Eagle Copters is set to deliver its first production Eagle 407HP to the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Delivery, which will occur shortly after Heli-Expo, follows issuance of the supplemental type certificate for the re-engined Bell 407 in late 2014. The initial prototype model, used in development, has been flying with a customer and used for firefighting. That experience has enabled Eagle Copters to mature the project and prepare for the ramping up on the conversion projects, said David Sypke Whiting, v-p of sales and marketing.
Eagle Copters teamed with both Bell and Honeywell to swap the original 813-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C47 with Honeywell’s 1,021-shp HTS900-2-1D turboshaft. The 407H provides 17 percent lower fuel burn, 22 percent more shaft horsepower and an additional 500 pounds of payload. The new engine also is equipped with a tailored dual-channel Fadec. In addition Eagle Copters has developed an inlet barrier filter for the engine.
