and increasing the overhaul intervals of multiple components.

Customers interested in securing their spot in line for 2016 delivery can contact their Customer Support & Services Regional Sales Manager.