More power, better fuel efficiency and lower direct operating costs for the single-engine Bell 407GXP will be the ultimate benefit for pilots and operators of a long-term agreement recently signed by Rolls-Royce and Bell Helicopter.

The new 10-year agreement covers installation of upgraded Rolls-Royce M250-C47B/8 turboshaft engines in new 407GXPs. What makes the deal special is that the engines will include Rolls-Royce’s value improvement kit (VIP) as a factory-installed feature, a first for the kit, which has been available as an aftermarket upgrade from Rolls-Royce since 2012.

According to Rolls-Royce, the VIP kit increases hot-and-high power by up to 8 percent, improves fuel efficiency by 2 percent and also expands mission range and payload capability.

The Bell 407 model has been equipped with a Rolls-Royce M250 engine since its inception in 1993. Overall, the M250 line has accumulated more than 235 million flight hours in more than 100 types of aircraft. About 15,000 M250s are now in service worldwide, according to Rolls-Royce.