Bell 407 tail-fan demonstrator flies | Aviation International News

Bell 407 tail-fan demonstrator flies

Bell Helicopter’s MAPL (modular affordable product line) tail-fan demonstrator took to the air at the OEM’s new XworX research center in Arlington, Texas,

By AIN Staff • AIN Staff

March 22, 2007

Bell Helicopter’s MAPL (modular affordable product line) tail-fan demonstrator took to the air at the OEM’s new XworX research center in Arlington, Texas, in July. A Bell 407 fitted with the 40-inch-diameter fenestron-like device lifted into a hover, performed several low-speed maneuvers, including pedal turns, and landed.

After the flight, pilot Jim McCollough said he found the aircraft easy to fly. “The workload in hover is very low.” Observers described the tail fan as practically inaudible: “You can occasionally hear a purring sound,” said one. The fan and duct replaces the conventional, 65-inch-diameter tail rotor and incorporates technology developed during bench testing earlier this year.

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