Tue, Feb 24, 2009
Agreement Could Be Worth Up To $400 Million
The economy may be tough, but the helicopter industry rotors
on... Rolls-Royce and Bell Helicopter have signed a ten-year
agreement, valued at up to $400 million for the supply of Model 250
engines for Bell 206 and 407 helicopters. As part of this
agreement, Model 250 engines will be delivered to Bell Helicopter
through 2017.
Ken Roberts, President of Rolls-Royce Helicopter Engines, said:
“We have delivered more than 18,000 Model 250 engines for use
on single and twin-engine helicopters to Bell over the last
decades. During those years, Bell and Rolls-Royce have worked
together to keep Model 250-powered aircraft at the forefront of the
helicopter industry through continued investment and the
introduction of new technology. This new ten-year agreement is a
commitment to build upon that valued and successful
partnership.”
Rolls-Royce and Bell Helicopter initiated their partnership in
1961 with the maiden flight of a Rolls-Royce turbine powered
variant of the classic Bell 47.
The Model 250 line has produced 30,000 engines, more than half
of which are still in service with approximately 4,500 operators in
150 nations. The Model 250 family has accumulated 194 million
flight hours, providing an unmatched level of expertise in every
conceivable operational condition.
The Model 250 is in full-rate production at the Rolls-Royce
facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally developed as a 250
shp turboshaft / turboprop family to meet the needs of the U.S.
Army, the Model 250 family has evolved into one of the
industry’s most successful civil and military turbine engine
product lines, with four generations of powerplants. The Model 250
family includes a variety of types, including the 420-450 shp
Series II turboshaft, the 420-450 shp Series II turboprop, the
Model 250-K34 industrial engine, the military Model 250-C30R/3, and
the 650-715 shp Series IV turboshaft. The latest Model 250-C47B
turboshaft is a FADEC-equipped engine that produces 650 mechanical
shaft horsepower (813 thermodynamic shp) at take-off.
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