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The Bell 427 is a twin-engine, multirole, light utility helicopter designed and manufactured by Bell Helicopter and Samsung Aerospace Industries (now Korea Aerospace Industries). It has been replaced in production by the larger Bell 429.

Development

Bell has tried several incarnations of a twin version of its successful Bell 206 series, including the Bell 400 and 440 in the mid-1980s, and the limited-production Bell 206LT TwinRanger in the early 1990s. Bell's original concept for a replacement for the 206LT TwinRanger was the Bell 407T, a relatively straightforward twin-engine development of the Bell 407 with two Allison 250-C22B engines. However, Bell concluded that the payload-range performance of the 407T would not be sufficient.

The company began development of a new light twin, in partnership with South Korea's Samsung Aerospace Industries. In February 1996, Bell announced its Model 427 at the Heli Expo in Dallas. The Bell 427 was the company's first aircraft designed entirely on computer.

In 2004, Bell offered a redesigned 427 version, the Bell 427i, which was developed in partnership with South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries and Japan's Mitsui Bussan Aerospace. The agreement gave KAI the development and production responsibility for the fuselage, cabin wiring, and fuel system. Mitsui Bussan became a financial backer. The 427i included a newer glass cockpit and navigation systems to allow single pilot flying under Instrument flight rules. The design had a fuselage lengthened 1&nbsp;ft 2 in (0.36 m), a more powerful engine version and transmission, and increased takeoff weight. However, the program was canceled and focus shifted to the improved Bell 429. In February 2005, the existing 80 orders for the 427i were converted to the 429. On January 24, 2008, Bell announced plans to officially discontinue its 427 line after current order commitments were fulfilled in 2010.

Design

thumb|right|Bell 427 cockpit

The Bell 427 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D turboshaft engines with FADEC.

  • Czech HEMS – Alfa Helicopter
  • Paraguayan Air Force

Specifications (Bell 427)

See also

References

  • Bell 427 page on Bell Helicopter's site