Bell pulls the plug on 417 program
After months of dodging questions about the status of the program, Bell Helicopter officials yesterday announced the company has canceled development of th

After months of dodging questions about the status of the program, Bell Helicopter officials yesterday announced the company has canceled development of the single-engine 417 helicopter, which made its dramatic debut just a year ago at Heli-Expo.

“That program was not going to be a big differentiator in the marketplace,” said Robert Fitzpatrick, senior vice president of business development, at a press briefing here yesterday. “The customer value proposition was not there.”