Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Amid the Covid-19 gloom, Textron CEO Scott Donnelly sees a bright future for the company’s Bell unit. For the first quarter, Bell posted revenues of $823 million, an 11.4 percent increase from the year-ago period, driven primarily by higher military sales. Segment profit increased by $11 million, to $115 million. During the period, Bell delivered 15 commercial helicopters, half the number delivered in first-quarter 2019. Backlog at the end of the latest quarter stood at $6.4 billion.&nbsp;

 


On a conference call with stock analysts on April 30, Donnelly said the rotorcraft manufacturer’s potential new military programs—including the “Valor” V-280 tiltrotor future long-range assault aircraft (FLRAA) and “Invictus” 360 future attack reconnaissance aircraft (FARA)—were well positioned as selected semi-finalists in ongoing U.S. Army competitions. Together, those programs could collectively be worth more than $60 billion, leading Donnelly to call them “huge opportunities.” Serial production of both FLRAA and FARA is slated to begin before the end of the decade provided that the Army sticks to currently established program schedules.&nbsp;

 


“I think we feel good about both programs,” Donnelly said. Bell is slated to receive $451 million from the Army to continue work on both. Bell also stands to benefit from increasing maintenance and modification work on the current fleet of more than 375 Bell-Boeing V-22 tiltrotors that are currently in service, he said.&nbsp;

 


On the commercial helicopter side, Donnelly said Bell currently has limited exposure to the offshore energy market and collapsing oil prices as its models currently in that market—the Bell 407, 412, and 429—are primarily used to serve near-shore, low-cost production rigs. From a larger perspective, Donnelly said Bell continues to see strong civil demand from parapublic customers who are “more resilient."

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Textron CEO Scott Donnelly Bullish On Bell 

Textron CEO Scott Donnelly sees a bright future for the company’s Bell unit.

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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