Bell has secured European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for the twin-engined 412EPX helicopter it manufacturers alongside Japan’s Subaru.

European customers for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9-powered helicopter include the interior ministries of Sarajevo canton – the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina – and Croatia, which will take one and two examples, respectively.

Bell 412-c-Bell

Source: Bell

Maximum take-off weight is higher than that of the preceeding variant

The aircraft will be used for civil protection, firefighting, medical transport and natural disaster support.

Elsewhere, Bell has recently signed purchase agreements for the type with San Diego Fire-Rescue, the Japanese coast guard, and Japan’s Nara and Miyazaki prefectures.

Since its launch in 1979, Bell has built 11 different variants of the 412. The latest EPX model and Subaru’s involvement are the result of Tokyo’s selection of the platform for its UH-X requirement to replace the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force’s fleet of UH-1Js.

US certification for the 412EPX was obtained in 2018. Changes over previous variants include increased payload and a longer gearbox dry-run capability. Maximum take-off weight is 5.5t, against 5.4t for the preceding 412EPI.

Dominic Perry is deputy editor of Flight International but also contributes extensively to flightglobal.com. Although specialising in the coverage of the helicopter industry, he has written on most topics in aerospace – be they commercial, defence or business aviation. In addition, there has been an increasing focus on the decarbonisation of the industry and zero-emission flight initiatives.View full Profile

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