Rotorcraft
Bell prepared to finance new civil helo program
by Mark Huber At this year’s Heli-Expo, Bell CEO John Garrison was adamant that the company could afford a new civil helicopter program.

At this year’s Heli-Expo, Bell CEO John Garrison was adamant that the company could afford a new civil helicopter program. “Capital-wise we have the ability to invest in new platform development. That is not a constraint. We just have to pick and choose,” Garrison said, declining to identify the market sectors Bell was considering. “The business has the ability to fund it.”

Earlier this year an internal memo on a new Bell program called Magellan leaked to the media. No timetable for the program was given and Bell declined to provide any additional details, but it is widely assumed the new program will be a replacement for Bell’s Vietnam-era, Huey-based 412 medium twin and aimed primarily at the superheated deepwater offshore oil and gas market. 

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