Bell Helicopter will present a new product plan, code-named Maple, to the board of parent company Textron in May for approval.
"We have a whole line of new technology aircraft in our product plan, including small tiltrotors and more affordable helicopters," says chairman Terry Stinson. By the end of next year, he says, Bell plans to have seven product development programmes under way simultaneously.
Under its Bell Agusta Aero-space joint venture with Europe's AgustaWestland, the US company is already working on the BA609 commercial tiltrotor and AB139 medium twin helicopter.
Details of the Maple plan are secret, but Stinson says there are "two to three-new tiltrotors in the future beyond the 609", ranging from four passengers to 19. "Once we get the 609 up and flying we will launch other sizes of commercial tiltrotor," he says.
The six/nine-seat BA609 is on schedule to fly late this year, with deliveries beginning next year. A 19-seat "619" is likely to be next, says Stinson, because of regional airline interest. A four-passenger tiltrotor would be powered by new small turboshaft engines under development by Williams.
Under the Bell Agusta joint venture, the European manufacturer will be offered participation in any future commercial tiltrotor up to 19 seats. Above 19 seats Boeing, Bell's partner in the V-22 military tiltrotor, has first refusal, Stinson says.
There has been no drop in enthusiasm for commercial tiltrotors despite the controversy surrounding the V-22, Stinson says. He confirms Bell is evaluating becoming AgustaWestland's partner in promoting the EH101 in the USA, but argues there is little overlap between the large helicopter and the V-22.
Bell, meanwhile, has dropped plans to develop a new version of its 412 medium twin. The proposed 412Plus was intended to fill the gap until the AB139 became available. But, with Agusta having flown the new helicopter just 19 months after launch, the AB139 "will come on line much sooner than we expected, at a cost not much more than the 412Plus," says Stinson.
Source: Flight International
