The Bell 210, which made its first
flight Dec. 18, 2004, at the Bell subsidiary Edwards &
Associates, Bristol, Tenn, is continuing with a very successful
flight test program. Bell officials report the aircraft
should receive FAA Certification in March 2005, with deliveries to
follow soon after. The Bell 210 is undergoing a series of
qualification flights leading to FAA certification testing.
The Bell 210 is a civil certified version of the U.S. Army
UH-1H. Starting with a refurbished UH-1H fuselage, Bell
Helicopter adds dynamic components from the Bell 212 (main rotor
hub and blades, tail rotor, main and tail rotor support structure,
transmission, rotating controls, and tail boom), and an FAA
certified Honeywell T-53-517B engine providing a zero-time FAA
certified single engine medium utility helicopter.
"The Bell 210 is also the perfect solution for the many agencies
that use the UH-1H in utility, Homeland Security, law enforcement
or firefighting capacities," declared Bell CEO Mike Redenbaugh.
"It combines great performance with an existing logistical base,
an unbeatable DOC and a tremendously low initial acquisition
cost. Add to that complete FAA certification and the Bell 210
is truly the best total value proposition to be found in the market
today," Mr. Redenbaugh explained.
The Bell 210 helicopter will satisfy the Army's requirement for
a Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) in the TDA units as well as the
Army National Guard. There are many missions now supported by the
US Army with assets that are marked for reduction in the coming
years that the Bell 210 could more economically perform.
These Army Light Utility Helicopters will perform future utility
missions for non-combat organizations (TDA), National Guard
utility, drug interdiction efforts (RAID), MEDEVAC, and Homeland
Defense (HLD) missions.
The Bell 210 is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), FAA
certified, zero timed helicopter that will operate for around $550
per hour. The Bell 210 will allow the Army to unburden itself
of logistics and engineering overhead management and avail itself
of the Bell worldwide, world-class commercial support in spares,
manuals, and technical support very similar to the TH-67 program at
Ft. Rucker, Ala. All this with a warranty and 40% reduction
in operating costs. Cost of the Bell 210 will be
approximately $3 million. A comparable Huey-sized off the
shelf commercial aircraft would cost approximately $5
million.
The Bell 210 will have a useful load that is 640 lbs higher than
the UH-1H, 400 shaft horsepower increased horsepower available, and
the DOC will be about $530 an hour, considerably less than other
aircraft in the same class.