Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Bell Helicopter is giving its best-selling model 407GX single an engine-power push and upgraded Garmin G1000H avionics software as standard equipment on new 2015 production models beginning later this year. The 407GXP was unveiled today at the opening day of Heli-Expo 2015 and the new model immediately won a major launch order when emergency medical provider Air Methods sealed a blockbuster 10-year deal for 200 aircraft.

 


The Air Methods order has a retail value of more than $600 million and comes on the heels of an order for 15 407GXPs announced last week from the Mexican air force. These orders, combined with an order announced from Waypoint Leasing for 20 Bell 525s, put the value of Bell’s announced order tally for the first day of the annual rotorcraft trade show at more than $1 billion.

 


Air Methods CEO Aaron Todd told AIN that his company plans to take the new helicopters at a rate of 20 per year as part of its regular fleet renewal program. “We’ve got 400 air-medical helicopters and we like to operate them for about 20 years from date of manufacture. We’ve made a long-term commitment and our intent is to buy 200,” Todd said.

 


The 407GXP features the Rolls-Royce M250-C47B/8 engine uprated to 862 shp (uninstalled thermodynamic power, takeoff five minutes), up from the 813-shp M250-C47B aboard the GX. The GXP’s uprated engine provides slightly lower fuel consumption and significantly better high/hot hover performance while adding 50 pounds of payload capacity compared to the GX. Loaded to 5,000 pounds, the GXP yields substantially better hover capability in and out of ground effect compared to the GX. The HOGE ceiling (at ISA) increases to 11,940 feet from 10,440 feet while the HIGE ceiling is boosted to 13,550 feet from 12,220 feet. The overall service ceiling also increases to 18,940 feet from 18,410 feet.

 


All 2015 production 407s already have the dash 8 engine installed. The upgrade is certified by the FAA, Transport Canada and “numerous other countries,” according to Bell. Additional country certifications are under way.

 


Matt Hasik, Bell executive vice president for commercial business, called the 407GXP a “multi-point upgrade.” He said the power push on the Rolls-Royce engine will give the 407GXP “high/hot hover capability that is better than, or equal to, the [Airbus] AS350B3e.

 


The avionics upgrade on the 407GXP includes a hover performance calculator and the ability to add a low-cost autopilot. “[This includes] upgrades to the Garmin software that make it [G1000H] even more user friendly,” Hasik said.

 


The transmission on the 407GXP will also feature a TBO limit that is 500 hours longer than the 407GX’s. Engine overhaul limits remain unchanged.

 


Bell has not set a fixed price for the 407GXP, but a company spokesman said it was expected to be no more than one to 1.5 percent more than a 407GX, currently priced at $2.98 million. When asked about retrofits for existing 407GX customers, the spokesman said, “We will work individually with each of our GX operators to fulfill their mission needs.”

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