Subaru and Bell brought the 412EPX commercial helicopter to the Singapore Airshow, where the type—and Subaru itself—is making its first appearance in Asia. The two companies first developed this latest model of Bell’s “Huey” family to answer the UH-X New Utility Helicopter requirement issued by the Japanese ministry of defense (JMOD) and then tailored it to the commercial/parapublic market.
Formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru has enjoyed a long relationship with Bell, beginning in the 1960s with the licensed production of the UH-1B/204B—the original “Huey” model. The UH-1J/205 followed, along with production of the AH-1S Cobra gunship. The company also provides in-service support to the JMOD fleet.
In September 2015 then-Fuji received a JMOD contract to develop a prototype of the UH-X, which was required to replace the aging UH-1Js serving with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). The company teamed with Bell to co-develop a version based on Bell’s 412EPI, initially known as the 412+.
Drawing on Subaru’s advanced technologies, notably laser-peening processes that enhance main rotor gearbox performance, the team engineered a version with improved gearbox dry-run capability and an 11 percent increase in mast torque output at speeds below 60 knots, the latter allowing an increase in maximum gross weight to 12,200 pounds (5,533 kg) for increased payload.
In July 2018 the two companies announced that they would jointly pursue the development and marketing of a commercial variant of what had by then become the 412EPX. A prototype had already received FAA certification on the fifth of the month following tests conducted at Bell’s Mirabel plant in Canada, where the 412EPI is made.
Flight testing of the military UH-X got under way on December 25, 2018, at Subaru’s Utsonomiya plant, where a new production line for the type has been established. The prototype performed a successful 55-minute first flight. On February 28, 2019, it was handed over to the JMOD for ministry trials. The type is due to enter service with the JGSDF in 2022, with 150 aircraft expected to be procured over a 20-year period.
In the meantime, the commercial 412EPX received certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau on January 18, and in June the two companies announced at the Paris Airshow the first order for the variant, which was placed by Japan’s National Police Agency.