More delays possible for Bell 429?

Despite a recent executive shake-up at Bell Helicopter, company executives insist that the new $4.865 million (2007) Model 429 light twin will receive certification approval early next year and that first customer deliveries will begin shortly thereafter. (Originally, those deliveries were scheduled to begin last year.) “The plan right now is that we are going to certify early next year,” Bell’s 429 program director, Neil Marshall, told AIN late last month.

He added that the program was largely “on track” and that most of the flight testing would be finished by next month. Marshall said that some function and reliability testing, ground testing, software completion and supplier parts qualification remained to be done. He also said that he expected the 429 to perform better than previously published specifications, strongly hinting that top speed would exceed 142 knots.

The first 14 production aircraft are already in sub-aTssembly build and the company plans to ramp up production of the 429 gradually over the next three to four years, achieving a full-rate production of 115 ships per year after 2011.

More than 350 Bell 429s are on order.