Bell is laying the groundwork for likely certification of its Model 525 super-medium twin helicopter later this year, aggressively marketing it to potential North Sea offshore energy customers as part of its continuing penetration of the European civil helicopter market.
The Textron Aviation (Booth T26) sister company announced the fly-by-wire 525 aircraft in 2012 and first flew it in 2015. However, a 2016 fatal crash of a flight-test vehicle, the lingering impact of the worldwide energy price collapse that year, and competition for internal resources as Bell pursued lucrative defense programs slowed development and testing. But now Bell executives are convinced that the stars have aligned to give the 525 the opportunity to become a major player in the rebounding offshore oil patch, where helicopter operators are predicting a resurgence.
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