First flight is scheduled for December 1997, with FAA certification planned for late 1998. A full scale mock-up of the aircraft was displayed for the first time during the September 1996, Farnborough Air Show in England and has subsequently been displayed at major aviation shows including the National Businass Aircraft Association and the 1997 Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California.

"We are extremely pleased with the number of introductory orders and it looks like the 427 is going to be another Bell product success story," Mr. Shoppa continued. Bell and Samsung are working through a collaborative agreement to design and build the new light twin helicopter. The Bell 427 is 13 inches longer than Bell's 407 new light single and will meet anticipated ICAO and JAR twin-engine requirements.

The Bell 427 will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada 600 shp PW206D turboshaft engines. A new main transmission with direct input from the twin engines is still in the design stage. Certification is scheduled for late 1998.

The Bell 427 will have seating capacity for one pilot and seven passengers. Seating configuration in the main cabin can be either three abreast forward - facing each other club-style or two rows of three abreast seating facing forward. The extra width of the 427 guarantees comfortable side-by-side seating for all passengers. Main cabin seating will be easily removable allowing quick conversion for utility operations. For emergency medical missions, the Bell 427 will be able to carry up to two litters in a fore and aft orientation without encroaching on cockpit space. It will have a maximum gross weight of 6,000 lbs.

The Bell 427 flight dynamics are based on the four-blade main rotor system of the U.S. Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and the tail rotor from the 407 new light single. The soft-in-plane hub on the main rotor system employs a composite flexbeam yoke and elastomeric joints, eliminating lubrication and maintenance of any kind which will contribute substantially to reducing operating costs. Both the main and tail rotor blades will also be manufactured of composite material.

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