Agreement Could Be Worth Up To $400 Million

The economy may be tough, but the helicopter industry rotors on... Rolls-Royce and Bell Helicopter have signed a ten-year agreement, valued at up to $400 million for the supply of Model 250 engines for Bell 206 and 407 helicopters. As part of this agreement, Model 250 engines will be delivered to Bell Helicopter through 2017.

Ken Roberts, President of Rolls-Royce Helicopter Engines, said: “We have delivered more than 18,000 Model 250 engines for use on single and twin-engine helicopters to Bell over the last decades. During those years, Bell and Rolls-Royce have worked together to keep Model 250-powered aircraft at the forefront of the helicopter industry through continued investment and the introduction of new technology. This new ten-year agreement is a commitment to build upon that valued and successful partnership.”

Rolls-Royce and Bell Helicopter initiated their partnership in 1961 with the maiden flight of a Rolls-Royce turbine powered variant of the classic Bell 47.

The Model 250 line has produced 30,000 engines, more than half of which are still in service with approximately 4,500 operators in 150 nations. The Model 250 family has accumulated 194 million flight hours, providing an unmatched level of expertise in every conceivable operational condition.

The Model 250 is in full-rate production at the Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally developed as a 250 shp turboshaft / turboprop family to meet the needs of the U.S. Army, the Model 250 family has evolved into one of the industry’s most successful civil and military turbine engine product lines, with four generations of powerplants. The Model 250 family includes a variety of types, including the 420-450 shp Series II turboshaft, the 420-450 shp Series II turboprop, the Model 250-K34 industrial engine, the military Model 250-C30R/3, and the 650-715 shp Series IV turboshaft. The latest Model 250-C47B turboshaft is a FADEC-equipped engine that produces 650 mechanical shaft horsepower (813 thermodynamic shp) at take-off.

FMI: www.rolls-royce.com, www.bellhelicopter.com