Bell Helicopter signed a purchase agreement in China June 28 with Shaanxi Helicopter Co. Ltd. (SHC) for 100 Bell 407GXP singles with deliveries starting this year. The Bell deal with the subsidiary of Shaanxi Energy Group is worth about $300 million at list prices and finalizes a framework agreement the company entered with SHC in 2016. The agreement was formalized during a signing ceremony in Xi’an with Bell CEO Mitch Snyder and Shaanxi Energy Group president Xiaoning Yuan, along with leaders from Shaanxi Province and the U.S. and Canadian embassies.
“Bell Helicopter has been developing its support and presence in China for several years and this further establishes our commitment to the region,” said Snyder. Yuan said his company's selection of the 407GXP was based in part on its multi-role capabilities in “a broad range of segments, including EMS, parapublic, tourism and firefighting.”
Bell launched the 407GXP, the latest 407 variant, in 2015. It features an additional 50 pounds of payload capability compared with the original model; a new M250 Rolls-Royce engine that improves hot-and-high performance and fuel efficiency; new avionics capabilities such as hover performance calculator improvement; and a transmission TBO extension of 500 hours.