Rotorcraft
Model 407 climbs to new heights
While the Bell 427 has struggled for acceptance in the helicopter community, one LongRanger derivative that has been a success from the start is the single

While the Bell 427 has struggled for acceptance in the helicopter community, one LongRanger derivative that has been a success from the start is the single-engine 407, which has sold in the hundreds since its launch in the late 1990s. Its hot-and-high performance was most recently confirmed in July, when a 407 landed on a Himalayan peak at an altitude of nearly 25,000 feet.

During July trials aimed at the Indian army, a Bell 407, flown by senior experimental test pilot Eric Emblin and flight-test engineer Ed Lambert, landed on Tillcho Peak in the Mustang area of northern Nepal at a density altitude of 24,971 feet (22,180 feet pressure). The feat was the climax of a week-long program of demonstrations and testing, which included low-speed controllability flights, IGE/OGE hover checks and general performance evaluations, all at altitudes higher than 18,500 feet.

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