Bell 407 Tail Rotor Erosion

Q2 • 2012

RotorBreezebel lhel icopter.com

Introducing the

RotorBreeze is a quarterly publication of Bell Helicopter, a subsidiary of Textron Inc.,

P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Telephone: (817) 280-2679

E-mail: [email protected]

This newsletter is distributed free of charge to

persons associated with the helicopter industry.

EDITORIAL STAFFRoss Johnson, Publisher

Leslie Ferry, Editor

ADVISORY COMMITTEEAngela Baldwin, Communications

Jay Felkins, LegalMark Medinger, Commercial Field SupportWarren Moseley, Legacy Program Mgr.

© 2012 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Q 2 - 2 0 1 2 F E A T U R E S

The Bell 525 Relentless 2-3

Latest Improvements to the

Model 407 4-5

Root Cause Analysis, a Tool for

Aviation Record Keeping 6

FAA Approves Additional Performance

for Van Horn Aviation Composite Tail

Rotor Blades 7

Customer Support and Services

Under New Leadership 7

Advanced Rotorcraft Drive System

Design is Not Our of Reach 8

Aviation Service a.s. Receives EASA

Part 145 Certification 9

2012 M&O Conference Schedule 9

206 Composite Tail Rotor Blade

Receives EASA STC 9

New Bell 429 Options Available from

Aeronautical Accessories 10

Meet Customer Service Engineer

John Forero 10

Shop Talk 11

2

The Bell 525 Relentless was introduced at HAI Heli-Expo 2012 in Dallas, Texas in February. The mockup on display featured a 16-passenger configuration and was sporting launch customer, PHI’s, colors of yellow and black.

The Bell 525 Relentless will support our customers in various mission configurations including oil and gas, search and rescue, helicopter emergency medical services and VIP/corporate transport. The new Bell 525 Relentless defines the new “super medium” category. It is the largest commercial aircraft Bell Helicopter has ever committed to its customers and it is the first-ever, five-blade aircraft.

Introducing new innovations and technologies played a key role in the overall product development process. As a result, one of the most compelling features of the Bell 525 Relentless will be the new ARC Horizon flight deck. Bell Helicopter will also be the first in the industry to debut the Garmin G5000H integrated avionics suite as part of the ARC Horizon. This is the same avionics suite that will be offered on the new Cessna Citation Ten.

“I know as we work to move this product toward first flight and certification, it will continue to make history as it leads the way in innovation and new technologies,” said John L. Garrison, President and CEO of Bell Helicopter.

Customer Advisory Panel Makes Bell 525 “Fit for Purpose”The Bell 525 Relentless represents the collaborative alignment between Bell

Helicopter and our customers and is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of input from a group called the Customer Advisory Panel (CAP). “Having our customers engage with us on this unprecedented new aircraft validates our product development strategies – placing our customers at the center of everything we do. We appreciate the collaborative spirit we share with all of our customers who have participated in this innovative process,” Garrison said.

The CAP was formed in December 2010 and is comprised of 24 executive-level members from nine different companies that represent industries of potential Bell 525 markets, such as oil and gas, search and rescue, firefighting and corporate/VIP. All the members have decision-making authority and

C o v E R S T o R y

Defining the Future of Flight

The Bell 525 Relentless

Bell Helicopter RotorBreeze 2Q 20122

Defining the Future of Flight

The Bell 525 Relentless

BellHelicopteR.com 3

extensive helicopter backgrounds.Meeting bi-annually and exchanging

information constantly, the CAP interacts with the design team to ensure that customer requirements are being met through every step of the process. This Validation of Program Design Decisions process has resulted in numerous changes that more closely align with the customers’ future mission requirements.

“Our slogan is ‘creating an aircraft that’s fit for purpose,’” said Will Fulton, Commercial Product Marketing Manager for Bell Helicopter. “We have had resounding support from our members, many of whom have been on previous CAPs on other projects with other companies. Our actions prove that we are 100 percent focused on integrating the voice of the customer into a useful product offering.”

The CAP also remains with the program from entry into service, serving as a sort of “oversight” committee to validate engineering design decisions.

“What we’re seeing is a transformation of the way we approach future helicopter development,” Fulton said. “I think the fact that we’ve made such good progress will keep this moving and successful. Bell Helicopter is committed to following through on a customer-driven design, and the CAP is proof of our commitment to execution excellence.”

The new Bell 525 Relentless defines

the new “super medium” category.

It is the largest commercial aircraft

Bell Helicopter has ever committed

to its customers and it is the first-ever,

five-blade aircraft.

The Bell 525 Relentless is the product of the future. This super-medium aircraft will re-define market expectations for productivity and value – and it’s the first commercial helicopter to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls, the Garmin G5000H, and Bell Helicopter’s lift assist tail boom (LATD) technology.

Key Features and Benefits:

Best-in-class Payload Range Capability to meet our customers’ future mission requirements

Best-in-class Cabin and Cargo Volumes couple with flexible cabin layout options, ergonomics and ingress/egress solutions that create a best-in-class passenger experience

Best-in-class Crew Visibility from wrap-around windscreens providing a wide field of view during takeoff, cruise and landing and excellent over the nose viewing

Fly-by-Wire Flight Controls provide the ability to operate demanding mis-sion in harsh conditions safely and reliably with decreased pilot workload

State-of-the-Art Garmin G5000H Avionics incorporating the first touch-screen glass flight deck designed for helicopters

Technical Specifications:Speed +140 kts +260 kph

Range +400 nm +740 km

Max Gross Weight +18,000 lbs +8,160 kg

Useful Load +4,000 lbs +1,800 kg


Latest Improvements to the Model 407

The first block effort introduced the following advancements:

1. Chapter 4 Review: Based on accumulated data and additional testing, the retirement life on fifteen listed components was removed rendering them “On Condition.” •MainRotorPitchHorn(P/N407-010-103-ALL) •MainRotorPitchLinkTubes(P/N406-010-413- ALL) •Clevis(P/N406-010-416-103) •RodEndAssembly(P/N406-310-404-105) •SwashplateDriveLink(P/N406-010-426-101) •SwashplateDriveLever(P/N406-010-425-107) •GimbalRing(P/N406-010-427-109) •SwashplateInnerRing(P/N406-010-410-121) •CollectiveLever(P/N406-010-408-101) •ServoActuatorSupport(P/N407-001-500-ALL) •SupportAssembly(P/N406-010-406-119) •SleeveAssembly(P/N406-010-409-ALL) •BellcrankSupport(P/N407-001-511-101) •TailRotorBlade(P/N406-016-100-119) •DriveHubSet(P/N406-010-428-109)

2. New Litter Door T-seal and Sidebody Contour Seal:ProductSupportEngineeringhasreceivednumerous customer complaints concerning cabin water infiltrations. The latest design is now being installed in production aircraft and is available for fieldedaircraftperTB407-11-94.

3. Improved Nose-Mounted Fresh Air Cabin Plenums:PSEhasreceivedqueriesconcerningcracking and deterioration of the vent molding over time. The newest parts have thicker walls, new internal doublers for mounting the nut plates and reinforced fiberglass sides to reduce the potential for cracking. A Technical Bulletin is planned for field introduction within the next year.

4. New Improved Seat Belts: These new seat belts provide additional comfort to the back neck area andabdomen.IL407-12-102wasreleasedconcerningadditional changes. Incorporation into production forthcoming.

5. Improved Corrosion Resistance at Pylon Roof Mounting Pads: The addition of anodizing and primer on mating surfaces, including the possibility for the installation of solid shims. Modification available for fieldedaircraftperTB407-12-97.

6. Improved Corrosion Resistance of MR Mast at Lower Cone Contact Surface Area: The change to the cadmium plating process and alteration to the tungsten carbide coating has fixed dissimilar corrosion issues that have been reported. This effort also benefits fielded aircraft by creating a spares superseding dash part number.

by Gabriel Léveillé, Product Support Engineering


7. Improved Corrosion Resistance of MR Transmission Intermediate Case: The case is now made out of aluminum. This effort also benefits fielded aircraft by creating a spares superseding dash part number.

8. Cold Fuel Operations: This effort now allows the use of Jet A or equivalent at operating temperatures below minus32degreesCelsius.Thiseffortrequiredextensiveflight testing and benefits across all models. Refer to applicableFlightManualSupplementsreleasedforadditional details.

The second block effort introduced the following additional advancements;

9. Glass Cockpit: The G1000H Garmin glass cockpit suite introduced to the Bell407.Thislatestvariant, the Bell 407GX,startsatserialnumber54300and sub.

10. Improved Water Resistance at Canon Plug Back Shells: This feature will reduce probabilities of erroneous indicator readings when flying in rain. A Technical Bulletin is planned for field introduction within the next year.

11. Jettisonable Crew Doors: These doors will be on allstandardBell407andtheBell407GX.

12. LED Lighting for Landing, Taxi, Strobe and Position Lights: This lighting is presently incorporated ontheBell407GXonly.Theplanistohavethistechnology installed onto other models in the future.

13. Chapter 4 Review: We have removed the retirement life on the K-flex main driveshaft. The requirement has now changed to an overhaul.

14. Wire Strike Protection System: The installation of awirestrikeprotectionsystemonallstandardBell407andBell407GX.

15. Emergency Float Kit: We have added automatic water-activated submergible switches for the emergency float kit. Also, the inspection interval of the float bags is planned to increase from 6 months/500 hours to 1 year/1000 hours.

If you require any further information please feel free to contact Product Support Engineering.

WerecentlyreceivedacallfromacustomerlookingatbuyingaBell407.HepointedoutthatthepriceforanewBell407washighercomparedtothepricefromafewyearsago.Hisquestionwas,“AmIpayingthisadditional amount because of inflation, or am I getting some tangible improvements?” He was really pleased to findoutthattheBell407hasreceivedaseriesofblockupgradesoverthelastfewyears.TheBell407managementteamhasconductedanexerciseofidentifyingareasneedingenhancementbased

on engineering, production and customer feedback.ThisisaquickresumeofsomelatestaccomplishmentsincorporatedintotheBell407.Since1996,thismodelhas

gone through quite a series of improvements to meet customer operational needs. More improvements are in theworks…Staytuned!

Root Cause Analysis, a Tool for Aviation Record Keepingby Elizabeth Howard, Training/EHS Administrator – SkyBOOKS

ContinuousImprovementProcessisacommonthemeatBellHelicopter.SkyBOOKSutilizesacontinuous

improvement process to develop an accurate maintenance tracking program. The methods and tools we

use to determine the root cause of errors can also be applied to your record keeping program, whether it’s

an online record keeping program or paper logs and a grease board.

We have identified common record keeping errors and causes in past articles to help you identify errors in

your own record keeping program. Once an error is discovered we recommend Root Cause Analysis as a

tool for continuous improvement.

For more Record-Keeping information contact SkyBOOKS at 866.929.8700 or email [email protected].

What is Root Cause Analysis

Root Cause Analysis is a reactive and a proactive tool. It is reactive because it identifies the root cause after an error has occurred. It is a proactive tool because it prevents future errors if the root cause is properly identified and eliminated. Problems that could potentially turn catastrophic can be prevented ahead of time. Root Cause Analysis is used in engineering, manufacturing, and operations. When business processes are revised safety performance improves. We should also apply this process to aviation maintenance tracking to eliminate errors. If you discover corrosion on your aircraft, you don’t paint over it; you eliminate the corrosion first. Likewise, if you discover a record keeping error, you don’t just correct it and continue to use the same erroneous process. You must identify why the error occurred and prevent it from occurring again.

Follow three steps to apply a continuous improvement process to your record keeping program:

1. Identify and document a record keeping error

2. Analyze the problem to determine the root cause and contributing causes

3. Determine what can be done to prevent the error from happening again

STEP ONE is crucial. If errors go undocumented, trends will not be apparent and your process will not continuously improve. You can review documented errors to identify and communicate recurring problems that would otherwise go unnoticed.

STEP TWO requires the input from the team. Everyone will have an idea of what caused the errors. Most will be accurate causes; however there is only one root cause. The example below identifies four causes. Independently each cause may not have resulted in an error. The root cause is the primary cause you should address to prevent future errors.

STEP THREE identifies what action will be taken to eliminate the root cause and prevent future errors. It is important to remember that people generally do not err on purpose. Therefore step three should focus on improving a process.


Installed component has incorrect Tracking intervals

Record Keeping not updated for alternative P/N or Mx manual revision

No process to update spreadsheet for manual revisions nor alternate P/N’s

Spreadsheet not updated from HSR Card data

Record Keeping program does not force tracking validation or automate new interval requirements

PROBLEM CAUSE CAUSE CAUSE ROOT CAUSE


FAA Approves Additional Performance for Van Horn Aviation Composite Tail Rotor Blades

During the summer of 2011, with representatives from Bell Helicopter and the FAA present, composite rotor blade manufacturer Van Horn Aviation (VHA) performed a series of high-altitude flight tests in Leadville,Colorado,usingaBell206L3.Theflighttestingresulted in the publication of new FAA-approved hover performance charts that can increase the allowable weight in certain conditions with the installation of the VHAcompositetailrotorbladeSTConBell206L1,206L3,and 206L4 models.VHAcompositetailrotorblades(P/N2062200-301)

incorporateaNASA–designedlaminarflowairfoilthatresults in increased stall margin and thereby improves high altitude performance. This efficient cambered airfoil design uses less engine power to produce more tail rotor authority, reducing pilot workload, while providing greater control. The blade features corrosion and damage-resistant carbon fiber skin, titanium root fitting, electroformed nickel abrasion strip, and stainless steel pitch bearings for increased service life. Its advanced, airfoil and shaped tip significantly reduce the overall aircraft noise signature. Also, the blades are designed and certified with service lives twice as long as the OEM blades. This increase in life reduces direct maintenance costs (DMC) associated with the tail rotor blades by nearly 50%. ThenewVHAFlightManualSupplements(FMS)are

available at the websites of Aeronautical Accessories (www.aero-access.com) and Van Horn Aviation (www.vanhornaviation.com/documents). These supplements include updated hover performance charts for each model. The new charts provide, under certain conditions, increases in the allowable weight in groundeffect(IGE)by170lbsandoutofgroundeffect

(OGE)by75lbsinAreaA.AreaAistheregionofthehover performance charts where FAA controllability requirementsaremet(17knotwindsinallazimuths).NotethattheuseofVHAtailrotorbladesdoesNOTauthorize loading over the aircraft’s maximum internal gross weight limits.TheVHASTCthatincludestheP/N2062200-301

tail rotor blades is available exclusively through Aeronautical Accessories (www.aero-access.com). All products are FAA STC/PMA certified.

With lower operating costs and greater tail rotor authority, Van Horn Aviation composite blades provide a “win-win” situation for both the operator and the pilot.

The blade features corrosion and damage-resistant carbon fiber skin, titanium root fitting, electroformed nickel abrasion strip, and stainless steel pitch bearings for increased service life. Its advanced, airfoil and shaped tip significantly reduce the overall aircraft noise signature.


Customer Support & Services Under New LeadershipEricCardinalihasbeenappointedasseniorvicepresidentoftheCustomerSupport

&ServicesorganizationatBellHelicopter.Erichasnearly25yearsexperienceindomestic and international sales and manufacturing. He first joined Textron in 2001 and since then has served in a variety of leadership roles in operations at several of Textron’s businesses, including Bell Helicopter as the President of Bell Helicopter TextronCanadafrom2008–2010.Eric’sinternationalbusinessacumen,operationsexpertise, and proven leadership ability will be an excellent fit for the organization as Bell continues its global expansion.

Danny Maldonado, who has held the position of senior vice president of Customer Support&Servicessince2008,hasassumedtheresponsibilityasseniorvicepresidentof commercial sales and marketing, leading the sales and marketing efforts globally for Bell Helicopter. Danny’s extensive international expertise, proven success in being responsive to customers and relationships within the industry will be a force multiplier as Bell continues to revitalize its commercial business.


Advancing Rotorcraft Drive System Design is Not Out of Reachby Ryan Ehinger, Supervisor IPT Engineering, Research and Engineering

Bell Helicopter has been leading the FutureAdvancedRotorcraftDriveSystem(FARDS)programforoverayear.Thegoal is to surge forward with advanced design, and make dramatic leaps in system performance, cost, noise, and safety usingmorethan18uniquedrivesystemtechnologies. Bell Helicopter’s partner in this program is the Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD), leaders in the development and transition of technology to their military customer. In 2015, Bell Helicopter will incorporate these integrated technologies in a full-scale bench test demonstration to validate their readiness for production.

The technology developed under theFARDSprogramisfocusedontheModel407drivesystem,buthasdual-use applicability to essentially all of Bell Helicopter’s commercial and military product lines. In fact, Bell Helicopter’s development of the program was based in large part on addressing the needs of the commercial customer. What does this mean for Bell’s commercial customers and fleet? It means we are working to respond to your needs and provide future transmissions that are lighter, quieter, and less expensive to own and operate. Lighter and less expensive, two typically incompatible features are addressed by a specific mix of new processes, materials, and configurations.Specifically,theFARDSprogramis

developing new gear materials that require 40% less processing time with 40% higher yield strength, new gear tooth geometry for additional load capacity, and new welding techniques to simplify component production. Many of these improvements have already been validated in coupon level testing and analysis. Others will be part of an extensive component test programatNASAGlennResearchCenter.

Our bearing technology is focused on improved corrosion resistance, reduced weight using ceramic materials, and long-awaited maintenance free bearings for the tail rotor driveshaft.

Driveshaft technology began by taking the success of the supercriticalModel429driveshaftsystem, optimizing it to the specific geometric constraints of the Model 407,andincorporatingnewmaterialsand manufacturing technologies. High strength, corrosion resistant materials are also being used for the main rotor mast to further reduce weight and eliminate maintenance cost drivers. Someofthemoreuniquetechnologies

are in the areas of thermal management and are focused on reducing the transmissions oil volume and external cooling requirements. Early testing indicates that both are possible. Safetyandoperating

costs are being addressed using technologies that will continuously monitor the oil for moisture, debris, and degradation. This technology marks the first step to extending oil change intervals and proactively identifying water intrusion before it causes subsequent damage, with no off-aircraft oil-sampling testsrequired.Non-invasivejointintegritymonitoring is also being developed to assess proper joints, with no wrench required.Staytuned…while2015marksthe

test date for the integrated bench demonstration, many technologies will be developed even sooner.

The goal is to surge forward

with advanced design, and

make dramatic leaps in system

performance, cost, noise, and

safety using more than 18 unique

drive system technologies.


Aviation Service a.s. Receives EASA Part 145 Certification

206 Composite Tail Rotor Blade receives EASA STC

Bell Helicopter and Cessna’s joint service facility, operated by AviationServicea.s.inPrague,CzechRepublic,hasreceivedEuropeanAviationSafetyAgency(EASA)Part145Maintenance,Repair & Overhaul (MRO) certification. This certification allows inspection, repair and component overhaul maintenance options applicabletotheBell206,407,412,427,and429aswellasinspection and repair maintenance options for numerous Cessna Citation models. AchievingEASAPart145MaintenanceOrganizationApproval

of this broad range of aircraft models, along with certification ofthisfacilityasaBellHelicopterServiceCenter,willtakeBell’sfactory support of European-based aircraft to a new level. Inaddition,theexistingASEASAPart21DesignOrganizationApproval provides the capability for complete customizing and completion activity to include engineering, integration, installation andSTC’sforanylevelofequipment.BellHelicopteracquiredAviationServicea.s.inMarch2010to

further improve the quality and range of our service offering to customersinEurope,RussiaandtheUkraine.ASwasestablishedin1991intheCzechRepublicandhasprovidedover20yearsofservice in avionics sales, repair and design/integration to a broad range of rotary and fixed wing customers in Eastern Europe.ASrepresentsovertwentymajorU.S.andinternational

companies as a distributor, authorized service center and businesspartner(Honeywell,Garmin,BMS,DavidClark,Raytheon,NorthropGrummanandothers).Ouravionicsrepairstationhasa broad range of capability including repair of standard avionics components,radios,GPWS,EFIS,autopilots,weatherradar,GPSreceivers and other complex avionics equipment. LocatedonthePragueRuzyneAirportsince2002,AShas

39,000sq.ft.ofairsidehangarspace,withalmost13,000sq.ft.dedicated to maintenance and customizing activity. We have a dedicated helipad (H1) on our apron that can accommodate helicopter rotor diameters up to 15m for fly in service. Our Fixed Base Operation can ground handle and hangar any helicopter up to the size of Bell 412, as well as fixed wing aircraft up to size of a Gulfstream G550.Sincetheacquisition,BellandAShavecompletedtheoutfitting

of our state of the art maintenance workshops complete with all required Bell special tooling, hand and inspection tools, touch up paint booth, sheet metal shop, maintenance work stands and all ground support equipment.

These conferences provide an opportunity for all Bell Helicopter owners, operators, maintenance personnel, and pilots to interact with specialists from Bell Helicopter Product Support Engineering, Engine OEMs, etc. to get the latest technical information on Bell Helicopter aircraft.

The conference is free of charge to attend for Bell Helicopter maintainers and operators. The only expense to the attendees will be travel expenses, lodging expenses, meals, etc. If you are interested in attending one of these conferences, please contact your Customer Service Engineer (CSE) or Leslie Ferry at [email protected]

The following Maintainer and Operator (M&O) Conferences are

scheduled for 2012:

September 6-7 Mumbai, India

September 10-11 New Delhi, India

October 23-24 Atlanta, Georgia

November 13-14 Ottawa, Ontario

OnApril23,2012,theEuropeanAviationSafetyAgency(EASA)grantedanSTCforVanHornAviation’s206B/Lcomposite tail rotor blades. The European approvalofFAASTCSR02249LAallowsoperators governed by or otherwise using EASAflightstandardsto legally use the Van Horn composite tailrotorbladesonBell206B3andLserieshelicopters.

The VHA composite tail rotor blades (P/N2062200-301)areavailableexclusivelythroughAeronauticalAccessories(1-800-251-7094)oranyBellHelicopterSupplyCenter. For more information on the VHA composite blades visit www.aero-access.com or www.vanhornaviation.com.

ThenewBell429 Egress Windows/Sliding Door Pushout provides supplemental exits in the passenger cabin. The product is the same size, shape, and profile of the OEM windows and does not affect the flight characteristics of the aircraft. Available colors include: light gray, medium gray and dark gray.

TheBell429Removable Doors jettison the crew doors in the event of a water landing or submersion. These are OEM doors modified by replacing the upper-and lower-fixed hinge plates with quick-release hinge plates. The activation lever is located on the interior of the door at the upper hinge. When rotated, the activation lever operates the quick-release hinges, disengaging the upper and lower hinge plates

from the door. This simultaneously disengages the OEM door latches, allowing the door to be completely removed. The doors are compatible with Aeronautical Accessories’429AutomaticDoorOpenerKit.

A new HF AntennafortheBell429isalsonowavailable. This antenna allows communications beyond the range of standard radio equipment. Designed to interfacewithmanytypesofHFradios,thenewBell429HF Antenna increases reception in remote areas and runs the full length of the tailboom.

Aeronautical Accessories has developed the new Bell 429Scuba Floor to provide additional protection for cabin floor and baggage areas against both impact and fluids. Easily installed and removed, the Bell429ScubaFloor is molded in three sections and attached to the Bell429OEMfloortrackusingquickreleasefasteners.


New Bell 429 Options Available From Aeronautical Accessories AeronauticalAccessoriesisnowofferingadditionalproductoptionsfortheBell429.Thesenew

accessories include: Egress Window/Sliding Door Pushout, Removable Doors (Jettison), an HF Antenna, and a Scuba Floor.

Customer Service Engineer…John Forero.AsweexecuteourglobalgrowthplanforBellHelicopter’sCustomerServiceEngineernetwork,wearepleasedtointroduceournewestCustomerServiceExecutive,JohnForero. John lives in Bogota and will cover Colombia. John joins the Bell Helicopter team fromDynCorpwith28yearsofpriorexperienceonawidevarietyofBellaircraft,locatedprimarily in Latin America and the Middle East. Over half of this time was dedicated to positions in maintenance management, quality control, training and customer support. He is the holder of the FAA A&P and IA licenses, plus the Colombian Aeronautical Authority Helicopter licenses.

introducing Bell Helicopter’s Newest

For more information on Aeronautical Accessories and their products, contact the Aeronautical Accessories sales team at 1-800-251-7094 or email your question to [email protected].

Got Other Technical Questions?Please contact ProductSupportEngineering

Bell 206Phone:450.437.2862or800.363.8023FAX: 450.433.0272E-Mail: [email protected] 407Phone:450.971.6407or800.243.6407FAX: 450.433.0272E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell 222, 230, 427, 429 or 430Phone:450.437.2077or800.463.3036FAX: 450.433.0272E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell 204, 205, 212 or 412Phone:450.437.6201or800.363.8028FAX: 450.433.0272E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell 210/214B/214STPhone 817.280.3548E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell TH-57/TH-67/OH-58Phone:817.280.3548E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell UH-1H/UH-1N/Huey IIPhone:817.280.3548E-Mail: [email protected]

Bell AH-1W/AH-1Z/UH-1N/UH-1YPhone:817.280.3548E-Mail: [email protected]

Q: Is there any way we can reduce erosion on the leading edge on Bell 407 tail rotor blades?

A: Bell Helicopter has approved an expanded repair procedure allowing the applicationofa3Merosionresistantcoatingtoareasofthebladeexposedtoerosion. The coating is applied as a 0.5” wide strip, all along the leading edge (surrounding the erosion shield) and to the extreme tip portion of the blade. The adhesive strip can be touched up as required to maintain protection. Bell Helicopter’s approved blade repair facilities located in Louisiana, UK, and Dubai are able to apply this coating. They can be contacted to coordinate this adhe-siveapplicationperrepairnumber11LR-373.Otherapprovedrepairfacilitiesshould contact Bell engineering to obtain approval for the same repair.

Q: Can I upgrade my Bell 212 Tailboom to use on a Bell 412?

A: Bell 212 and Bell 412 Tailbooms can be interchanged between the two models and (subject to the required upgrades) used on any serial number of Bell212orBell412.PleaserefertoTB212-88-105andTB412-01-177.ForanyquestionsregardingtheseTBspleasecontactPSE–MediumGroupat [email protected].

Q: I have some structural damage to my 205A-1, however I need to com-plete a contract before performing the needed repairs. Can Bell provide a temporary repair to keep me going?

A:No,BellHelicopterdoesnotprovideorapprovetemporaryrepairs;allofour repairs are FAA approved and return the helicopter as a minimum to its original structural integrity.

Q: My Bell 412EP has Tail Rotor Pitch horns with P/N 212-011-708-107 marked on them. I cannot find this P/N in any of the manuals - is this OK?

A:Yesthisiscorrect.212-011-708-105PitchHorncontainsa212-011-708-107Pitch Horn sub assembly, Bushing, Insert and Lock Ring. These sub-components are assembled at manufacture and are not replaceable separately.

Q: I have been offered a Bell 212 at a very good price and now I am suspi-cious…how do I find out the history of the aircraft?

A: There are a number of “look alike” models which were not FAA certified. PleasecontactBellPSEandprovidetheserialnumberandanyotherdetailsand we will advise if there are any known issues.

Q: We are a Bell Helicopter Customer Service Facility (CSF) that performs maintenance on Bell 212 and Bell 412s We would like to know if different brands of Hydraulic Fluids can be mixed?.

A: If the hydraulic fluid conforms to MIL-PRF-5606 (MIL-H-5606), then it is use-able in the Models 212 and 412/412EP. There are no restrictions on the mixing of different brands of hydraulic fluid as long as they conform to MIL-PRF-5606.


Bell HelicopterBroussard, Louisiana337.839.2119

Rotor Blades Limited United Kingdom44.198.584.7040

RBI Hawker Limited Dubai, UAE971.4.8860144

P.O.Box482•FortWorth,Texas76101bellhelicopter.com

If you have had a change

of address or wish to

have your name added or

deleted from the RotorBreeze

distribution list, please notify

the editor, Leslie Ferry, at:

Bell HelicopterCustomer Support

& Services

ATTN: LESLIE FERRY

P.O. Box 482Fort Worth, TX 76101FAX: (817) 278-0053

or email:

[email protected]

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