More delays possible for Bell 429? | Aviation International News

More delays possible for Bell 429?

Despite a recent executive shake-up at Bell Helicopter, company executives insist that the new $4.865 million (2007) Model 429 light twin will receive cert

By Mark Huber • Contributor

October 27, 2008

Despite a recent executive shake-up at Bell Helicopter, company executives insist that the new $4.865 million (2007) Model 429 light twin will receive certification approval early next year and that first customer deliveries will begin shortly thereafter. (Originally, those deliveries were scheduled to begin last year.) “The plan right now is that we are going to certify early next year,” Bell’s 429 program director, Neil Marshall, told AIN late last month.

He added that the program was largely “on track” and that most of the flight testing would be finished by next month. Marshall said that some function and reliability testing, ground testing, software completion and supplier parts qualification remained to be done. He also said that he expected the 429 to perform better than previously published specifications, strongly hinting that top speed would exceed 142 knots.

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