Bell Helicopter and Turbomeca (Safran) team up on new short light single aircraft

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, and Turbomeca, a Safran company, announced today Bell Helicopter's new five seat, short light single engine helicopter will be powered by Turbomeca's Arrius 2R engine.

The Arrius 2R engine delivers performance and power within the 450-550 shaft horsepower class, while improving safety and lowering pilot workload via a Full Authority Dual-channel Engine Control (FADEC). The twin-module engine configuration is designed to reduce fuel consumption and lower the cost of operation. The Arrius 2R boasts proven reliability and 3,000 hours time between overhaul at service entry as well as Turbomeca's service and support excellence.

“We are thrilled to be working with Turbomeca, the world's . As we worked with our customer advisory council to define requirements for the short light single aircraft, we knew we needed a team member that could deliver an effective and reliable engine to power their needs,” said John Garrison, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter.

Olivier Andriès, Chairman & CEO at Turbomeca, said, “This is the very first time in 75 years of commitment to the helicopter industry that Turbomeca has entered a long-term collaboration with Bell Helicopter; a company with the highest reputation for product quality and support. We are very proud to offer the newest member of our Arrius family, the Arrius 2R, to power Bell's new Short Light Single Engine Aircraft. The entire Turbomeca team will strive to earn the confidence both of Bell and its worldwide customers”.

Since 1981, more than 3,000 Arrius engines have been sold by Turbomeca, accumulating over six million flight hours for 430 customers in 60 countries.

Bell Helicopter's new design meets key requirements identified by customers regarding safety, performance, utility and value. Bell Helicopter's new short light single engine aircraft is designed to offer exceptional performance in terms of speed, range and payload while meeting stage 4 noise requirements.