Sorry Ole Petter Bakken, men jeg liker ikke ideen om å introdusere et nytt helikopter over Nordsjøen. La PHI fly det over Gulfen et par år for å luke vekk barnesykdommer, så kjøper man en velprøvet maskin. Wintershalls ene maskin har det vært stille om. (Red.)
HI UPLIFT: THE BELL 525 RELENTLESS PREPARES
FOR COMMERCIAL TAKE OFF
NEWS
BY MIKE STONES
5 OCTOBER 2023
The new Bell
525 Relentless carries a heroic enough name. But it has also been a long time
coming. Unveiled at the 2012 Heli-Expo Dallas, Texas, the Bell 525 first flew
on July 1st, 2015. Targeting the super-medium category, it’s designed to
transport up to 20 passengers or a useful load of 8,200lbs (3,700kg). Powered
by two General Electric CT7-2F1 turboshaft engines, the Bell 525 claims a
maximum speed of 190mph (306km/h) and a range of 644 miles (1,037km).
So far, the Bell 525 fleet of four test aircraft has now completed a
combined 3,000 hours of flight testing, Helicopter Investor can reveal. (Two
Bell 525s are pictured in formation below).
“The Bell 525 will be a gamechanger in the VIP/corporate transport
segment once it enters the market,” Robin
Wendling, regional sales manager, Bell, tells Helicopter Investor. “It will be the
most spacious commercial helicopter developed by Bell, with an 88-square-foot
cabin that can hold up to 20 passengers (and one or two flight crew
members).” He says the helicopter is
also designed to be a best-in-class aircraft expected to support oil and gas
industry operations, including offshore flights on the Norwegian Continental
Shelf.
The manufacturer highlights helicopter’s fuel efficiency. “The
Bell 525 will support the oil and gas industry’s sustainability objectives by
consuming 30% less fuel per hour of operation than the heavy class helicopters
that fly offshore today on the Norwegian Continental Shelf,” says
Wendling. Search-and-rescue (SAR) and military operations are also envisioned.
Expected to be the first commercial fly-by-wire helicopter to be
certified, the design is intended to cut pilot workload, increase pilot
situational awareness and improve the aircraft’s handling qualities. For
example, a rotor-hub vibration eliminator system helps deliver a best-in-class
ride, while minimising noise, according to the manufacturer. The Bell 525 cabin
features leather upholstery, with the option of a custom MAGnificient interior
by Mecaer Aviation Group.
But when will first commercial deliveries take place? Bell won’t be
drawn on forecasting a calendar date. But Wendling does tell us this: “The
Bell 525 team is currently engaged with the FAA on Type Inspection
Authorization (TIA) flight testing and is submitting certification artifacts to
the FAA in parallel.” (Some industry commentators expect an arrival
fairly soon). The manufacturer is also remaining tight-lipped on pricing.
Whatever its price tag, the Relentless will touch down in a competitive
market. Already active in the super-medium market are the Airbus Helicopter
H175 and the AugustaWestland AW189. (Super-medium helicopters are classified as
having a maximum take off weight (MTOW) of between 7-9t).
The Bell 525’s history is a tale of two halves, according to Clark
McGinn, principal, of helicopter consultancy Uplifting Advice. “The good half is
that its disappointingly long development/certification meant it didn’t come on
stream in the midst of the oil and gas carnage,” McGinn tells Helicopter Investor. “So, it looks like its
production cycle will align with the tightening of the energy markets, however
the lead orders (certainly from the late lamented Waypoint, and maybe others)
have fallen away.”
After more than 20 years in the helicopter industry, McGinn diagnoses a
particular condition that he believes sometimes afflicts operators. “The
energy company’s aviation advisors traditionally have shiny-itis, a contagious
disease which stimulates the desire to acquire the newest tech to play with, so
that’s a positive for Bell here,” he says. “But the economic
fundamentals of the operators remain stretched (and bank appetite for oil and
gas helicopters remains highly constricted). Perhaps we might see a tri-lateral
cooperation (lessor/OGP company/operator) as happened with the H160 in the Mexican
Gulf.”
The Bell 525’s full impact may depend partly on the production line of
rival Sikorsky. If it’s low or zero, we may see super-mediums taking up the
slack for the longer missions offshore. “So, you could see the Bell 525
making a case against the H175 and AW189, although remember that they both had
teething troubles in coming on-line (which by and large have been ironed out)
and with the new ‘fly-by-wire’ aspect of the 525, one might expect similar
issues in its introduction to service.”
Moving on to sales into the high net worth individual (HNWI) VIP
market, much is going to depend on the initial purchase price, says McGinn
of Uplifting Advice. Plus, Bell’s ability to deliver the promise of lower direct operating costs
within a context of stretched supply chains.
Brad
Shaen, director and founder, International Aviation Marketing also
believes the activity (or lack of it) on S-92 productions lines and its support
service will help to shape the market impact of the Bell 525. “It is in a similar position to the other super-mediums in the
market and its’ early success will depend on the product support surrounding
the S92 helicopter,” Shaen tells Helicopter Investor. “The big
concern with the helicopter is the proposed price of the machines and can they compete
financially with the H175 and AW189. I feel like Bell needs a big military
customer to buy the aircraft to launch it on the market.”
Sara
Dhariwal, senior aviation analyst, at Cirium Ascend Consultancy says the market appears to be getting smaller for the larger types. “There is now more competition in the space than ever
before,” Dhariwal tells us. “The question is whether there is
room in the segment for all of them, and if not, which one will come out on
top?” To triumph in that hard-fought battle, it’s clear the Bell 525
Relentless will need far more than just its heroic name.
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