Introducing Bell’s Newest Helicopter Line

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today its plans to introduce the first of a new family of helicopters at Heli-Expo 2007 in Orlando, Fla. This helicopter will be designed to meet the demanding requirements of commercial operators and is targeted for high volume production with deliveries beginning in 2010. The aircraft will be offered in both single and dual engine configurations with a maximum speed of 150 knots and range of 360 nautical miles. Versions will be available for utility and passenger transport missions.

“Bell Helicopter is excited about our plans to expand our product offerings,” said John Garrison, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter. “The new helicopter is an excellent example of how we are using our design expertise to develop platforms that meet the needs of the market.”

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced the newest addition to its helicopter product line, the Bell 407GXP. The new aircraft offers superior performance and enhanced flight characteristics for customers worldwide.

“The Bell 407GXP is the next great step forward in our proven Model 407 line,” said Patrick Moulay, executive vice president of Commercial Business for Bell Helicopter. “Customers have come to rely on the 407’s exceptional performance and versatility and this new model will continue that legacy.”

“The 407GXP leverages the proven success of the Bell 407 while offering enhanced capabilities such as increased payload capacity, improved hot and high performance, increased altitude capability and an advanced cockpit,” said Danny Maldonado, executive vice president of Sales & Marketing for Bell Helicopter. “We anticipate great interest in this new aircraft from our existing customer base as well as new customers.”

The Bell 407 is the newest helicopter to come out of the Bell Helicopters manufacturing facility in Mirabel, Quebec. The Bell 407 is a derivative of the Bell 206L Long Ranger. Like its predecessor, the 407 will offer a cost effective solution to meeting your helicopter needs in both commercial and personal use.

The Bell 407 is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C47 turbine engine with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and provides exceptional hot and high performance. Its four-blade fully articulated main rotor system with composite blades gives smooth ride qualities, low vibration levels and superb handling characteristics.

The 407 has an ergonomic cockpit featuring dual controls, energy absorbing seats and crashworthy bladder fuel tanks. A high skid landing gear system provides protection for the tail rotor and increased ground clearance for external loads. The 407 has a two-seat cockpit with additional seating for five passengers in the cabin area. It has a maximum gross weight of 7,000 lbs (3175 kg).

The Bell 407 offers the choice of either a conventional anti-torque pedal system or FADEC controlled tail rotor that allows you to concentrate on flying instead of balancing torque, translation and collective inputs.

The 407 utilizes flat floor design that makes it easy to move

The Bell 407 is the next evolutionary step in the Bell 206, featuring a more powerful engine and all new composite rotor system. It will set a new standard for light single-engine helicopters, with exceptional performance and flexibility.

Designed to meet the needs of today’s most demanding operators, Bell Helicopter’s 407 represents a leap forward in technology. The 407 features an advanced cockpit and avionics that reduce pilot workload. The 4-axis digital automatic flight control system (AFCS) enables precise hovering and enhances low speed handling characteristics.

The 407 is powered by the Rolls Royce 250-C47B/8 turbine engine. The Rolls Royce 250 engine is known as the world’s most reliable helicopter engine with more than 8 million hours of operation. The high power to weight ratio offers excellent acceleration and hot/high performance.

The Bell 407 is available with a full range of options including skid or wheeled landing gear, glass or conventional instrument panels and numerous interior configurations. The spacious cabin offers increased volume over its predecessor, allowing for greater versatility and passenger comfort.

The Bell 407 is a member of the 407 family of light-lift helicopters. Bell’s newest helicopter features a 5-bladed rotor system, and is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C47 engine. The Bell 407 has a maximum speed of 138 knots (158 mph), and a cruise speed of 133 knots (153 mph). With an empty weight of 2,868 lbs, the Bell 407 can carry up to 5 passengers, or 1,500 lbs of cargo. The helicopter’s range is 350 nautical miles. The Bell 407 is FAA certified for single pilot IFR operations.

The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger. The 407 has the redesignated the Model 206L-4 engine, a Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-C47 turboshaft engine with FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) which improves performance and fuel economy by automatically controlling engine functions. The 407’s airframe is based on the 206L-4 LongRanger, but with a larger, square shaped cabin. The doors are 40% larger than those of the 206L-4.

The helicopter was first unveiled at the February 1996 Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California and made its maiden flight on June 29, 1996. It received FAA certification on April 30, 1997 and was first delivered to a customer in July 1997.

The Bell 407 has been selected by more than 500 customers worldwide for its all-weather capability and high performance capabilities. In 2004 Bell delivered more than 100 Bell 407s for the second year in a row.

The Bell 407 Helicopter is the latest variant in the Model 206 Jet Ranger series. The helicopter has been designed to offer a high-speed, light-weight, single engine aircraft that can carry 7 passengers along with a 2 member flight crew. The Bell 407 has been designed to be a multi-mission aircraft that can be used by both commercial and military customers around the world.

The key innovation of the Bell 407 is the use of composite material for the tail boom and rotor blades. This allows for improved performance, reduced weight and increased durability over previous models.**