Bell Helicopter Textron has agreed to acquire the bulk of Boeing's civil helicopter business, but says that it will not take the MD 900 twin engined line because of conflicts with its own range of helicopters.
Bell president Terry Stinson says that he expects the deal to go through within two months and to see production lines moved by around the end of the year.
The acquisition covers the MD500 and MD600 single engined ranges, including the Notar (no tail rotor) technology. Boeing will continue to seek a buyer for the Explorer range, although part of the deal with Bell involves it taking over spares and support for the helicopter.
Bell flagged its intention to acquire the Boeing civil helicopter business last week at the Helicopter Association International convention, confirming weeks of speculation that a deal was in the offing. Boeing, which acquired the business as part of its McDonnell Douglas merger, will continue to build military helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache, RAH-66 Comanche and Ch-47 Chinook.
Texas-based Bell had already agreed to buy Boeing's share of their joint venture for the 609 civil tiltrotor. "Boeing contacted Bell around three months ago and it was easy to make the decision on the 609," says Stintson.
He adds that the plan is to move the MD500/600 lines, probably to the Mirabel plant in Canada, although there are other options. He says that the quiet Notar technology was a decisive factor for the acquisition.
The reason for not taking the MD900 was driven by price and a conflict with Bell's own twin engined line. The Bell 427 sells for around $2 million, compared with the MD 900's price of around $3.1 million. Many fear that Boeing will not find a home for the aircraft.
Source: Flight International
