Bell has taken its 407 helicopter to new heights - quite literally. A 407, flown by Bell's senior experimental test pilot Eric Emblin and flight test engineer Ed Lambert landed on Tillcho Peak in the Nepalese Himalayas at an altitude of 22,180ft (6,800m).
The flight completed a week's worth of demonstrations and testing, which included low-speed controllability flights, IGE/OGE hover checks and general performance evaluations at heights above 18,500ft.
The Bell team was based at Jonsom airport. The key goal was to verify performance capability beyond the current 407 flight envelope and was necessary for Bell to pursue key international military programmes.
Emblin, who conducted all of the high altitude flights, says: "We pushed the helicopter to the edge of its operational capabilities and it delivered as predicted. The 407 demonstrated plenty of margin everywhere."
Additional team members included Steve Bornais, experimental flight mechanic, and Chris Ankrom, Rolls-Royce director of technical support. As a further endorsement to the 407's durability, the only maintenance performed during the test programme were daily pre-flight inspections and topping off fuel based on mission requirements.
Source: Flight Daily News
