The new Bell 525 Relentless super-medium helicopter completed its maiden flight from Bell Helicopter’s aircraft assembly center in Amari...
The new Bell 525 Relentless super-medium helicopter completed its maiden flight from Bell Helicopter’s aircraft assembly center in Amarillo, Texas on Wednesday.
The Bell 525 is the world's first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter, able to operate in austere environments safely and reliably with decreased pilot workload. Developed with continuous customer input, the Bell 525 offers unparalleled situational awareness and enhanced safety and reliability with the first touch screen glass flight deck designed for helicopters.
The first flight test started with taxi testing and maneuvers and then went into an initial hover, performing various hover maneuvers and then tested low speed handling qualities with winds gusting to 20 knots, piloted by Jeff Greenwood, senior flight test pilot at Bell Helicopter.
The 9 ton Bell 525 was announced at Heli-Expo in 2012, and is capable of carrying more than 16 passengers for 250 nautical miles and more than 8 passengers for 500 nautical miles. In high density configuration it can seat 20 passengers.
The Bell 525 is powered by two GE CT7-2F1 turboshaft engines, and features a Garmin G5000H fully-integrated glass flight deck, and Bell's (Lift Assist Tail Boom Design) LATD™ technology for improved hover performance.
It has a cruise speed of 155 knots (287 kmph) and a range of 500 nautical miles (926 km). With a highly reconfigurable main cabin, the Bell 525 Relentless is adaptable to several mission needs, including corporate/VIP, firefighting, energy, helicopter air ambulance, and search and rescue.
One of the unique characteristics of the Bell 525 is the ability to perform CAT-A takeoffs and landings, to and from a helipad at maximum gross weight. Even in the event that one of the two engines fails, the Bell 525 provides sufficient power to maintain occupant safety while lifting off with a single operational engine.
With over 60 helicopters reserved under letters of intent, the Bell 525 will compete with Airbus Helicopters EC175, Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW189.
