First FAA Certification for Testing Of A Vertical Lift Unmanned Aircraft

Bell Helicopter announced Monday its Eagle Eye TR918 Unmanned Aircraft System, or UAS, has received its certificate of airworthiness for experimental flight testing from the Federal Aviation Administration. Bell tells Aero-News this represents the first time such a certificate has been issued to a vertical-lift UAV-type aircraft by the FAA.

"This is a tremendous accomplishment that many people from both Bell Helicopter and the FAA have been working very hard to achieve," explained Kevin Connell, Vice President of Bell Helicopter's XworX facility. "Not only are we celebrating the certification of the Eagle Eye TR 918 (above and right), but we are also celebrating the fact that with this first ever certificate of airworthiness for experimental testing of a vertical lift unmanned aircraft."

The successful experimental flight certification of Bell's Eagle Eye TR918 UAS is the culmination of nearly a year of preparations, coordination and cooperation between Bell Helicopter and the FAA.

Flight testing will be conducted at a recently opened Bell 'XWorX' facility in west Texas.

"This is another example of Bell Helicopter's leadership in vertical lift technology," said Bell Helicopter Chief Executive Officer, Mike Redenbaugh.

During the certification process, an eight member team made of representatives from FAA headquarters in Washington D.C. and the FAA Southwest Region, scrutinized every aspect of the Eagle Eye program from hardware and software to operational procedures and quality control.

"With this successful certification, we can now demonstrate to the world the remarkable capability of a vertical lift, tiltrotor UAS like the Eagle Eye TR918," said Bob Ellithorpe, Bell Helicopter's Director of Unmanned Systems. "This system will provide military and commercial operators with multiple capabilities ranging from homeland security to pipeline patrol. Ultimately, Bell's objective is to provide a family of unmanned systems that give our customers the means to more effectively accomplish their missions."

"This is a great example of Bell Helicopter continuing to advance the overall strategy of being in both military and commercial business, in both tilt rotors and helicopters and in both manned and unmanned aircraft," Redenbaugh said.

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