Bell 525 programmet suser avsted.....

Vekten på maskinen er nå over 19 000 lbs, altså mer enn MTOW på S-61N da jeg begynte å fly den i 1977.

Story of the Week

Bell Raises 525 Performance Targets as Fly-by-Wire Development Progresses

Bell Helicopter is improving the performance of the 525 Relentless medium twin. Although the helicopter has not flown yet, it seems design engineers have refined their calculations or revised their objectives. In addition, development of the fly-by-wire control system is well under way. The eight-metric-ton-class Relentless was unveiled in early 2012 and targets offshore oil and gas operators.
Maximum cruise speed is now said to be 155 knots, instead of 140 knots, and range 500 nm, instead of 400 nm. Mtow increases from 18,000 to 19,300 lbs, while useful load raises from 4,000 to 7,400 lbs. As a result, the Bell 525 will be able to fly six passengers over 500 nm, with PC2e takeoff performance in ISA+20 temperature conditions.

Development of the fly-by-wire control system is ongoing. Despite being poised to be the first on a civil helicopter, the system is not causing any delays, according to Bell officials. The maiden flight is still scheduled for 2014.
 

“Bell is in charge of the software, including redundancy, built-in tests and emergency situation modes,” Jeffrey Lowinger, Bell’s executive vive president of engineering for XworX and commercial programs, told Rotor & Wing. Meanwhile, BAE Systems has responsibility for the computer hardware and Moog for the actuators.