Engine Handed Over At Bell 505 Assembly Center In Louisiana

The first production Arrius 2R engine was been delivered to Bell Helicopter on schedule last month. Selected to power the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, the Arrius 2R is the only turbine in the 500 shp range to feature a dual-channel FADEC.

The handover to Bell Helicopter happened at the new Bell 505 assembly center in Lafayette, Louisiana and marks a major step in the Arrius 2R program. It confirms Turbomeca’s commitment to delivering best-in-class engine solutions on time.

“We are perfectly on track to meet Bell Helicopter’s expectations, and moving at a steady pace towards EASA engine certification by the end of 2015. Delivering on the Arrius 2R program is among Turbomeca’s top priorities,” said Jean-François Sauer, Arrius 2R Program Vice President.

Launched in 2013, the Arrius 2R is following a fast development schedule that has successfully passed on schedule all its milestones, among which first ground run (April 2014) at the company’s Bordes factory, and a first flight aboard the Bell 505 at Bell Helicopter’s Mirabel facility in November 2014.

The Arrius 2R is designed to deliver performance and power within the 500 shp range, while improving safety and lowering pilot workload via the FADEC. Its twin-module configuration offers low maintenance and operating costs.

Further production Arrius 2R will be assembled at Turbomeca USA’s facility in Dallas, Texas and integrated in Lafayette, Louisiana.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.turbomeca.com